Are you a guinea pig fan or want to find out more about the rex guinea pig? Worry less, in this blog post; I have covered every information you may be searching for, starting from the basics, care tips to temperament to fun facts. In short, this blog post consists of your everything-you-need-to-know guide for all things about this fluffy poof ball.
Do you know that the Rex Guinea Pig is popular and well-loved among all other guinea breeds? Yes, it is, and it also has short and wavy hair that indicates a hedgehog-like appearance — they are calm, gentle and like to be pampered. That is the reason they are perfect pets for responsible children.
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Rex Guinea Pig Temperament
Almost every day, I receive questions about a pet’s temperament from potential owners, which bothers them. Whether you wish to own a pet guinea pig, dog, bird, etc. — be rest assured that their temperament will be a good match. The rex guinea pig temperament is a good match for families and owners who like to take life at a slower pace. These cavies are also casual breeds, and their love owners can meet them at their level of chill.
Personality Trait Highlights
The Rex guinea pigs are easy-going, sociable, friendly, even-tempered, wild curiosity, trait differences among the guinea pigs, and so much more. Every guinea pig has its different traits and characteristics that uniquely define it. So, if you discover that your rex is an off-the-wall adventurer, there is nothing bad about that. It’s an expression of their unique personality.
Rex Guinea Pig Size
Sizes of rexes vary. That smaller size may rarely reach eight inches as an adult, while the larger ones can top out a whopping 18 inches. That’s a size difference of around 10 inches, which means you could have two rexes, and one could be x2 of the smaller one’s size. I have also seen some smaller sized guinea pigs that are barely six inches long!
A quick one: we’ve known that rexes grow so large, so it is pertinent to watch their food is taking. The younger and older ones will have variations in their diet requirements because growing cavies need enough nutrients.
Rex guinea pig was named after the notable physical feature of its coat.
Regarding the name, the truth of the matter is that “rex” also happens to be a term referring to breeds of animals that have a genetic difference that led them into having short or absent guard coats.
If not for the guard hairs, their coat wouldn’t have been more bristly and wiry than others of their species, and that is why rex guinea pigs have a distinctive “hairy” look to them.
Rex Guinea Pig Care Guide
White-banded and brown looking rexes can thrive in such large and special coats; ensure your special guinea care and attention. Even though this species is somewhat easy to care for, it is necessary to learn how to handle and care for them.
How To Care For Their Coat
Perhaps, you think that when your rex has a curly coat, that will make its grooming more difficult, but the reverse is the case. You need not worry about massive clumps of hair if you miss brushing for a week.
Despite that, I strongly advise a quick brushing about two times a week. Get a soft guinea pig brush, and I can assure you a healthy and tangle-free coat of your rex.
If you didn’t brush in a week or two, you might see clumps forming. I advise you not to brush them out because it will be uncomfortable for your cavy, so use round-tip scissors to remove the tangled hair instead.
Making Sure There Is Plenty of Room
Like I said earlier, your rexes can get pretty large. Even though you breed them from small, it is worth being prepared with a larger environment, especially when you own more than one guinea pig.
If you wish your guinea pigs to have fun with one another and be happy, enough space is required. If they start feeling that their space isn’t enough, they may end up biting one another. Hence, the best way to keep them happy is to provide an enormous living environment.
Tip: 45 inches long cage will do just fine.
However, if you’ve started with a small-sized cage, it’s fine. But, as soon as you start seeing them outgrowing it, then it’s high time you upgraded the cage.
Rex Guinea Pig Diet
An amazing fact is that your rex’s diet won’t be much different from other cavies, which means their food should still contain Timothy Hay, pellets, fruit and Veggie Snacks.
As always, Timothy Hay should be the largest percentage of their diet. This fibre-dense plant provides health benefits to their teeth and their digestive system.
A Well-Balanced Diet
If you want your rex to have key vitamins and minerals, you’ll need to feed it the guinea pig pellets and snacks; however, some says this has little nutritional value.
The traditional pellets alternative is the new guinea pig diet mix from Kaytee, which provides key nutrients to your rex feeding habits via a diet blend basis.
PS: guinea pigs have sensitive tummies!
Is a Rex Guinea pig for a Kid?
If you can provide a shorter and lower-maintenance coat, your rex guinea pig will be a great choice for your child as a pet. Rex easy-going temperament makes it special, open to being handled or cuddled.
However, ensure you teach your child properly how to be careful around your cavies, and if your child is in charge of any grooming, I advise you teach them how to do it safely.
CONCLUSION
Now, you are familiar with everything you need to know about your rex guinea pig pet.
No thanks, it’s my pleasure putting all these together for you.
Rex guinea pigs pet, it can be fun grooming them, more especially when you own that environment.
Finally, be sure to invite the vet from time to time. I wish you all the best.
Thanks for reading.
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