These furballs might seem like average guinea pigs, but you’ll be shocked to learn that Yeong’s guinea pigs are each worth RM800 and over the years, he has made a tradition of grooming prize-winning guinea pigs, or as they are better known, cavies.

Yeong’s love for guinea pigs began in 2016 when he bought his first-ever purebred from a friend. Since then, he has never gone a day without a furry friend in his life.

Through the years, he has cared for numerous breeds of guinea pigs, namely Texels, Silkies, Coronets and Teddys.

“Texels have long curly hair, while Silkies have long but straight hair. Coronets are just like Silkies, but they have a rosette (swirl) in the middle of their head,” he said, while adding that Teddys grow curly, short and rough hair.

“The type you find at normal pet shops are classed under pet quality and they’re usually crossbreeds which have triangular faces that are sharper and longer.”

Most purebreds are imported from countries like the US and Yeong notes that you can tell the difference as purebred cavies have more squishy cheeks and rounder, flatter faces.

“I found out later that there were local and international competitions for guinea pigs and they’re honestly like beauty pageants,” quipped Yeong.

Cavy shows come hand-in-hand with rabbit shows and they take place all around Malaysia, but the bigger ones are held in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, most of which feature two categories.

The more popular category is a fun contest open to any mixed breed guinea pig, while the more serious competitions are exclusively for purebred cavies.

Hundreds of owners like Yeong, gather annually at these competitions with their furry friends and are ready to watch their pigs compete based on fur quality, pristine nails, cleanliness, body structure and so on.

Professional judges are flown in from countries like Indonesia and even the US to judge these furry beings based on strict criteria and expectations, all in search for the best cavy out there.

Through his constant love and care, Yeong’s well-groomed cavies have captivated the judges and won awards in cavy shows all across the country. The journey to get there however, has been anything but easy.

In fact, Yeong spends hours just to maintain his pigs’ luscious locks that bring home golden trophies.

With zero walks needed and barely any mess to clean up after, guinea pigs might seem like the perfect fuss-free pets. The reality however, couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“You have to shower them every week and when you have long-haired guinea pigs, you have to spend even more time on them.

“I will shampoo, condition and apply serum oil on their fur once a week and after their shower, I have to blow dry their fur as well,” he said, while adding that he meticulously brushes their healthy fur daily so it doesn’t knot up.

Understandably, Yeong has lost count of the hours he’s spent grooming his pets but he loves the task so much that there was a period when he looked after 20 guinea pigs and 20 rabbits at home.

But things do get crazy for Yeong, especially when he’s on the road, rushing his pets to a cavy competition.

“Once, a friend and I had to shuttle 20 guinea pigs in the backseat of our car from Penang, all the way down to Johor. We drove for six hours straight just to make it there on time,” Yeong recalled, adding that he was constantly talking to his friend while driving, just to stay alert.

These days however, Yeong’s pigs are usually living the quiet “retired” life at home, lazing about and waiting to be pampered to perfection by Yeong.

Even so, Yeong still makes it a point to fuss over Brownie, Ozzie, Cinnamon and Saloma. They are, after all, his greatest treasure.