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White Crested Guinea Pig
White Crested Satin Guinea Pig

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American White Crested Guinea Pig Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Heather Hall

  A single white rosette on the top of the head is the 'crown' of glory for the White Crested Guinea Pig!

   Also known as the American Crested, the White Crested Guinea Pig is a somewhat rare and very unique-looking breed. These little princes and princesses have what looks like a white crown on their heads.:

   Due to the stringent qualifications for showing the White Crested Guinea Pig, the majority of them are sold as pets. These pet animals may have non-conforming markings, but in most cases they still have the coveted crest on their heads. They also have the same sparkling personalities as other breeds of guinea pigs, even though some say their crest makes them look like they are perpetually angry.

   White Crested Guinea Pigs present quite a challenge to breeders, because as few as one in fifty of them conform to the breed standard. Although a showable White Crested is hard to find, those that have the correct markings often do well at shows.

Background:
   The White Crested Guinea Pig was officially recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association in 1974. The breed continues to be somewhat rare, however, probably due to the difficulty of producing offspring of show quality. Satin has been introduced to the breed, but are not acceptable according to ARBA standards.

Description:
   White Crested Guinea Pigs come in a variety of colors, but they must have a white crest on the top of the head. They should not have any white on the rest of the body if they are to be shown. True White Cresteds should have a short, smooth coat like that of the American Guinea Pig.
   White Crested’s may also be found in Satin. This is a coat that is glossier and denser than the standard White Crested coat. White Crested Satins are not recognized by the ACBA.

Color differences:
   White Crested Guinea Pigs can be Agouti, Brindle, Self, or any other pattern that does not include any white. Dutch, Roan, Dalmatian, Himalayan, and White are not acceptable for show purposes.

Keeping Guinea Pigs:

See the complete article... here:

Guinea Pig Information - Guinea Pig Care
Guide to a Happy Healthy Guinea Pig

   Be sure to provide your guinea pig with a good home and a proper diet. This will keep it happy and healthy and ensure a great pet for a long time.

   Guinea pigs need plenty of exercise and they also love to play. You can let them outside or run around in the house for short periods of time under supervision. They love to explore and need at least one hour of supervised 'floor time' every day.

   When picking up a guinea pig make sure you do not grab it only by its shoulders. Just keep in mind when picking your pet up to do it evenly. With your hands, support it's entire body, and be careful not to drop it.

   Guinea pigs are social creatures and will like to have a companion. They are great companions for children.

   Take time to learn what your guinea pig needs, including:

• housing
• care and feeding
• social behaviors
• activies
• handling and training
• breeding guinea pigs
• baby guinea pigs.

Availability:
   White Crested’s of show and breeding quality are hard to find, but pet quality White Cresteds can be found with less difficulty. Prices are usually around $10 to $20 depending on quality.
   Guinea Pigs come in many varieties and are readily available at pet stores, shelters, and rescues. When looking to acquire a pet guinea pig make sure it is a healthy animal. A healthy guinea pig will have brilliant eyes, good sound teeth, and a healthy coat. Any age and either sex will make a good pet, however you should plan to get more than one as they are very social and do best with a companion. Get a same sex pair or you could end up having babies.

References
"The White Crested", Copyright ACBA
"White Crested”, Copyright Rushmore Caviary
"Crested", Omlet, Copyright 2004
Holly Nash, DVM, MS, "Guinea Pigs: Breeds and Colors", Foster and Smith, Inc., Copyright 1997-2008
“Guinea Pig Breeds”,Wikipedia, Copyright 2008

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Latest Comments
We have a White Crested Guinea Pig that is currently 9 weeks old. She is a miniature version of the picture on this site. She is somewhat reserved and not incredibly vocal. She prefers to be in her little cardboard box that is lined with fleece, coming out only to eat usually. She acts very skittery when we try to pick her up but is a sweet, cuddly angel once we are holding her. We also have a male (yes, they are permanently separated and we will be adopting a companion for each of them) that is an Abyssinian, although he doesn't have "show" qualities in his coat. He is sweet and funny and very vocal. We have only had them for 3 weeks and he quickly learned the crinkling sound of the Timmothy Hay bag and the sound of the fridge door when I get their fruits/veggies. He squeals and stands on his hind legs waiting for his treats. When he is especially happy, usually after eating his fruits/veggies you can find him springing around his cage like his little feet have springs on them. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen!! They have HUGE cages that are actually indoor kennels sized for a Labrador. We used Coroplast (courrogated plastic) to make the "pans" in the bottom of the kennels. they have tons of space to run, play and hide. We will be adding ramps, additional stories and play tunnels over time. We're also going to try to affix sandpaper to the ramps for traction and also to help keep their claws naturally trimmed. Guinea Pigs definately DO NOT like slippery surfaces. It is scary to them and they will become very skittery, at least ours do. Our pigs also use the same corner of their cages to urinate and for most of thier pooping, right next to their water bottle. Even though they are in seperate cages, they each use the same exact area of their cage for a bathroom. We will be adding small corner litter boxes to make the corner cleaning easier. We also have a corner scoop, it looks like a cat litter scoop but has a rounded triangle shape to make corner cleaning easier. The pine shavings are a little messy and they get spread to the outer edges of the cage when the pigs are running around. Since they don't burrow in it and only seem to use it in their potty corner we're going to try using just sandpaper on the bottom except in the potty corner so they have traction and we don't have pine shavings on the floor all around the cage. The shavings also get stuck all over the fleece material that they love to snuggle with so much and makes it hard to come close to keeping the fabric clean. Most importantly, dont ever put a Guinea Pig in a cage with a wire bottom (like you might use for a rabbit) because the wire mesh is VERY bad for their tender little feet and they will be prone to sores on their foot pads. Guinea Pigs are absolutely the best pets ever but you must be committed to providing the pellets, Vitamin C tablets, Timmothy hay, fresh fruits/veggies and fresh water that they require on a daily basis. If you aren't willing to do that for 6-10 years as well as keeping their cages clean on at least a weekly basis please consider another pet. While Guinea Pigs don't require regular vet care, be prepared that you may have an occasional illness or emergency that can become costly. Have fun with your piggies, they are incredibly rewarding!! Piggy Lover 2009-01-01