Capybaras have expensive taste.
Once people learn about capybaras I find they are either intrigued or repelled. Among the intrigued, there are always a few who are tempted to have their own pet capybara. This leads inevitably to the question of cost. Truly, the cost of the animal is never the end of the story, as anyone who has received a “Free Puppy” surely knows. So, how much does that capybara cost? Capybaras actually cost about the same as a pedigreed dog, not even a fancy breed. However, the cost is only the tip of the iceberg. First, let’s examine the process of obtaining one.
On the way home from Texas, 3 weeks old, with his airline-approved carrier.
There are only a couple of capybara breeders in the United States, and they have only a few breeding pairs. I was on several waiting lists for over a year before Dobbye became available. If your capybara is shipped, it will fly as cargo, and shipping costs are in addition to purchase cost. Not all breeders ship, and even ones who do may hesitate to ship if the weather isn’t cooperative, so you may need to travel to get your capybara. Most airlines will not allow rodents in the cabin, so even though your 3 week old capybara is the size of a guinea pig, it is required to travel in the hold of the plane, down there with the big dogs. Dobbye was perfectly healthy when I picked him up from the breeder, but we flew home during cold weather, and I waited a while for my “baggage” to arrive. Two weeks later he nearly died of pneumonia! That’s how long he sat on the tarmac in freezing weather while I pestered the baggage folks to expedite his little carrier. If I had to do it again, I would fly out to the breeder, rent a car, and drive him home. At that age, they are tiny, quiet, and manageable, and no motel would ever guess you had a pet with you. Remember that we are talking about cost here, so flight, car rental, a couple of motel rooms and restaurant meals, for two, unless you want to go it alone.
Plan on at least an initial well-pet checkup, and a neutering. If those are your only veterinary clinic visits, it will be a miracle!
The first thing you should do is take your baby capybara to the vet for a checkup. You’ll want your vet to be captivated by this cute little animal so that when you bring back your big bruiser to be fixed at 6 months, the vet isn’t completely intimidated by the wild animal your pet has turned into. At a minimum, you’ve got those two vet visits. It’s probably best to interview a few veterinarians to make certain you have one willing to treat your pet at all. *
Dobbye’s night pen and boudoir. His bed area gets enclosed for winter.
At about 5 months of age, my Dobbye made it very clear that he wanted to be an outdoor pet. Like some guinea pigs, Dobbye began to urinate in his bedding as he slept. If you have a cure for that, I’d love to hear it. Meanwhile, I built him an outdoor pen. He has an enclosed area with a bed. Under several blankets is a heavy-duty kennel heater. Mounted on the wall is a supplemental microtherm heater for winter. He has paved and dirt areas, hay racks, water, and lots of toys. His pen is secured at night and an intruder would have to pass through two gates before they would reach the gate to his bedroom. I don’t really want a burglar to accidentally surprise Dobbye at night. Figure the cost of fencing your yard, add double gates and a huge sturdy fenced pen, at least 6′ high. They can get over a 4′ fence. I wired a top over Dobbye’s pen to keep the raccoons out.
You’re joking, right? Young capybaras are obedient and even Dobbye stayed behind this x-pen. Needless to say, he would barge right past this little fence, now!
Capybaras, like house rabbits, chew wires and bite cords, so you need to rodent-proof your house in advance. You’ll probably want an assortment of dog/baby gates to keep him within sight. You’ll need to set up your bathroom with a little potty bowl which you’ll be dumping about 5 times a day. It’s really nice if you can dedicate a bathroom to your pet so guests aren’t surprised. Most capybaras are pretty tidy, but there will be accidents. Dobby does his business outdoors these days, and herbivores are prolific. I built an outdoor bathroom to dispose of his daily gallon of poop. What would a spare bathroom cost you?
No capybara in the world has a finer throne room than me.
Capybaras in the wild graze all day and all night. How much grass do you have, and is it food quality? Is it fertilizer, pesticide, and herbicide-free? I don’t have enough grass in the back, so I escort Dobby to the front yard each afternoon for grazing. Because the fence is only 4′ tall out there and it isn’t double gated, I have to watch him and ensure the safety of accidental visitors like the postman. I have fenced him out of the Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and Pieris, which are extremely toxic to capybaras. In the winter, all the grass is scarce and I have to ration the cut bamboo foliage until spring. You might want to consider re-landscaping.
No pesticides, no herbicides, no mowing. Your lawn is a food crop.
I’ve mentioned hay, grass, and bamboo foliage, but that’s the tip of the iceberg when it comes to feeding your capybara. The diet of any captive animal must be supplemented. Just as you don’t expect your cat to hunt for all her meals, a capybara needs more than grass to survive. Little ones need milk, goat’s milk is preferred, but their diet is remarkably similar to a guinea pig. Lots of hay and grass. They should get a low-protein pelleted food (Dobbye gets Equine Senior) plus vegetables, lettuce, and fruit. Dobbye eats 3-4 corn-on-the-cob daily, husk with cob, and that’s fun to find in January! We special order that by the case, and his romaine, too. He eats at least one head a day. Dobbye eats pears, apples, and about eight different kinds of potatoes, yams, and sweet potatoes. I would be real happy if he would start eating carrots and broccoli again, but he’d rather have a handful of oats. You guessed it, he has his own refrigerator!
