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Abyssinian or Peruvian?

Cookie Ramirez

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Hi guys...My name is Cookie and I'm a new to cavies. Recently I just bought 2 cavies and the seller told me its a Peruvian breed. Since I dont have any ideas about cavies I just bought it without questions. After a week i bought another cavy and i told the seller i want a female guinea pig since Im so dumb about it he gave me a male guinea pig which I didnt know at first. Then after a week when I passed by his store I saw this very cute guinea pig its already 3 months old (my other cavies are around 2months old) which is male and he gave me a good price which in the end i got tempted to buy it again. He said all the cavies are Peruvians but now Im having doubts about it. I think they are Abyssinian. 2 of my cavies are looking obviously Abyssinian but the other two has longer hair than abby, maybe they are abyruvians? Im not sure..I really want a pure Peruvian guinea pig.. What do u think guys? is this abby or peruvian?
 

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Cavylier

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Are you housing all of your pigs in the same cage? Your first problem right now would be to find out the gender of all your guinea pigs and separate the male from the females. This page will show you how.

You can find out how much space you would require in each cage here after you have separated them:


# of Pigs
Minimum
PREFERRED
generally
in grids
in grids
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7.5 sq ftmore is better30" x 36"2x3 grids27" x 41"
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7.5 sq ft10.5 sq feet 30" x 50"2x4 grids27" x 56"
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10.5 sq ft 13 sq feet30" x 62"2x5 grids27" x 71"
cavybullet.gif
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13 sq ftmore is better30" x 76"2x6 grids27" x 84"
*Note: Most panels (or cubes or grids) are 14 inches square; the grid dimensions quoted also allow for the connectors between

What are you feeding them? Cavies need unlimited grass hay, 1 cup of assorted vegetables and some pelleted feed everyday. This will give you more info on their diet:

Cavy Diet Information
READ ME- Cavy Nutrition Charts & Poisonous Plants List


They all look like Abbys to me. Why do you want a 'pure' Peruvian? I've heard that Abyssinian have really good personalities.
 
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CathiiPiggie

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They look like Abyssinian crosses with a longer haired breed, maybe a Peruvian - they have rosettes on their fur but not that many, and their hair is a little longer than a pure abyssinian. They're very cute though :)

Take [MENTION=22861]Cavylier[/MENTION] 's advice on her post above about splitting the piggies up.

Oh and just for future references, please do not go to a breeder or pet store to obtain guinea pigs. There are plenty to be rescued and adopted. Here is a link: Pet Stores and Guinea Pigs
 

pinky

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They all look like very cute Abbies to me. Don't go to Google images for identification. Those are photos that individuals took and labeled and most of those are wrong. Peruvians have very long hair and parts down their backs. They don't have any rosettes. Silkes have smooth, long fur that flows back off the face with no rosettes. Yours have lots of rosettes. Most guinea pigs are not pure breeds but there are characteristics that identify the different breeds.
 

RodentCuddles

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Looks like a abby x peruvain. Please don't buy guinea pigs from breeders or pet shops. Adopting or rescuing guinea pigs is a much better way to go, you are not supporting something that is cruel.

Here is my Peruvian:
DSC03179.jpg
He is not a pure breed Peruvian, but you can see that line he has down his back and how his hair flicks over his head (the picture was taken after a small hair cut).
 

katopasna

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I know I might get slammed but due to where I live my only option is petco... I have looked to adopt but there are no locally.. I live in a very rural area and the nearest adoption center is over 100 miles away.. I ended up buying 3 from petco and adopting one from petco... BUT I did look locally to adopt first... My fluffy also looks like that with long hair and rosettes..
 

RodentCuddles

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I know I might get slammed but due to where I live my only option is petco... I have looked to adopt but there are no locally.. I live in a very rural area and the nearest adoption center is over 100 miles away.. I ended up buying 3 from petco and adopting one from petco... BUT I did look locally to adopt first... My fluffy also looks like that with long hair and rosettes..

Getting them from a pet shop or breeder is never an option, you do not have to get them. I'm sure there is someone in your area who had gotten one and no longer wanted it.
 

katopasna

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our boy was given to us but other than that your kinda stuck...
 

cavy_jdas

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The longer-haired pics look Peruvian-ish to me, shorter-haired look Abby, but you may need to wait and see. Abby's have short hair and the breed standard has at least eight rosettes. The Peruvian standard has four rosettes, one on each shoulder and one on each side of the rump. So when you see more rosettes or fewer with the longer hair, it could still be Peruvian, but just not conforming to the optimal breed standard, or it could be a mix. You'll just have to wait to see how the hair grows out. Based on current pics, I would guess the top to be mix and the bottom to be abby.
 

pinky

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The longer-haired pics look Peruvian-ish to me, shorter-haired look Abby, but you may need to wait and see. Abby's have short hair and the breed standard has at least eight rosettes. The Peruvian standard has four rosettes, one on each shoulder and one on each side of the rump. So when you see more rosettes or fewer with the longer hair, it could still be Peruvian, but just not conforming to the optimal breed standard, or it could be a mix. You'll just have to wait to see how the hair grows out. Based on current pics, I would guess the top to be mix and the bottom to be abby.

