Small Pets · Guinea Pigs

Silkie Guinea Pig

Cavia porcellus

Backswept silken coat on the mellowest cavyIntermediate

Lifespan: 5-7 years
Size: 20-30cm
Weight: 700-1200g
Social needs: Highly social, keep 2 or more
Time: High; daily grooming on top of daily care
Cost: Medium
Diet: Herbivore: unlimited hay + vitamin C

Overview

What is this animal?

The Silkie, called the Sheltie in the UK, is a long-haired guinea pig breed whose coat sweeps back from the face like a mane, giving a teardrop silhouette seen from above.
Unlike the Peruvian there is no centre parting and no fringe falling forward over the eyes, and the coat is noticeably softer and glossier to the touch.
The breed was developed in Britain in the early 1970s from crosses between Peruvians and Self Black shorthairs.

The coat grows about 2.5cm a month for life and can pass 50cm in show animals, so daily grooming and regular trims are a lifelong commitment, not a phase.
Of the long-haired breeds it is generally the most manageable, but underneath the hair it is still an intensely social cavy that must live with at least one other guinea pig.

Temperament

Silkies have a reputation as the calmest and most laid-back of the guinea pig breeds, though they start out as shy as any cavy and need patient, gentle handling to settle.
They wheek at feeding time, popcorn when content, and recognise their keepers.

Daily brushing started young, kept short and calm, becomes a bonding ritual rather than a struggle, and this breed tends to tolerate it better than most.
They must live with the company of their own kind in quiet, predictable surroundings, because a solitary guinea pig becomes stressed and unwell.

A good fit for

Committed keepers ready for daily coat care
Homes wanting a long-hair with a mellow, tolerant nature
Keepers housing a bonded pair or trio indoors
People who enjoy grooming as a quiet daily ritual
Adults or older teens who handle pets calmly

Common mistakes to avoid

Skipping grooming for even a few days; mats form fast
Loose shavings tangling into the backswept coat
Overheating above 26C under the heavy coat
Keeping a single guinea pig alone
Forgetting daily vitamin C, causing scurvy
Choosing the breed on looks without planning lifelong trims

Enclosure

Minimum 10,000 cm² of floor (1,550 sq in) — for the pair

Cannot be kept alone. The minimum is 2, and the space above is for that group.

House at least two together on a solid floor; welfare bodies set a minimum of about 0.7 square metres for a pair, but aim for at least 1 square metre, with more strongly preferred.
Long-haired breeds belong on clean fleece liners rather than loose shavings, which work into the backswept coat within hours.
Provide a hide for each pig to prevent squabbling, and never use wire floors, which injure feet.

Keep them indoors at 18-23C, away from drafts and damp, and treat anything above 26C as dangerous, because the heavy coat makes Silkies overheat faster than short-haired breeds.
They need ground-level floor space rather than height, plus daily supervised floor time.
Spot-clean every day, since a soiled floor becomes a soiled coat and skin trouble underneath it.

Check your enclosure

Supplies

Setup

Cage, 1 square metre or larger for a pair
Hides, tunnels, bowls, hay rack
Carrier
Digital kitchen scale

Ongoing

Grass hay in the largest fresh box you can store
Plain vitamin-C-stabilised guinea pig pellets
Bell peppers (a weekly staple, not a treat)
Mixed leafy greens for daily rotation
Chewable or liquid vitamin C supplement for direct dosing
Hay rack that keeps hay off the floor
Heavy ceramic bowl plus a water bottle and brush
Measuring cup for the pellet ration

Safe substrate: Fleece liners over an absorbent layer · Dust-extracted paper bedding · Deep soft hay over an absorbent base

Work out the cost

Care routine

Daily

Company and time out
Feed and clear yesterday's leftovers
Fresh vitamin C
Fresh water
Spot-clean and shake out fleece
Top up unlimited hay
Watch them while they are awake

Weekly

Groom and check the rear endevery 3 days
Hands-on health check
Rotate enrichment
Weigh-in

Monthly

Deep-clean and change beddingevery 2 weeks
Trim nailsevery 3 weeks
Check supplies and dates

Vet: Annual exam and dental check — every 12 months (every 6 months from 4 years old)

Top resources for more info

Independent creators and organisations we would send a friend to. We have no affiliation with any of them, and nothing here is sponsored. Links checked 2026-09-19.

YouTubers

Los Angeles Guinea Pig RescueHealth checks, handling and care from the largest US cavy rescue Little AdventuresGuinea pig housing, DIY cages, diet and everyday care Squeak DreamsGuinea pig health, diet, housing and daily care

Sites

Guinea LynxLong-running medical and care reference for guinea pigs Los Angeles Guinea Pig RescueCare guides and adoption advice from the US cavy rescue RSPCA: guinea pigsHousing, diet, company and health guides for guinea pigs

Go deeper

Diet

Unlimited grass hay is the foundation of the diet, wearing down continuously growing teeth and keeping the gut moving.
Add a measured portion of plain, vitamin-C-stabilised guinea-pig pellets and a daily variety of fresh vegetables such as bell pepper.
Offer hay from a low rack positioned so the trailing coat drags through it as little as possible.

