Timaru-based club president Josh Wilson-Jones (14) said the club, which re-formed last year, aimed to bring together cavy (guinea pig) enthusiasts from the lower South Island to showcase the extraordinary variety of the popular little creatures and meet other fans.
The Otago Cavy Club show will be held this Sunday, July 31, at Silverstream School, at 52 Green St, Mosgiel, and will feature a purebreds show and a large pet section.
Experienced cavy judge Debbie Lawrey, of McCloud Cavy Stud in Auckland, will travel to Dunedin for the event, examining the purebred guinea pigs from 10am, before moving on to the pets at noon.
Owners of pet guinea pigs are invited to bring their pets along at 11.30am on Sunday, in travel cages, ready for judging to start at noon. There is a $5 entry fee per guinea pig, and more than 100 prizes up for grabs.
The show is open to the public from 10am to 2pm.
With only a small number of club members showing purebred guinea pigs at the show, Josh is hoping for a strong turnout of local pet owners.
"We are still rebuilding the club, so there aren’t many of us who will be showing purebreds, but we would love to see lots of pet owners with their guinea pigs," he said.
"Quite a lot of people have pet guinea pigs at home, so we hope they will bring them along."
Cavies, or guinea pigs, were a wonderful animal to show, with six current breed groups and more than 50 types to choose from, he said. "They are a lot of fun to show and to have as pets, although they do take a bit of work."
Josh has had guinea pigs since the age of five years, and became interested in pure breeds about three years ago. At present, he has 60 guinea pigs across four different breeds.
"They have a lot of personality, they can be cuddly, and they are pretty funny — particularly when they do their ‘popcorning’ [bounces] when they are happy," he said.
For more information, find the Otago Cavy Club on Facebook, or email otagocavyclub@gmail.com