Cavy Club NZ | New Zealand Unique & Rare Guinea Pigs

Our Cavy Club NZ Mission:

We are an Independent Cavy Club in NZ dedicated to the breed preservation and exhibition of rare pedigree guinea pig breeds. Our mission is to protect and promote our heritage, unique and rare cavy breeds that are developed right here in New Zealand, such as the NZ Plume, Tweed, and Panda. And also support imported rare breeds when needed.

As the official platform for rare cavy breeds, we operate as part of the independent network - the only organisation across the country that continues to formally allow the exhibition of New Zealand breeds as absolute pedigree equals with imported breeds. Whether you are a cavy exhibitor or simply just love guinea pigs, join us to celebrate and protect our iconic rare breeds!

New Zealand’s Unique, Rare & Heritage Pedigree Guinea Pig Breeds

New Zealand Plume

Registry Classification: Full Standard - Heritage
Official Status: Rare / Vulnerable

Breed Bio: Created in Wellington in 1976, the iconic New Zealand Plume is famous for its rare, spectacular "rooster tail". This heritage roughcoat breed features a well-raised, mohawk-like ridge of hair roughly 1cm in height that runs straight down the body from the shoulders. At the rump, two rosettes push the coat sharply upward to form a high-arched dramatic plume.

★ Explore the NZ Plume Breed

New Zealand Peruvian

Registry Classification: Full Standard - Heritage
Official Status: Rare / Vulnerable

Breed Bio: Celebrating 50 years of long-haired pedigree elegance! Created in Wellington in 1976, this heritage breed is New Zealand’s only genuine longhair cavy breed. Their long, thick coat falls forward from two center-back rosettes, with the dominant rosette sweeping the hair into a spectacular, elegant full circle around the body.

★Explore the NZ Peruvian Breed

Tweed

Registry Classification: Full Standard
Official Status: Rare / Vulnerable

Breed Bio: The Tweed is New Zealand's newest fully standardised pedigree success story. Created here in New Zealand by respected cavy judge Christa Krey, this striking breed features a beautifully even mixture of chocolate and white hair, mirroring the classic texture of tweed fabric. The variety achieved full show standards with the New Zealand Cavy Judges Association in 2016.

★ Explore the Tweed Breed

Panda

Registry Classification: Full Standard
Official Status: Critically Rare / Vulnerable

Breed Bio: Black, White, and Bold. One of the greatest appeals of this 35-year-old unique pedigree breed is the stark contrast between its hair and visible skin. The hair is pure white, while the exposed skin is as deep black as possible - including black eyes, ears, mouth, nostrils, and foot pads. This incredible variety was created right here in New Zealand by cavy judge Christa Krey.

★Explore the Panda Breed

Bonnet

Registry Classification: Full Standard - NZ Mutation
Official Status: Extinct

Breed Bio: Developed in Whangārei in the late 1990s by cavy judge Ethel McKeown, this unique Kiwi pedigree breed is famous for its "organised chaos" of ruffles and reverse-growing hair. While long considered a lost chapter of our history, a recent miracle find has sparked a vital preservation project. There is new hope to rescue the Bonnet breed from extinction.

★Explore the Bonnet Breed

Dark Eyed White

Registry Classification: Full Standard - Import
Official Status: Rare / Vulnerable

Breed Bio: We proudly support this rare, imported pedigree cavy breed. The Dark Eyed White features a pure snow-white coat paired with striking dark eyes - a truly remarkable combination. They are also available in beautiful satin and crested varieties. Unfortunately, breeding numbers are currently too low nationwide, making this stunning variety exceptionally rare in New Zealand.

★Explore the DE White Breed

The Nationwide Cavy Show - 10th October 2026

Understanding Our Conservation Status Framework

50 Years of Kiwi Cavy History

Celebrating Our Two NZ Heritage Pedigree Breeds

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Kiwi cavy fancy and our two New Zealand heritage unique pedigree breeds: the iconic New Zealand Plume and New Zealand Peruvian.

The New Zealand cavy fancy officially began in January 1976 at a historic meeting in Wellington. Both unique breeds had Show Standards drawn up as many people wanted to breed and show guinea pigs, but there weren’t many imported lines available back then. Therefore, these two Kiwi breeds filled a vital need and helped launch the foundation of the New Zealand cavy fancy. With such a rich history, dedicated breed preservation remains critical to protecting their future and legacy.

Today, the NZ Unique & Rare Guinea Pigs (Cavy Club) proudly carries this foundational legacy forward. Working within the Independent Cavy Clubs of New Zealand, we exclusively provide a dedicated sanctuary and competitive platform for our Kiwi heritage and unique pedigree lines.

Exhibition Support

Historically, the New Zealand cavy fancy has treated all pedigree breeds with equal respect. Today, however, our unique homegrown pedigree breeds are only recognised and championed by Independent Cavy Clubs across the country.

To cut through any conflicting information online, look no further: this platform is your single, definitive source for verified information on New Zealand-created and imported rare pedigree guinea pig breeds.

Breeding Education

Unlock the secrets of pedigree cavy breed preservation with expert insights and breeding guidance. On this platform, we dive deep into rare genetics, historical lineages, and core physical facts.

Our club provides trusted advice and outlines how you can help protect our rare breeds. For those ready to take their passion to the next level, mentorship is available for those who want to start preservation breeding and exhibition.

Promotion

Our cavy club is the voice for New Zealand’s rare pedigree Guinea Pigs. We work tirelessly to protect our kiwi and imported breeds and connect a passionate community together.

Promoting our local unique breeds ensures that the New Zealand genetic breakthroughs and contributions by Kiwis over 50 years for our NZ cavy fancy are around for the future.

Visit our Promotional Resource Hub for official materials.

NZ Peruvian: NZ Unique and Rare Cavy Breed

Meet Preservation Breeders

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Frequently Asked Questions

Our top 3 queries about New Zealand's unique and rare pedigree Guinea Pigs.

What does Pedigree mean?

A pedigree cavy (guinea pig) is a purebred animal with a documented, traceable family history (lineage) that meets specific Show Standards established by the New Zealand Cavy Judges Association.

What is a Show Standard? It is an official written document that describes a top-quality, ideal example of a breed that all preservationists aim for.
National Support: New Zealand's unique and rare breeds are primarily supported and recognized only by the Independent Cavy Clubs.

What is Cavy Breed Preservation?

Breed preservation is the intentional, systematic effort by breeders to protect New Zealand's unique, rare, and historically significant cavy breeds. We use the word "unique" specifically to describe pedigree breeds that were created right here in New Zealand.

Breed preservation is vital to safeguard our New Zealand rare breeds so that their existence will continue into the future. A breed can become rare and then face sudden extinction in a very short time if nobody is actively monitoring population levels.

What is a Preservation Guinea Pig Breeder?

A Preservation Breeder is a dedicated enthusiast with a registered stud name under Independent Cavy Clubs, specifically committed to one or more of New Zealand’s unique and rare pedigree cavy breeds.

These breeders adhere strictly to the New Zealand Cavy Judges Association show standards to ensure the highest quality, meticulously documenting lineage and selectively breeding to eliminate faults while enhancing desirable traits.

Join our mission to protect and promote New Zealand's unique, rare, and heritage pedigree cavy breeds

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