Cavies gather at Pomona Fairplex

by Amby Sarabia
Staff Writer

Fairplex was filled with hopping rabbits and cavies – or as they’re better known,guinea pigs – this past Sunday as the cavy show took place.

The red barn was packed with people and animals on one of the hottest days of the weekend as the animals were competing for awards.

Held by the San Gabriel Valley Cavy Breeders Association, the event took place at 9 a.m. and ran on through the hot spring day.

The brutal heat was forgotten by the animal breeders, as owners prepped their animals for competition.

Cavies were the main attraction at this event but some rabbits were also present.

Jim Touchette, a warehouse truck driver from Oxnard made the long trek with a couple of his cavies to the competition. Proud that his cavy won “Best Silver Solid,” Touchette has been entering competitions since the time he started raising cavies in 1974. “I couldn’t have them as a kid,” he said. “So I guess I kinda went overboard.”

Overboard is not an exaggeration, as he maintains 140 cavies back home. Setting aside close to four hours a day to clean cages and feed his furry friends, Touchette explains that it is necessary to have so many cavies.

“I like the variety and you have to have backups,” he said. “You have to be an animal person to understand it.”

Members of the association are part of the American Rabbit Breeders Association, or ARBA which has many affiliates throughout the nation. Determined to offer helpful information to both rabbit and cavy owners, the association’s Web site allows breeders to read up on ways to ensure their cavy or rabbit lives a healthy life, as stated on the Web Site www.arba.net.

Chris Gephardt, president of the San Gabriel chapter led Sunday’s event. A resident of Norco, Gephardt’s obsession with the cavies began 10 years ago, when she purchased her first cavy which later gave birth, sucking her into the breeding process.

“It’s really something you enjoy and you can do it with friends you enjoy,” she said.

Friends or no friends, competitors are at competitions to win. But it is still a friendly competition. Judges base the winners on which type the cavy is and how well it is groomed. Winners go home with travel cages and trophies.

Barbara Bohr, a private school facility worker, drove from Simi Valley to enter her cavies in the event. Starting her collection of cavies 10 years ago, when her daughter talked her into buying one, Bohr was hooked.

“It started as a mother and daughter thing,” she said. “But since she is in college I do it for myself now.”

Owners of the guinea pigs are enthusiastic about their pets and set aside close to four hours a day for them.

“They are just so tranquil,” Bohr said. “I love them.”