Beginners Guide to Showing Cavies

Entering your Cavy in the show

Capricornia Cavy Club holds classes for pet and purebred (pedigree cavies).  Pets are judged on their cleanliness and condition. Pedigrees are judged according to their breed standard.

You can purchase Standard Books from our Club. It has all the information on the different breeds.

To enter a show you need to get an Entry Form and Show Schedule from the Show Manager, this has all the details and the class numbers, entries should be in a week to 10 days before the show date, the closing date is on the show schedule.

Show Preparation

Once you’ve entered your cavy you have to prepare it for showing. Show pigs whether pet or pedigree, need to be in a fit and healthy condition. Well covered in firm flesh and also having a good coat with no bald patches, scaliness or sores.  All cavies must be dipped to remove any lice and static lice eggs and an Ivomec a week prior to a show is a good idea also.  Give your cavy a shampoo and dip a few days before the show, nails need to be trimmed and also the grease gland cleaned (situated on the lower rump, above the cavies bottom) I use Eucalyptus oil on a cotton ball. Gently rub and the grease will become loose, then shampoo the whole cavy paying particular attention to the grease gland area, you may need to shampoo twice, then dip cavy in Fidos Dip or similar product (do not rinse this off).  The coarse coated breeds such as Rex, Abyssinian and Sheba can be bathed a week or 2 before a show, spot cleaning after the initial bath could be needed.

All shorthaired cavies benefit from a bath a week prior to show, that gives the coat a chance to settle down and allows the natural oils to return to the coat making it shine.

Guardhairs need to be removed on pedigree cavies, ask an experienced stud owner to show you how it’s done, practice makes perfect.  Pets do not need to have guardhairs removed.

Things you need to go to a show

Firstly you’ll need a carry cage to put your cavies in, cat cages are good as well as small baskets or

you can make your own wooden carry cages that have individual compartments to keep your show pigs separate.  A towel/nappy or something absorbent is best to bed your cavy on…do not use hay, straw or pine shavings as they make a mess in the hall.  Take some treats for your cavies, cucumber, carrot, apple, celery and a water bottle too.

You will need to have a carpet square and board to present your cavy to the judge.

My grooming kit consists of:  Brush, comb, grooming mitt, tweezers, nail clippers, eucalyptus oil, earbuds, baby wipes, spray bottle of water, towel, hairdryer.

Arriving at the Show

When you arrive at the show set your cavies up on your table, it’s best to have them off the floor.  Collect your catalogue and numbers from the Show Secretary and pay for your entries.  Look up the numbers for your cavies in the back of your catalogue and put the right number on the ear of your cavy (or on their show mat).  Check your cavy’s feet, bottom and also check nails have been clipped. Give a final brush and shine with your grooming mitt before taking your cavy to the show table. 

If your cavy does well it will receive a place card and then compete for Ribbons and Trophies.

Enjoying the day out with your cavies and others with the same interest make it all worth while.

Good luck!