Like all guinea pigs, Silkies cannot make their own vitamin C and need roughly 10-30mg a day from fresh vegetables and stabilised pellets, or they develop scurvy.
Provide constant fresh water and avoid sudden diet changes, muesli mixes, and rabbit food.

Health

The coat is the main clinical risk: mats pull at the skin, trap moisture and droppings, hide mites and fungal disease, and invite flystrike around the rear in warm weather.
Most pet keepers trim the coat to floor length or shorter, and the rear end needs checking daily whatever the trim.
Because the Silkie's hair sweeps back rather than over the face, eye checks are easier than in a Peruvian, but the rump coat still soils fastest.

Otherwise the breed shares the standard cavy problems: scurvy, dental malocclusion, respiratory infections, bladder stones, ovarian cysts, and bumblefoot on poor flooring.
Any guinea pig that stops eating is a medical emergency, because gut stasis kills quickly.
Weigh weekly and keep an exotics-savvy vet on hand.

Is your enclosure big enough?

Minimum floor area10,000 cm² (1,550 sq in) of continuous, unbroken floor

CompanyCannot be kept alone. The minimum is 2, and the space above is for that group.

Length

Width

Height

Units

Is this urgent?

Weigh weekly. It is the highest-value two minutes in guinea pig keeping, and it is the only way to see trouble coming.

Go now

Not eating, or not producing droppingsCall now. The gut stops when food stops moving. Same mechanism as a rabbit, same urgency.

8 hours

Crusty eyes, laboured or clicking breathingGo now. Respiratory infection moves fast in cavies and is a leading cause of death.

Now

Today

Weight down 50 g or more in a week, or falling three weeks runningCall an exotics vet with the weight log. A guinea pig can lose a significant share of its body weight before an owner sees any change through the coat.

Today

Dropping food, drooling, or a wet chinBook a dental examination. Back teeth grow continuously and can bridge over the tongue. The animal keeps trying to eat and cannot.

Today

Soon

Sitting apart from the others, or stopped talkingWeigh, then watch closely. A social species going quiet is often the first behavioural sign.

A day or two

A guinea pig must not live alone. Switzerland treats keeping a single guinea pig as a welfare offence, and the practical consequence there is a rent-a-companion service for a bereaved survivor.

This is general guidance for a healthy adult, not a diagnosis. An exotics vet who knows your animal always overrides it — and the time to find one is before you need one.

Can a silkie guinea pig eat that?

Guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C, so a daily source is not enrichment — it is the difference between health and scurvy.

Check a food

The full list

Never (20)

AlcoholNo safe amount at any body weight on this site.

never

AvocadoPersin, concentrated in the skin, stone and leaves. Implicated in cardiac damage across birds, rodents and reptiles.

never

Bread and baked goodsRefined starch ferments in the hindgut and causes gas and stasis. No nutritional case for it either.

never

CaffeineCoffee, tea and energy drinks. Cardiac and neurological toxicity at tiny doses for an animal this size.

never

ChocolateTheobromine and caffeine. Small mammals and reptiles cannot clear either.

never

DairyAdults are lactose intolerant and the gut flora cannot handle it.

never

Dried fruitSugar concentrated several times over, and it sticks to the teeth. Most commercial small-pet treats are exactly this.

never

GarlicSame allium toxicity as onion, and more concentrated by weight.

never

Iceberg lettuceAlmost entirely water with negligible nutrition, and it contains lactucarium, which causes diarrhoea in quantity. It displaces food that would have been useful.

never

LeekAllium family. Same mechanism as onion and garlic.

never

MeatA hindgut fermenter has no way to process animal protein. It disrupts the gut flora the animal depends on.

never

MushroomsNot part of any of these animals' natural diet, and the risk from misidentified varieties is not worth the zero upside.

never

NutsFat and phosphorus loads a herbivore is not built for, and a choking risk.

never

OnionOrganosulphur compounds damage red blood cells. The whole allium family is out.

never

PotatoSolanine in the skin and any green part, plus a starch load the hindgut cannot handle.

never

Raw beansLectins. Also a gas producer in a species that cannot vomit or belch.

never

RhubarbVery high in soluble oxalate, high enough to cause acute kidney injury. The leaves are worse than the stalks.

never

Salty or seasoned human foodSalt, oil and seasoning. Crisps, chips, seasoned leftovers and processed meat are all out.

never

SweetcornThe hulls are indigestible and are a recognised blockage risk in small herbivores.

never

Vitamin C drops in waterDegrades within hours, makes the water taste odd so the pig drinks less, and gives no reliable dose. Feed the vitamin, do not dissolve it.

never

Rare treats (13)

AppleSugar. The seeds contain a cyanogenic compound and must be removed. A thin slice, once or twice a week. Never the seeds or core.