The potato bowl: russets, Yukon Gold, little Irish red, yuppy purple potatoes, sweet potatoes, orange yams, purple yams, and Japanese yams.
He eats the blankets on his bed, and those that survive need washing all the time. I’m down at Goodwill OUTLET quarterly for new blankets, and we’re on our second washer. He has his harness and leash, and a little ramp to get up into the car. Actually, the ramp is so he can get out without bumping his chin on the ground, they are just not designed for going down steps. I line the car with blankets and bedding, but he has still managed to bite a gigantic chunk out of the car door. He’s always looking at the seat belts, too, so I know they’re next to go. The car interior is just a sacrifice, and anyway it’s impossible to get all the hay out of a car once you’ve hauled any bales in there. Duct tape takes care of the unsightly blemishes.
A full grown capybara can easily reach your kitchen counters. Note the sturdy gate he is leaning on.
Do you plan to ever leave home again? Travel, visit relatives? Find a pet sitter. I dare you. I have been through several. Dobbye doesn’t like strangers. At all. You’re going to pay a significant daily rate if you can even manage to set your place up so that it is safe for the capybara and sitter. If your sitter is going to stop by to dump that potty bowl in your bathroom five times a day, you need to add that to the cost of your trip. And if your sitter decides she can’t handle it, be prepared to cut your trip short.
Don’t get me started on swimming pools. I think this was pool #2. We’re now up to #6.
A pet capybara is no simple fancy substitute for a dog. So far, the survival rate among first-time non-zoo owners is not encouraging. I have been extremely lucky with Dobbye, and I have had the good fortune to have excellent veterinarian support, willing pet sitters, and the experience of many breeders and experienced owners to back me up. My family has been dragged into this enterprise, like it or not, and while my grown children are free to walk away, my partner is Dobbye’s chief rival. This creates some interesting dramas, and compromise isn’t something Dobbye cares about. The cost of a capybara must also be measured in terms of time and lifestyle adjustments. It’s not about the cost, is it?
* The ROUS Foundation has a veterinarian who can coach your vet when treatment is necessary.
Dobby the Capybara 
What a brilliant ‘no nonsense, no frills’ account on the realities of keeping a capy. I have often thought when reading posts about Dobs/Gari/Nathan etc that people don’t really appreciate what goes into keeping and looking after capys. Like you say, even if you have the money the lifestyle you have to be prepared for can be very restricting. A superb well written account.
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Thank you. It is difficult to explain exactly why capybaras are more demanding than dogs, I just know first-hand that they are.
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Excellent explanation of the hidden expenses. There are lots of hidden expenses with any pet, and people really need to do the research and the math, before getting a pet.
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I’d like to know where you got one & how much in total it costed
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$400 cash for the animal, $50 rt airport shuttle, $215 rt airfare, $125 airline animal cargo fee, 170 miles each way to purchase site (car rental and gas approx $150), $35 airline approved carrier, $150 for 2 nights in hotel= $1125 (2009 prices)
I bought him from Star Farm in Nacogdoches, Texas. Dobby’s parents are deceased and they no longer have any capybaras.
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Costed …?!
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Dobby is not a wild capybara nabbed from the side of the road during a vacation. He is a 3rd generation USA bred capybara. I purchased him from some very nice folks who feature capybaras (“See the giant rats!”) in a traveling carnival.
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A capybara is literally the only family I want to live with. I’m a senior in high school, I have a one year old sister and a one year old brother, and an eighteen year old sister, and after that I don’t want children. I told my mom several times that when I get my own house I want it to be just me and my capybara, that I plan on getting when I move out. A capybara is the only child I’ll ever need. I mean, I’m not an expert but how harder can a capybara be than two one year olds. I know it won’t be easy but a little bit less screaming and pinching and hair pulling will be nice. A little less fighting over a toy that you only want because someone else has it. That’s my life plan though. Brittany, her capybara, and her art supplies. Nothing more. Nothing less.
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A capybara is indeed similar to having two one-year-olds, but a capybara NEVER GROWS UP. It remains as challenging as two one-year-olds forever. Furthermore, I just talked to a former breeder, and she and her capybaras are now retired. She has FIVE capybaras between the ages of 15-17 years old! It’s a serious commitment!
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This was really insightful, thoughtful and informative. I really enjoyed reading it. I’m so sorry to hear about his pneumonia and I’m glad he was okay and is living well. 🙂 I would love to own a capybara myself one day but I will definitely need more room. Youtube videos will have to suffice. Thanks for the info.
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This is the funniest article I have ever read. My wife and I almost peed our pants reading it.
