Abyssinian Guinea Pig

Another of the older breeds, the Abyssinian guinea pig has been recorded as far back as the 16th century. They are known for their characteristic medium length hair, that appears in swirls all over their body (called rosettes). Often cheeky and curious, this breed can be fabulous fun. They do tend to be more energetic than the American Short-haired guinea pigs, so can be a bit trickier to handle (especially for children). Regular grooming is recommended, not only to remove debris from their fur, but to also check on their health. Sadly, their beautiful fur can hide potential health problems such as cysts and abscesses which Abyssinians do seem a little more prone to getting.

| APPEARANCE: Tufts of mid-length hair in swirls known as rosettes.

| ALTERNATIVE NAMES: Nicknamed an 'Aby'.

| FUN FACTS: Abyssinian guinea pigs do not know the phrase "bad hair day" - the 'just out of bed' look is permanent!

| PERSONALITY: Known for being cheeky, confident and curious.

| HANDLING: Generally easy to handle as they like the attention, but can be a little energetic!

| GROOMING: Reasonably regular hair grooming required. 3-4 times a week ideally.

At HayPigs!® we have had three Abyssinian guinea pigs, Crunchie, Indiana and Ziggy. Napoleon was an Abyssinian / Himalayan cross.