Step aside dogs and cats, it's time for another popular pet to take the spotlight.
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Cavies - or guinea pigs as they're better known - are clean, quiet, compact and just as cuddly as our feline and canine companions.
"If you want to give guinea pigs lots of attention they're happy with that, but if you're out at work all day and you don't have time for them they're also happy," Melanie Barnes, chairman of the National Cavy Show Committee, said.
This Saturday, August 19, a cavalcade of cavy enthusiasts will be marching into Dubbo for the Australian National Cavy Show, an annual event which draws competitors from across the country.
Ms Barnes said Dubbo's central location makes it the perfect place for the event.
"People are coming with their guinea pigs from all over Australia to compete for the title of 'Best Cavy in Show'," she said.
"We thought Dubbo was a central kind of place for it. A majority of guinea pig fanciers live in Queensland and in NSW - that's where the bulk of interest in guinea pig showing is, but we do have people coming from as far as Perth."
More than 500 guinea pigs representing 40 different breeds will be shown this year, including rare varieties like the dotty Dalmatian, curly coated Rex and the cascading locks of the long-haired Peruvian.
Expert judges will be flying in from Sweden and the Netherlands for the show to determine which cavies take the cake.
"We're representing all the different breeds of guinea pig - the long haired ones which grow up to 18 inches of hair, the curly coated ones and there's another group which are all one colour," Ms Barnes said.
"Like all show animals, there are a set of standards of perfection for guinea pigs. The judges have been trained and have learned those standards, which vary across the breeds.
"For the long-haired breeds it's all about the hair - the texture, the thickness, the length, is the coat soft and shiny. They also look at their face, their eyes, their ears and if they're in good health."
As well as watching the judging, attendees will be able to browse and buy guinea pig accessories and maybe even take home a new little friend of their own.
"We'll have a stand where people can come and pat and hold and cuddle a guinea pig," Ms Barnes said.
The show will be held at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre from 10:00am to 2:00pm on Saturday, August 19.
Tickets for the event cost $10 per person or $30 for a family pass and are available through the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre.
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