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This was a nice article! I hope Dobbye is doing great!
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Whenever I see a Capybara, it isn’t without a deep sigh and a feeling of longing. They seem so chill, and likeable. Always pondered -half-seriously, that is- if someday a capy will call my home his home.
Thank you for your well-written and insightful account what it really takes to live with one. I just decided that while I always will adore them, they probably are too much to handle. Before I learn to resent a capybara, I’ll stick to cutesy youtube videos and love them from a distance.
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While it isn’t my intention to completely discourage people from getting a pet capybara, I’m glad that the message came across: for most people, pet capybaras are rarely the best choice. I have been owned by Dobby for eight+ years, and while I have never regretted it, I can tell you it never gets easier. He’s still a demanding pet. You might have fun taking my quiz. It will clear up the rest of your doubts! https://petcapybara.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/2-2014-dobbys-diary-sm.pdf
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I’ve noticed with lots of different rodents the boys always want to Pee on stuff . I think that problem could be solved with just getting a female . But you never know
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Every Male rodent I had would pee all over everything. The females did not do this , they go to bottom of cage and use a “toilet “ area . Lol even In nature boys are more gross 😂
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I want to buy 50 of these but have not found an importer
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Seriously, dude, you need to take my quiz.
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Have a question about potty training. Would the potty box need to be on the main floor? Would a capybara seek out the box if it was on a lower level?
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Young capybaras seem to prefer to use a shallow bowl of water and will likely use it wherever you put it. For cleaning purposes, it should be as close to your disposal area (usually a toilet) as possible. Those bowls aren’t as easy to carry and dump as you might think! I do know of people who have trained their capybaras to use dry litter boxes (kitty litter) but I don’t have personal experience with that. They are smart and easily trained, but as they mature, they will challenge you and they can be very stubborn. If they want the potty moved at that time, you are going to have to move it.
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I thought they needed play mates. They are very social. You don’t have anyone for him to communicate with.
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You raise an excellent question, and one that the capybara community has not adequately addressed. Yes, capybaras are herd animals, as are horses. And dogs are pack animals. Yet, it has been shown that horses and dogs can be happy alone if they are given adequate care and attention. In fact, sometimes single dogs form a more meaningful bond with their humans than two or three dogs, who tend to bond with each other, and only secondarily to their human.
I have met capybaras in various situations: from singular pets, to paired pets, to small petting zoo herds, and breeding facilities. My involvement in the capybara community means that I am in contact with many capybara owners in a large sample of situations, including zoos.
The people who seem to have the most satisfactory bond with their pets have one capybara among a “herd” of other pets such as dogs, cats, chickens, and ducks. These are the people you read about who allow their capybaras access to their home. While I know of a couple people who have two or three pet capybaras, generally these folks do not allow the capybaras into their home. One couple with two males in their home eventually discovered that they are too territorial to be left alone together indoors, and now have a system where their boys can be separated with sequential access to the home and yard. I have seen petting zoos range from two to a dozen animals. Even with superb care, they are often divided into subgroups due to hierarchical sparring, especially among the males. Even in the Japanese zoos where visitors are allowed to mingle with the herd, older males are routinely sequestered and often traded- singly- to other small zoos. Certainly the breeding facilities I have visited separate the breeding males from each other, usually into smaller breeding groups. So, in captivity, even small herds must be managed. I have not heard of any small herds with multiple mature males living peaceably. I do know that as territorial as Dobby was, and as he was so strongly bonded to me, he would not have tolerated another capybara here, male or female. He barely tolerated The Bartender, his chief rival.
Capybaras are not yet domesticated, a process that occurs over thousands of years. They are tame wild animals, and we are currently in the process of learning how to feed and house them in a way that allows them to thrive in captivity. Once we understand how to duplicate their native foraging requirements, learn to house them in sub-tropical climates, and provide veterinary care for those animals that survive beyond their normal life-span of 4 years, who knows what we will discover about their need tor capybara companionship?
All of that is specific to capybaras and what I know of them. I have just brought two sheep into my farm. Two sheep. Sheep have been domesticated for thousands of years, and we know that one sheep will not thrive: you must have at least two. So, I do understand that with some species a single animal is not happy. With capybaras, it would appear that one can be very happy, and certainly Dobby was content. I do think that they are extraordinarily demanding, though, and for people who don’t have multiple spare hours each day, a cat or a dog is much more forgiving.
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right ow i’m asking my mom to get me one
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You didn’t read the article very closely did you? Try taking the quiz, and see how you do. https://petcapybara.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/2-2014-dobbys-diary-sm.pdf
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I have always said that a capybara was meant to be my soulmate but after reading article maybe it is my precious dog after all. I was am a nurse and the first few years of my career I sat with a 730+ obese man. I’ve done enuf potty bowls for a lifetime! Although I still admire them maybe it’s better from afar. Bravo on your dedication. I love my dogs being mobile and sociable!
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