rare treat

BananaVery high in sugar and starch, and most animals will overeat it given the chance. A slice the width of a fingernail, rarely.

rare treat

BlueberrySugar, but a small portion size makes it easy to control. One or two berries, twice a week.

rare treat

Brussels sproutsHighly gas-forming. Half a sprout, rarely.

rare treat

CarrotSold as the archetypal rabbit food and it is nothing of the kind: carrot is a root vegetable with a high sugar content. The leafy tops, by contrast, are an excellent green. A thin slice as a treat. The tops can be fed freely.

rare treat

CauliflowerOne of the most gas-forming brassicas. A very small piece, occasionally.

rare treat

GrapesVery high in sugar. Halve them, because a whole grape is a choking hazard. One halved grape, rarely.

rare treat

OrangeAcidic and sugary; can irritate the mouth and gut. A tiny segment, rarely if at all.

rare treat

PearSugar. Remove the seeds. A thin slice occasionally.

rare treat

PeasHigh in starch and sugar. The pods and leaves are better than the peas. A few pods occasionally.

rare treat

StrawberrySugar, though lower than most fruit. The leaves are actually the better part. Half a small berry, once or twice a week.

rare treat

TomatoThe ripe flesh is safe in small amounts. The leaves, stems and any green fruit contain solanine and must never be offered. A small piece of ripe flesh, occasionally. Never the plant.

rare treat

WatermelonSugar and a very high water content, which together can loosen the gut. Remove the seeds. A small cube in hot weather, rarely.

rare treat

Occasional (18)

BasilSafe and well liked. Rotate rather than relying on it. A few leaves.

occasional

Bok choyGood green, mildly goitrogenic like other brassicas. A leaf or two a few times a week.

occasional

BroccoliNutritious but a notable gas producer. Leaves and stalk are better tolerated than the florets. A small floret or a piece of stalk, twice a week.

occasional

CabbageA brassica. Gas-forming in quantity, and goitrogenic with heavy long-term feeding. A small piece, once or twice a week.

occasional

CelerySafe and well liked. Cut across the stalk so the long fibres cannot catch. A short piece, cut into segments.

occasional

ChardSame oxalate issue as spinach. A small leaf, occasionally.

occasional

CourgetteSafe and mild. Serve raw. A few slices a few times a week.

occasional

CucumberSafe, but it is mostly water with very little in it. Useful for hydration in warm weather, poor as a staple. A few slices.

occasional

DillSafe in rotation. A few fronds.

occasional

Green beansSafe cooked or raw in small amounts. Gas-forming in quantity. One or two, occasionally.

occasional

KaleHigh vitamin C, high calcium. Good in rotation, a stone risk as a daily staple. A leaf or two, twice a week.

occasional

MintSafe in small amounts; strongly flavoured and not every animal wants it. A leaf or two.

occasional

ParsleyVery high in vitamin C, and also high in calcium. Rotate it rather than feeding it daily. A few sprigs a few times a week.

occasional

PelletsA plain vitamin-C-fortified guinea pig pellet. Vitamin C degrades in the bag, so buy small and check the date rather than relying on it as the only source. About a tablespoon per pig per day.

occasional

PumpkinSafe and well tolerated in small amounts. A small cube occasionally.

occasional

RocketPeppery and well tolerated in rotation. A small handful, a few times a week.

occasional

SpinachHigh in oxalates, which bind calcium and contribute to bladder sludge and stones in animals prone to them. A single small leaf, no more than once or twice a week.

occasional

WatercressNutritious, strongly flavoured, high in calcium. A small handful occasionally.

occasional

Everyday foods (6)

Bell pepperThe single best everyday vitamin C source on this list, and low in sugar and oxalate with it. Red has the most; green is still good. A quarter of a pepper per pig, daily.

everyday food

Carrot topsThe leaves are a proper green and much better food than the root. A handful as part of the daily greens.

everyday food

CorianderWell liked, good vitamin C, no oxalate problem. A generous handful daily as part of the mix.

everyday food

Dandelion leavesOne of the best greens available, and free. Pick well away from roadsides and anywhere that may have been sprayed. A generous handful daily.

everyday food

Grass hayShould be about 80 percent of what this animal eats, available at all times. It is what wears the teeth down and what keeps the gut moving. Unlimited, always.

everyday food

Romaine lettuceDark leafy lettuce with real nutritional content and a good water balance. A generous handful daily as part of a mixed selection.

everyday food

That food is not on our list. Leave it out and check with an exotics vet — guinea pigs are conservative eaters and a food they have never had can be refused for weeks afterwards.

Guinea pigs imprint on what they ate as youngsters and can refuse anything unfamiliar for life. Offer variety early and keep offering it.

What it really costs

Setup, monthly, first year and across a whole life, itemised and with the electricity worked out from the actual wattage. Published figures for the same animal disagree by a factor of four, so the calculator shows ranges rather than picking one.

Region

How many animals

Your electricity price, per kWh

Buying the setup