What should you monitor to ensure a cavy is healthy?

Monitoring a cavy's weight and body condition is crucial for ensuring its overall health. Weight is a key indicator of a cavy's well-being because significant fluctuations can signal potential health issues, such as underfeeding, overfeeding, or underlying medical conditions. Consistent body condition checks allow for early detection of problems that might develop if the cavy becomes obese or underweight.

In addition to weight, evaluating body condition helps in understanding whether a cavy is getting the right nutrition and exercise. A healthy cavy should have a well-proportioned body shape with a good muscle tone and fat coverage. Changes in body condition can also indicate stress or illness, prompting the owner to seek veterinary advice if necessary.

While grooming frequency, travel habits, and vocalizations can provide some insights into a cavy’s care or behavior, they are not as direct indicators of health as monitoring weight and body condition. Grooming is important for hygiene and can affect skin health, but it does not directly reflect the internal health of the animal. Travel habits might refer to activity levels but don't give definitive information about health. Vocalizations can indicate stress or well-being, but they are subjective and can vary widely among individual cavies. Thus, focusing on weight and body condition is