Rex Guinea Pigs: Breed Information, Character & Moral Tactics to Undertake Them

Rex guinea pigs have gorgeous, upright fur that feels coarse to touch. Those guinea pigs will also be any coloration or aggregate of colours, together with roan and agouti. As opposed to their fur, they’re very similar to different domesticated guinea pig breeds.

On this article, we’ll communicate all in regards to the Rex guinea pig, from what they seem like to the place to undertake one so as to add on your herd!

What do Rex Guinea Pigs Glance Like?

Rex guinea pigs have quick, curly coats. This makes them glance extremely lovable and fuzzy! The fur stands up immediately, moderately than smoothing down in a single course like a regular American piggy or rising in rosettes like an Abyssinian guinea pig.

In keeping with the British Cavy Council, younger Rex piggies will have smoother coats that stiffen with age. Their fur must keep upright even if stroked ahead.

Additionally they notice that, preferably, Rex guinea pigs have curly fur on their tummies as neatly—however the fur may also be immediately.

A Rex guinea pig’s fur will also be any coloration. This contains forged, bi-color, tri-color, agouti, and roan. Agouti is when every strand of fur accommodates two colours, making it glance ticked or speckled. Roan guinea pigs have white hairs jumbled in with any other coat coloration.

How Large do Rex Guinea Pigs Get?

Rex guinea pigs are huge piggies! They are able to develop as much as 18 inches, in comparison to your moderate guinea pig
that measures round 8-12 inches.

How giant your Rex guinea pig grows additionally will depend on them as a person, and a few Rex piggies measure simply 8 inches.

Rex guinea pigs can weigh any place from 1-3 kilos.

Find out how to Groom a Rex Guinea Pig

Rex guinea pigs don’t want an excessive amount of grooming, however they’re going to require rather extra care than your usual American guinea pig.

Brush them one to 2 occasions weekly with a soft-bristled brush. Like different guinea pigs, Rex piggies shouldn’t be bathed until it’s essential.

Temperament: Do Rex Guinea Pigs Love to be Held?

There aren’t essentially temperament variations in piggies relying on breed, like you may be expecting from a canine or cat.

Whilst Rex guinea pigs are from time to time mentioned to be extra cuddly and social towards people than different guinea pigs, I will be able to’t in finding any research pointing towards this—best anecdotal proof.

Take into account, all guinea pigs are prey animals. We can not breed this out of them, so that they’re sure to be fearful of people. We’re a large predator species that reaches in from above to puppy and raise them!

Then again, there are methods to socialise your guinea pigs, and consistency is the easiest way to achieve their affection. Listed below are some pointers:

• By no means means from above. Attaining from above to scoop them up or puppy them, or strolling over your piggies all the way through flooring time, is horrifying! You glance and act like a predator while you do that.
  As an alternative, means them from the aspect so your actions aren’t as threatening. All the way through flooring time, take a seat or lie at the flooring quietly with some veggies or treats to inspire them to means you.
• Use beds or cuddle cups for lifting. This protects your guinea pig numerous pressure! Be sure you fortify their frame weight together with your arms, and use one hand to dam them from leaping out. They’re small, or even a brief fall can harm them!
• Give them possible choices. Consent issues, even with piggies! Sitting at the flooring or preserving your hand nonetheless within the cage offers your guinea pig the risk to have interaction in the event that they wish to—and to decide out in the event that they don’t.

The place Can I Discover a Rex Guinea Pig?

First, I all the time suggest adopting guinea pigs over buying from a puppy retailer or breeder—even though it way now not getting the precise breed you need. 

It is because puppy shops acquire their animals from breeding turbines, that are like pet turbines however for different animals like guinea pigs. Breeding turbines abuse the guinea pigs of their care, permit illness to unfold during their piggies, and continuously breed guinea pigs with genetic diseases.

Maximum person guinea pig breeders aren’t significantly better. The bulk are regarded as yard breeders, this means that they’re both in it for the cash (now not the piggies’ wellbeing) or they don’t know sufficient to reproduce responsibly. Both one could be very unhealthy for the newborn guinea pigs who may well be born with preventable well being stipulations, or mistreated when they’re within the breeders care.

As an alternative, stay a watch out to your native shelters and rescues. The most productive position to begin is a guinea pig-specific rescue on your space.

You’ll additionally attempt to in finding a credible breeder, however that is laborious as a result of respected breeders aren’t breeding many piggies—they care extra in regards to the well being and wellbeing in their animals than mass breeding.

Respected breeders additionally don’t make a benefit from breeding—they if truth be told virtually all the time lose cash—so that they need to be very passionate to put money into making improvements to the Rex guinea pig breed!

Right here are a few things to search for in a credible Rex guinea pig breeder:

• A ready record. If you’ll undertake a piggy lately—run! Moral breeders have properties covered up for his or her piggies sooner than they’re even born. They wish to know that every child will move to a excellent house.
• Wisdom. The breeder must come up with excellent recommendation about elevating guinea pigs. They must know that piggies want consistent get entry to to hay, restricted pellets, and day by day contemporary greens. They must advise you stay your guinea pigs in an enclosure that’s no less than 8 sq. toes (or the minimal to your herd dimension), and to all the time have two or extra guinea pigs dwelling in combination.
• A excellent surroundings. You must see the place the guinea pigs are housed. They must have a big cage, contemporary hay, and a blank surroundings.
• Restricted litters. In case your breeder has a number of litters of guinea pigs without delay, particularly if they have got all kinds of breeds, they most likely aren’t a credible breeder.
  When bearing in mind this standards, take into consideration it like this: can they deal with this selection of piggies correctly? If the solution is not any, stroll away.
• They’ll take your piggy again for any reason why. Respected breeders need their piggies to have excellent properties. They’ll have you ever signal a freelance mentioning that if you’ll’t deal with your guinea pig, you’ll go back them for the breeder to both stay or rehome.
• DNA checking out. Your breeder wishes to grasp that they’re breeding wholesome guinea pigs. They must have each oldsters examined for the satin trait, which is able to purpose Satin Syndrome—which is excruciatingly painful and continuously fatal to guinea pigs. Because it’s a recessive trait, guinea pigs will also be carriers with no need satin fur.
  They must even be checking out for roan and Dalmatian genes, as two guinea pigs with roan or Dalmatian genes have a 25% likelihood of getting deadly white offspring. That is any other fatal situation for piggies.
• Common veterinarian visits. Respected breeders must carry their piggies to the vet continuously and advise you on excellent unique puppy vets on your space as neatly.

Historical past: The place do Rex Guinea Pigs Come From?

Rex guinea pigs were bred for round 5,000 years! They have been first domesticated in South The united states as pets and, sadly, cattle.

All domesticated guinea pigs come from a now-extinct species that used to reside in South The united states. Whilst Rex guinea pigs aren’t the oldest breed, they’ve undoubtedly been round for a very long time!

Rex vs Teddy Guinea Pig

Whilst Rex and Teddy guinea pigs might glance identical, they do have their variations! Those come with:

• Rex piggies have a coarser coat, whilst Teddies really feel smoother.
• Rex guinea pigs’ fur grows such as you’d be expecting, towards the again. Teddy guinea pigs have fur that grows in the wrong way, towards the pinnacle. Then again, the fur on their head grows towards the again. You’ll particularly see this proper above their brow the place the fur meets. 

Rex guinea pigs are distinctive and lovable! Except their coarse, upright coat, they’re like another guinea pig. You shouldn’t be expecting a lot distinction in dimension, lifespan, or temperament.