BRITISH CAVY COUNCIL

English Self Breed Standard

Click here to return to the English Self Cavy Club page.

Standard of points

Points
Update June 2009
Head, Eyes & Ears
of which
Head - To have a pronounced Roman nose.
Eyes - To have good width of muzzle, squared off at the end but rounded at the corners.
Ears - To be large and drooping, with lower rim parallel to the ground & set with good width between
30
Body Shape To have short, broad, cobby body with very deep, broad shoulders.
To be fit and of good substance, with plenty of firm flesh.
To have good size appropriate to age.
25
Colour Top colour to be lustrous and of glossy sheen, of even shade all over the head & body.
Hair on feet to match body colour.
Undercolour to match top colour down to the skin, giving an appearance free from flakiness.
Colours of coat, eyes, ears and pads to match Descriptions below.
30
Coat To be soft & silky, clean and short, groomed free of guard hairs. 15
100

Description of colours

Dark Eyed White and Pink Eyed White

To be pure snow white.
Eyes pink (PEW) or dark (DEW), Dark-eyed to be as dark as possible.
Ears flesh pink. Pads flesh pink.

Dark Eyed Cream and Pink Eyed Cream

To be a pale cream colour, free from yellow or lemon tinge.
Eyes ruby (DEC) or pink (PEC). Ears pink. Pads pink.

Buff

To be a deep, rich buff shade with no hint of lemon, apricot or cream.
Eyes ruby. Ears pink. Pads pink.

Saffron

To be a medium sand colour. Eyes pink. Ears pink. Pads pink.

Dark Eyed Golden and Pink Eyed Golden

To be a medium gold colour with no suggestion of brassiness, yellow or red.
Eyes pink (PEG) or dark (DEG), Dark-eyed to be as dark as possible.
Ears pink/golden. Pads pink/golden.

Lilac

To be a medium dove grey colour, with no suggestion of beige.
Eyes pink. Ears pink/ lilac. Pads pink/lilac.

Beige

To be a medium colour. Eyes pink. Ears pink/beige. Pads pink/beige.

Red

To be a rich, dark colour. Eyes dark. Ears dark. Pads dark.

Chocolate

To be a rich, dark colour. Eyes dark ruby. Ears chocolate. Pads chocolate.

Black

To be deep and lustrous. Eyes dark. Ears black. Pads black.

Guidance notes

The English Self is a solid (single) coloured cavy bred for Head qualities (head, eyes & ears), Body Shape (particularly shoulders and breadth & compactness of body, Colour and Coat.

The Outline of the English Self cavy should consist of a series of gentle curves, rising from the nostrils to the peak of the shoulders, then dipping to the back and levelling briefly before again dipping over the rear.

Viewed from above the overall impression should be of a brick, rounded at the corners.

Size is very desirable, but not at the expense of cobbyness or quality.

Condition is very important. The cavy should carry plenty of firm flesh but not be gross or flabby.

The sex of the exhibit will usually be apparent from its facial qualities. Boars, if complying with the standard, should not be penalised when in competition with sows on account of slightly different head shape.

Normally the upper weight limit for an U/5 months Self cavy will be 30 oz or thereabouts.

For a cavy of 8 months it will be 37 oz or thereabouts.

Although the judge's discretion is absolute as regards whether a cavy is eligible for the class in which it is entered, judges should give careful consideration in cases where these weight limits are exceeded.

The colours of young Lilac and Beige cavies are appreciably darker than those expected in adult exhibits of these breeds. This should be taken into account when judging young classes of Beige and Lilacs.

The belly colour of a Beige indicates the colour that it is likely to attain when it reaches adulthood.

Specific disqualifications

Specific faults

Wash 2: Designed by Simon Neesam for the British Cavy Council © 2009