I didn't know that. I guess the rosettes shape the way Peruvian hairs falls. I can see how a rosette forms the bangs. like in a crested or coronet, but I'd love to see photos of how the others form the hair flow. It makes sense, though. Abbies have those random rosettes all over. I wonder if one of two breeds was bred from the other.
 

cavy_jdas

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I didn't know that. I guess the rosettes shape the way Peruvian hairs falls. I can see how a rosette forms the bangs. like in a crested or coronet, but I'd love to see photos of how the others form the hair flow. It makes sense, though. Abbies have those random rosettes all over. I wonder if one of two breeds was bred from the other.


In the Peruvian, when the hair is long, the rosettes just give it more "lift" but the long hair covers the rosette. And when evenly placed, they also help form that even part down the middle. Yeah, I had wondered if the Abby came from the Perivian. (I believe the Peruvian is the older breed.)
 

pinky

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In the Peruvian, when the hair is long, the rosettes just give it more "lift" but the long hair covers the rosette. And when evenly placed, they also help form that even part down the middle. Yeah, I had wondered if the Abby came from the Perivian. (I believe the Peruvian is the older breed.)

I'll bet texels are probably the same. I know that they can but don't always have a part down their backs and their hair straightens the more you comb it. What I've noticed with mine is, if you give them a haircut, they start to look like an abby. The length is what really sets them apart. Young Peruvians are often mistaken for abbies for that reason. I'm sure genetic mutations do flukey things all the time, too, like making teddies.
 

Agrimony

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My initial thought is that they are a mix or are Peruvian. The hair is a bit long to be an Aby, but you may just have to wait and see. I've had my Aby since he was very young and even when a baby, his hair was never that long.

Everyone knows that I'm a real Aby lover! :heart: I had two Abys thirty years ago and never forgot them. As a gross generalization, they are athletic, smart, and very mischievous. And, they often have what we lovingly refer to as "Abby-tude". My Chester is very vocal, demonstrative, and when Chester is having a bad day, EVERYONE knows it. One either loves their personalities.......or doesn't.

I have two abys right now, my first experience with that breed. I'll tell you your description there describes them perfectly! They are so expressive, you KNOW if they are happy or not. One of mine will chatter at me if I take to long to feed him! I'm really growing to love the Aby-tude though, such big personalities!
 

Bailey4

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I did buy my girls from petco before I knew about adopting..you should know that my girls do have some health issues. Just make sure you have a good vet on hand if they do get sick..

Also, your piggies are very cute :)
 

Cookie Ramirez

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As much as i would love to adopt a guinea pig but there is no way u can just adopt a guinea pig or any other animals from my country. People sell them, but I did a thoroughly research if there is an available guinea pig for adoption in my city but no..there wasnt.. If there is then probably they are selling them too. Guinea Pigs are rare as a pet here. In fact, I roamed around the whole city's pet shops and only one of them has a guinea pig for sale. They cost u a lot if u want to have them for a pet.
 

piggielover246

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your piggies are abbysian:)
 

CathiiPiggie

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As much as i would love to adopt a guinea pig but there is no way u can just adopt a guinea pig or any other animals from my country. People sell them, but I did a thoroughly research if there is an available guinea pig for adoption in my city but no..there wasnt.. If there is then probably they are selling them too. Guinea Pigs are rare as a pet here. In fact, I roamed around the whole city's pet shops and only one of them has a guinea pig for sale. They cost u a lot if u want to have them for a pet.
Have you tried looking online on rehoming sites like Craigslist?
 

ZenMama

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I know I might get slammed but due to where I live my only option is petco... I have looked to adopt but there are no locally.. I live in a very rural area and the nearest adoption center is over 100 miles away.. I ended up buying 3 from petco and adopting one from petco... BUT I did look locally to adopt first... My fluffy also looks like that with long hair and rosettes..

There are no rescues in my area either. A few guinea pigs were listed on petfinder, and a lot on craigslist, but I was looking for abby girls, and found my two in another state. I drove 5 hours to get them. And then 5 hours home. I know not everyone can afford that, and it was a lot of money to spend on gas, but if you want it badly enough, it can be done.
 

Cookie Ramirez

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Im not from the US...
 
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