The Lunkarya guinea pig is a breed of guinea pig with an unkempt appearance. Their naturally long, dense fur has hairs going out in all directions giving them the appears like they were just playing in the wind. This is a rare guinea pig breed in that it’s not bred and instead it’s created via a genetic mutation. This breed started in Sweden when the runt of a litter had much longer hair than others.
Since being found, Lunkarya has become a popular breed for those that appreciate the longer coat. Their name is pronounced as “lunka-ree-a” and is derived from “Lundqvist” and “rya”. Lundqvist is the surname of the people who discovered it and rya means sheep.
Key Facts on the Lunkarya Guinea Pig
| Length: | 8 to 12 inches |
| Weight: | 1 to 2 lbs |
| Lifespan: | 5 to 7 years |
| Color: | Typically a combo between cream and white or black |
| Temperament: | Mild-mannered and gentle |
| Best Suited For: | More experienced owners due to the fur |
Lunkarya Guinea Pig Colors & Fur
The Lunkarya guinea pig has a long and disheveled coat. The hair will shoot out from the body in almost a corkscrew like fashion. The fur is very dense and coarse and will require a modest amount of grooming to stay clean. Even though the fur coat looks wild and shaggy their fur is at an equal length all around aside from their face where it’s shorter.
There are several color variations of Lunkarya guinea pigs but most are a solid color, such as black, or combined colors mixed in such as brown and white. The most common color of a Lunkarya is a mix of Cream and White.
How to Care for Your Lunkarya Guinea Pig
The Lunkarya Guinea Pig is cared for much like other animals and other guinea pig breeds. A majority of the guinea pig breeds will follow the same daily care checklist that you should work through.
To maintain a healthy Lunkarya Guinea Pig you’ll want to:
- Give them fresh vegetables and fruits daily.
- Give them fresh water and keep the water flowing.
- Clean their cage daily and clear out any soiled bedding to avoid sickness.
- Make sure they have tons of hay throughout the day.
- Make sure they have fresh pellets rich in vitamins and others to keep them healthy.
- Make sure they are given the appropriate living space to exercise and play.
- Engage with your guinea pig and show them affection.
- Do health checks weekly to make sure they aren’t gaining or losing too much weight.
- Keep their nails trimmed.
- Brush and clean their fur thoroughly every now and then.
Lunkarya Guinea Pig Health
The Lunkarya Guinea Pig suffers from all the common health problems guinea pig’s get, such as pneumonia, diarrhea and scurvy. These guinea pigs are pretty basic for their health needs and routine care, unlike other popular brands. Lunkarya are generally more healthy than other guinea pig breeds.
Prevent Health Issues with Your Lunkarya Guinea Pig
The best way to prevent health issues with your guinea pig is to maintain a healthy environment, feed them the appropriate food and properly groom your guinea pig.
Follow these guidelines to as a basic care routine:
- Feed them plenty of clean and fresh hay.
- Keep the cage and living environment free of urine buildup or other waste.
- Make sure your guinea pig is getting adequate vitamin C.
- Minimize their contact with other animals as other animals can transfer disease and vermin.
- Keep them properly groomed with their teeth and nails.
- Provide plenty of space for the guinea pig to roam, lay and rest.
- Make sure you’re keeping your guinea pig in the correct temperature for their breed.
- Keep an eye on any abnormal behavior or weight gain or loss.
To learn more, read our guinea pig checklists for a wide range of things you should be doing for your guinea pig on a daily and weekly basis. To keep the lifespan of the guinea pig as long as possible you’ll want to get in the habit of proper care and maintenance.
What is the Lifespan of an Lunkarya Guinea Pig?
The lifespan of a Lunkarya Guinea Pig is 5 to 7 years, matching the average lifespan of most guinea pigs. Most guinea pig breeds will live an average of 5 to 7 years. The better care you give your guinea pig the longer their life expectancy will be. Their lifespan is affected mainly by genetics, environment and their diet.
How Much Should Lunkarya Guinea Pigs Weigh?
There is no “healthy” weight for a guinea pig. Most guinea pigs should be within a range of 1 pound to 2 pounds as a full grown adult. If your guinea pig is below 1.5 pounds or above 3 pounds it’s likely you are not caring for them correctly. If your guinea pig is looking too skinny or too heavy you’ll want to speak with your veterinarian as an active guinea pig will typically keep it’s weight in check and any excess weight gain or loss could be the start of health problems.
The Lunkarya guinea pig is one of the lighter breeds so it’s not uncommon if your guinea pig weighs under 2 pounds. You’ll want to just make sure to monitor their weight gain and loss and look for any abnormalities as it could be a sign of diseases or illness.
Do Lunkarya Guinea Pigs have Good Personalities?
The Lunkarya guinea pig is a mild-mannered, gentle guinea pig breed. It is not typically a high-energy breed but it is a curious animal and loves interacting with other guinea pigs and people.
