At a glance the quick version
Coat and looks how to spot one
short, smooth, evenly ticked coat
A soft, silky, short-coated cavy whose coat is evenly ticked over the head, body, chest and feet, with a soft-toned undercolour of lilac, beige or slate reaching right down to the skin. The belly is a plain tone matching the ticking and the top colour should look bright and glossy. Most colours pair with pink eyes and ears, giving a gentle, pastel look.1
Personality what they are like
The Argente is a colour variety, so it shares the everyday guinea pig nature: social, talkative with its companions and usually gentle with regular, calm handling.43
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Guinea pigs stay active for much of the day and night, resting in short naps. Give them daily time in a bigger, safe space with tunnels and hides to explore. Happy guinea pigs often jump and twist in the air, which owners call 'popcorning'.43
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
An occasional brush keeps the short coat neat. Check nails regularly and trim when needed, and give unlimited hay for natural tooth wear.46
Home where they are happiest
A spacious enclosure with a solid floor and a deep layer of dust-free bedding, tall enough for the guinea pig to stand up on its back legs. Offer at least one more hiding place than the number of guinea pigs. Keep them in a comfortable room temperature of about 17-20 C, shield them from heat above about 26 C, and bring outdoor guinea pigs indoors when it drops below about 15 C. Spot-clean daily and clean thoroughly at least once a week.7
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Plenty of good hay, available all the time, should form most of the diet, with fresh grass where possible. Add a measured daily portion of grass-based guinea pig pellets and a daily mix of fresh vegetables and herbs. Guinea pigs need vitamin C from their food every day because their bodies do not make it. Keep fruit as a small, occasional treat and make sure clean water is always available.843
Company who they like around
A very social animal that should share its home with at least one compatible guinea pig; pairs or small groups suit them best. In the wild, cavies live in small family groups.47
The story where it all began
Guinea pigs were first domesticated in the Andes of South America and reached Europe with traders in the 1500s, where they became popular pets. The Argente was developed as a softer-coloured relative of the ticked Agouti and was for years shown in Britain as a rare variety. The British Cavy Council promoted it to a full standard on 1 January 2025.312
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
There are nine Argente colours, made by pairing three ticking colours (golden, cream, white) with three undercolours (lilac, beige, slate).1
- 2
It only became a full British standard on 1 January 2025.1
- 3
Argentes with a lilac or beige undercolour have pink eyes, while slate-based ones have ruby eyes.1
- 4
The belly should be 'tipped' in one tone rather than ticked like the rest of the coat.1
- 5
Argente colours can also be shown on Dalmatian and Roan cavies.9
Recognised by the official bits
- British Cavy Council
- Promoted to full standard on 1 January 2025. Points: head, eyes and ears 20, body shape 20, ticking 30, colour 20, coat 10. Large patches of unticked hair disqualify.1
- British Cavy Council
- Looked after by the Rare Varieties Cavy Club, which lists nine Argente colours.2
- British Cavy Council
- Argente colours are also accepted for Dalmatians and Roans.9
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Argente Guinea Pig. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Nail trimevery month
- Weigh inWeekly weighing spots changes earlyevery week
- Teeth checkevery week
- Vitamin cFresh veg rich in vitamin C every dayevery day
- Fresh hayevery day
- Spot cleanevery day
- Full cleanevery week
- Floor timeDaily time out to exploreevery day
- Vet check-upevery year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Argente breed standard - British Cavy Council britishcavycouncil.org.ukused for BCC standard, full-standard date, points, colours, eye colour, coat
- Rare Varieties Cavy Club - British Cavy Council britishcavycouncil.org.ukused for specialist club, colour list
- Guinea pig - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for general history, size, lifespan
- Guinea pigs - RSPCA rspca.org.ukused for lifespan, social needs, activity
- Description and Physical Characteristics of Guinea Pigs - MSD Veterinary Manual msdvetmanual.comused for general weight and lifespan
- Guinea Pig Breeds - WikiNormals - WikiVet en.wikivet.netused for grooming context
- Guinea pig environment - RSPCA rspca.org.ukused for housing
- Guinea pig diet - RSPCA rspca.org.ukused for diet
- Dalmation breed standard - British Cavy Council britishcavycouncil.org.ukused for Argente colours accepted on Dalmatians
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.