There are many pedigree cavy breeds recognised in Australia. Pedigree cavy breeds are divided into seven groups.
Self Group
These are cavies that are only one colour and have short, smooth coats. Currently Selfs are recognised in the following colours in Australia: Black, Pink Eyed White, Dark Eyed White, Chocolate, Beige, Pink Eyed Buff, Dark Eyed Buff, Pink Eyed Cream, Dark Eyed Cream, Lilac, Slate, Pink Eyed Golden, Dark Eyed Golden and Red.
Satin Group
Satin cavies have a hair shaft that is highly reflective. This produces an extreme sheen to the coat of a Satin. Satin cavies can come in all colours, markings and coat types.
Crested Group
Crested cavies are recognised by a circular shaped hair pattern that appears to form a crown on their heads. Crested cavies come in several varieties including English Crested (Self Colours), Ticked Crested, Dutch Crested, Dalmatian Crested, Roan Crested, Himalayan Crested, Tortoise & White Crested, Rare Variety Crested and American Crested. Both types have smooth, short coats. American Crested cavies are recognised in all Self colours and the crest is in a contrasting colour, usually white.
Ticked Group
The Ticked Group consists of two varieties, Agoutis and Argentes. These come in several colours. Ticked cavies are recognised by a belly band and the individual hair shafts having two colours, ie they are "ticked". Agoutis come in Golden, Silver, Cinnamon, Lemon, Chocolate, Cream and Gold/Slate. Argentes are the colour dilute form. They come in Golden/Lilac, Golden/Beige, White/Lilac, White/Beige, Lemon/Lilac and Lemon/Beige.
Marked Group
Cavies in the Marked group are some of the most appealing, and the most difficult to breed and show. Marked cavies are recognised in several varieties. These are the Dutch, the Dalmatian, the Himalayan, Bi-Colour, Brindle, Tri-Colour, Roan, Sable, Tortoise & White, Magpie and Harlequin. They are cavies that come in various colour combinations.
Coarse Coat Group
There are currently two varieties in this group. They are the Abyssinian, which is a cavy that has numerous rosettes and ridges arranged in a specific way on its body; and the Rex, which features a crimped, short coat that is thick and springy with a coarser texture on top. They can give the appearance of a plush toy. Coarse Coats may be shown in any colour or mixture of colours.
Longhair Group
This group contains some of the most glamorous and challenging of the pedigree cavy breeds. There are several different breeds of Longhairs, each with their own coat requirements. Longhairs may be shown in any colour or mixture of colours. The Longhair breeds are Alpaca, Coronet, Merino, Peruvian, Sheltie, Texel and Sheba Mini Yak. Longhairs may be shown in any colour or mixture of colours.