The calm temperament of a Lunkarya makes them easy to handle which is great due to how much more care they need for their fur. You should give your Lunkarya a companion. They are named after sheep and love being in herds in the wild. You should try to adopt them as a pair or quickly introduce another guinea pig once you’ve adopted.
The Lunkarya guinea pig makes the perfect pet for a slightly more experienced guinea pig owner as they require a bit more to take care of compared to some other guinea pig breeds.
Are Lunkarya Guinea Pigs Good with Kids?
Yes, the Lunkarya Guinea Pig is great with kids who have owned pets before. These guinea pigs have a calm nature to them and love companionship making them great with kids and other guinea pigs. They do require a bit more grooming and hair care so make sure you have some experience taking care of guinea pigs before adopting.
How to Train Lunkarya Guinea Pigs
The Lunkarya Guinea Pig can be trained just like any other animal and other guinea pig breeds. They may not be able to fetch a stick but they can be trained to listen to commands. The guinea pig is a very intelligent animal and most breeds are very active and love to engage with humans. The Lunkarya Guinea Pig is smart enough to learn a few tricks and commands if you have a lot of patience.
You shouldn’t try to train them early and should wait until they are around 9 to 12 months old.
You should try to train your guinea pig to use the litter box and obey basic commands like stop, stand up, come here, etc. The key is to pair the training with a reward of some sort like a treat or petting from the owner. By properly training your guinea pig you can get them to use the litter box to pee and poop instead of their cage along with making sure they listen to you when they are out of the cage.
Things to Know Before Buying an Lunkarya Guinea Pig
If you’re considering adoption or buying an Lunkarya Guinea Pig you should really know the basics of care, diet and their habitat. Guinea pigs are pretty robust animals but it’s very easy to make them feel depressed or cause health issues without proper care.
Food & Diet Requirements
The Lunkarya Guinea Pig requires the same basic diet all guinea pigs need. You want to make sure there is a good supply of high-quality timothy hay for them to eat. The hay will wear down their teeth and is high in fiber to help them with their digestive system.
According to the Humane Society, your guinea pig should eat around 1 cup of vegetables per day. They should have leafy green vegetables like romaine lettuce, kale, cilantro and parsley. You should provide a variety of vegetables for your guinea pig and change it up each day.
Some of the best vegetables for guinea pigs are rich in vitamin C such as broccoli or bell peppers.
Your guinea pig can consume fruit but you will want to be careful as most fruit is high in sugar which can make the guinea pig sick. You will want to keep the portion of fruit small and avoid fruits high in sugar and prioritize fruits high in vitamins and antioxidants.
Some of the best fruits for guinea pigs are oranges, apples, blueberries and strawberries.
Exercise
Your guinea pig will need quite a bit of room to roam and exercise. Some guinea pigs can remain active for up to 20 hours a day. You should try to get the largest guinea pig cage possible. Make sure your cage has as much open area as it can so they can run around. Guinea pigs don’t like to climb so a larger and single level open space with things to do is more appealing to them.
Guinea pigs ultimately don’t require a lot in their home to stay active but you should look into basic supplies needed for a guinea pig such as a water bottle, food dish, toys and gnaw sticks.
Care & Grooming
The Lunkarya guinea pig requires more grooming and maintenance than other guinea pigs due to their long hair. Their fur is very dense and coarse and will require thorough cleaning and brushing to stay healthy. If you’re Lunkarya is experiencing any hair loss you should take them to a vet immediately.
You should build a daily and weekly care and grooming checklist for your guinea pig. You’ll want to spot check all of their health signs, such as weight, and handle all grooming. Before you bring a guinea pig home you’ll want to make sure you understand how to trim their nails, how to brush their hair and proper cage maintenance.
Common Questions About Lunkarya Guinea Pigs
How Much are Lunkarya Guinea Pigs?
As pets, guinea pigs are one of the cheapest domesticated animals you can buy or adopt. The price of a Lunkarya guinea pig is lower than other breeds as they don’t require more maintenance and are not considered a show breed.
A Lunkarya guinea pig is around $30 to $50. In some cases, such as adoption, you can get a guinea pig for less than this range or even free. The one thing to keep in mind is that it’s cheaper to purchase an Lunkarya Guinea Pig but the real cost comes with proper care and housing.
To properly care for a guinea pig you’re looking at around $100 to $500 per year per guinea pig on the lower end. This includes cages, toys, food, bedding and more.
Are Lunkarya Guinea Pigs Intelligent?
Guinea pigs are very intelligent creatures and want to learn and explore. They do not want to sit in their cage all day long and need interaction and exploration to remain happy. The Lunkarya guinea pig is no different than any other guinea pig except that they will require more engagement than others.
You should expect to entertain your guinea pig often by changing up their cage layout, letting them roam the house and spending quality human interaction time with your guinea pig. You can begin to teach your Lunkarya guinea pig several tricks and habits at a young age.