To See is to Believe

I was quite anxious to buy our first Sheltie. This was his picture when he was born. I loved his color so I immediately made a downpayment to reserve him. A few weeks later, seller posted his updated photo below.

My heart sank and I thought I had made a big mistake.I decided that if I really do not like the color of the Sheltie when I see it, I would reason with the seller that it was a different from the one that was posted on the web when I reserved it and would ask if I could back out or purchase another cavy.

When the day came for me to pick-up the Sheltie, I was delighted to find that though he did not look like the first picture, I liked his actual color. I don't know why the seller's photos are so different, I took several photos with and without flash and they still represented his true color.

Fluffy

I had my eye on another dominant white boar when I visited the seller's place. But this one looked more promising. His fur was a lot thicker and he looked healthier. Just look at his picture and you know why I named him "Fluffy". :)

If it's too good to be true....

I bought "Brownie" after watching a seller at Sulit mark-down his price within a span of 3 weeks. Seller advertised him as 'purebreed' Peruvian. I thought he was a good deal already, so I made the reservation even without seeing him first. I did not like his color when I saw him. But since I already made a downpayment, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt...

After several months, I noticed his hair was not growing at the rate my other Peruvians were. I consulted breeders through a forum and was told he is most likely not purebreed.

UPDATE (May 10, 2011):

I am now convinced he is an Abyruvian (Abysinnian x Peruvian). His hair is coarse, unlike Peruvians. It is thick and has a lot of rossettes. The sides seem to be growing longer but the hair in front still has not changed since the day I bought him.


I have learned my lesson. I will still continue to look for a good deal on cavies, but I will be wary of those selling at a very low price. If it's too good to be true, chances are... it's not true.

UPDATE (July 30, 2011):

Sold Brownie.