Texel Guinea Pig

Overview

• The Texel is the curly long-haired guinea pig, its whole body wrapped in soft corkscrew ringlets that can grow to 10-15 centimetres or more if left unclipped.
• It was developed in England in the 1980s by crossing the long-coated Silkie, also called the Sheltie, with the curly-coated Rex, and gained full breed recognition in 1998.
• Unlike the Peruvian, the hair on a Texel's face stays short, so the curls frame the head rather than sweep over it.

• That coat makes the Texel widely regarded as the highest-maintenance guinea pig breed, because ringlets tangle and mat faster than any straight show coat.
• Underneath it is a normal, intensely social cavy that must live with at least one other guinea pig.
• If you have never kept cavies before, start with a smooth-coated breed and come back to the Texel later; not yet is the honest answer here.

Housing

• House at least two together in a solid-floored indoor enclosure of 1 square metre or more for a pair, such as a 2x4 C&C cage, with more space always better.
• Fleece liners are effectively mandatory for this breed, because loose shavings and stray hay embed into the ringlets within hours.
• Provide a hide for each pig and mount hay low in racks positioned so the coat trails through it as little as possible.

• Keep them indoors at 18-23C, away from drafts, damp, and direct sun, as heat above 26C is dangerous for any cavy.
• Spot-clean daily, because a wet or soiled floor becomes a wet, soiled coat and then infected skin underneath it.
• Ground-level floor space matters more than height, plus daily supervised floor time to exercise.

Diet

• Unlimited grass hay is the foundation of the diet, wearing down continuously growing teeth and keeping the gut moving.
• Add roughly an eighth of a cup of plain, vitamin-C-fortified pellets per pig and about a cup of mixed fresh vegetables daily.
• Like all guinea pigs, Texels cannot make their own vitamin C and need 10-30 milligrams a day, or they develop scurvy; bell pepper and leafy greens are the most reliable fresh sources, topped up by fortified pellets.
• Skip vitamin drops added to water, which degrade within hours, taint the taste, and can put pigs off drinking altogether.

• Offer water from a bottle rather than an open bowl, which soaks the chin and chest curls and leaves them permanently damp.
• Avoid sudden diet changes, which can upset the sensitive cavy gut.

Health

• The coat is the main clinical risk, and it is worse than in any straight-coated breed: ringlets mat close to the skin, trap urine, droppings, and moisture, hide mites, and invite flystrike.
• Never brush the curls, which frizzes and breaks them; separate tangles gently with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb instead.
• Most pet keepers sensibly keep the whole coat trimmed short, and the rear end needs checking and cleaning every day.

• Texels are one of the few guinea pig breeds that genuinely need an occasional bath, but the curls hold water, so towel and dry thoroughly afterwards to prevent chilling and fungal skin problems.
• The grease gland above where a tail would be turns waxy, especially in boars, and mats the surrounding ringlets, so check and clean it regularly.

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

Temperament

• Texels have a reputation as one of the calmest, most laid-back cavy breeds, which is fortunate given how much handling their coat demands.
• They are still guinea pigs at heart: timid by nature, vocal, wheeking at feeding time, and happiest with routine and the company of their own kind.

• Start coat handling in the first weeks and keep sessions short, calm, and rewarded, so daily grooming becomes a bonding ritual rather than a struggle.
• Individuals vary, and a Texel that dreads grooming makes the breed's workload far heavier.