Abyssinian guinea pig: care and maintenance

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Exotic rosette guinea pigs have a completely unusual appearance. They look like they just stepped out of the barbershop and got their hair done in an unusual way. The temperament of these rodents is cheerful, they are popular with exotic lovers. The Abyssinian guinea pig is a lot of fun and easy to care for.

What are they?

These rodents are incredibly mobile, their fur does not require special care, they bathe them with a special shampoo bought in pet stores. A feature of this breed is exorbitant greed for food, so do not overfeed them, they will not refuse. For those who want to tame them and teach them something, this feature comes in handy. For food, they are ready to do almost anything. Breeders who breed this breed need to work hard, because this breed is the hardest to breed. If you manage to get good offspring, this is already a reason for pride.

You will recognize them bylooks

Guinea pigs are different, but if you see an Abyssinian, you will know for sure that it is him. You can immediately identify this breed by the rosettes on the wool. Wool funnels are visible in the photo of Abyssinian guinea pigs. They look like an open flower, such growth is due to mutations. They can be all over the body of the animal and even on the head. Throughout the coat they can be from 6 to 10 pieces. Special forms of mutations may show up as double rosettes. Then the rodent is all in small rosettes, there can be up to 30 of them.

In different individuals, their location and appearance are completely different, but such sockets are considered ideal where there is a clear center and extra hairs do not come out of it.

Each side of the body should have the same number of these funnels and the arrangement should be symmetrical. The Abyssinian guinea pig is considered ideal if it has 8-10 such vortices on its coat. The edges should be clear so that you can see where one ends and the other begins.

But as much as breeders would like, such ideal rodents are not often born. By show standards, their coat and curls are usually imperfect. But these cute pets are just made to look after and are loved just the way they are.

Active and mischievous

Abyssinians were brought to Europe from America in the 16th century. It is not known for what reason they were given such a name, but to this day it has taken root and is used. When it comes to a rodent with whirlwinds on its fur, everyone understandsthat it is an Abyssinian guinea pig.

Description of their character by breeders also causes a lot of positive emotions. In addition to their bright appearance, they also have a mischievous disposition. They behave more actively than other breeds, they are overly curious. No experiments have been done to confirm this theory, but breeders and owners say it is. Calm people may be afraid that their pets will be too active and be afraid to start them. But they are actually wonderful cohabitants, each has its own character. Any pet loves to be in the company of their owners, and so do guinea pigs. But longer than her relatives, the Abyssinian guinea pig loves to be in this society. Care and maintenance at home does not require special skills. So do not be afraid that this cute pet will break the habitual way of life. But it will be much more fun in his company, that's for sure.

Keep your pet clean and beautiful

Like any individual, pigs are especially active at a young age, then they become a little calmer. If an Abyssinian guinea pig has appeared in the family, care and maintenance must be kept under constant control. They are no more difficult to care for than other pets.

If we compare the care of different breeds of rodents, then the main distinguishing feature in the care of wool. The animal needs to be combed constantly to prevent tangles in the coat. They are willingly given to combing, because they trust their owners, it is easy to make friends and get along with them.a good relationship. They are believed to be easy to train.

It is not necessary to comb them every day, once a week is enough. To do this, you just need to purchase a soft brush and from time to time bring their “hairstyle” in order.

Bathing issue

Like all living things, Abyssinian guinea pigs need to be bathed. Their fur can become dirty, excretory processes occur on the skin, and they may have an odor that is unpleasant for humans. Rodents clean themselves up, and there is no need to bathe them constantly, this should be done only as a last resort, there are special shampoos in pet stores for this.

In the summer, they can get dirty more often, because they walk on the street, of course, under the supervision of their owners. And at home they are in cages, and there are fewer opportunities to get dirty. The cage should be spacious in order to run and train there. If the animal has little space, it will be miserable. When it is not possible to provide it with a large cage, then it is worth releasing it more often so that it runs.

Colorful little animals

These pets come in a variety of colors. Therefore, you can choose for yourself an Abyssinian guinea pig in the color that is sweeter to the soul. Tortoiseshell is usually red and black spots all over the body.

The Brindle color is also a two-tone color with black and red hairs, but they are randomly mixed all over the body. Even the eyes of these pigsblack-brown, and the claws, ears and soles of the paws are black. Brindles can be light and dark, it all depends on which coat color dominates in the color.

The color of Rune or Ron in gilts with the presence of a white layer of wool, it is mixed with different shades of white.

And Self is a solid color, it can be black, white, red, red, brown.

They look beautiful in this multicolor with rosettes on the fur. But in order to evaluate a rodent of this breed, you need to wait until he is 20 weeks old, until this moment the rosettes are not pronounced. If there are more than 20 eddies after this age, then this individual is culled, but for some owners this is not important, and they still buy them for themselves.

Proper care

When the Abyssinian guinea pig is kept in good conditions, it lives 6-8 years. Although these creatures are very active, they also sometimes need complete peace and quiet. They need a place where they can eat and play in peace. Housing must be well ventilated. The aquarium is not suitable, where the animal will have to breathe the fumes of its feces. It should be a spacious cage. Each inhabitant should have 1 square meter. territory. Feeders and drinking bowls with fresh water must also be available.

The size of the Abyssinian guinea pig can be from 25 to 35 cm, so it is worth considering the size of accessories for her. Ladders and toys must match the size of the animal.

When placing the cage, it is worth remembering that this rodent is badtolerates heat. He does not like cold and high humidity. Pigs are suitable for the same temperature regime as people, and this is 18-23 degrees Celsius. Do not place them near noise sources such as a TV, for example.

Meals off schedule

Guinea pigs love to eat, but this does not mean that they should put everything that is on the table of the owners in the feeder. For these rodents, greenish hay should be the main food. In unlimited quantities, you can give young twigs of willow, fruit trees. About 20% of the diet is a balanced mixture of grains. In the same ratio should be: fresh grass, fruits and vegetables. As a treat, you can give homemade croutons without spices.

Normally, an adult animal eats 1-2 tbsp. l. food. The norm is divided into 2-3 times and left in the cage in parts, and the pig eats when it wants.

Store sells grain sticks with honey, they can be given once a week.

In the summer, there are plenty of herbs, but not all of them can be eaten by a guinea pig. You can not give the rodent spinach, parsnip, sorrel, poppy, burdock, lilac, lily of the valley and bindweed. Such plants can poison the animal.

You can safely add linden, pansies, lingonberries, lettuce, rose hips, dandelion roots, chamomile, cumin and calendula to the diet.

Pest Control

It doesn't matter for the parasite whose resources to use, so it's worth periodically checking the coat for fleas, ticks and withers. If there is an unpleasant odor coming from the ears andthe animal shakes its head - this may be a sign that it has an ear mite. In this case, it is necessary to carry the animal to the veterinarian. It is important to keep the animal clean, constantly clean the cage and disinfect it, so it will be possible to protect it from certain diseases.