Bedding for guinea pigs – When you make a palace for your guinea pigs, you want a good cage, comfy hideouts, and the right stuff. Super important: pick the best bedding for guinea pigs. It really matters for their health and comfort, so be careful, piggy parents.
Not every bedding is okay for guinea pigs. The wrong kind can hurt their little feet or make it hard for them to breathe.
So, we want to know all about what to put in your guinea pig’s house—like the bedding types (fleece, aspen, paper, and pine) and how often to change it. Ready to find out:
Do guinea pigs have to have bedding?
Yes, absolutely. The good bedding keeps your fuzzy pals clean, and it keeps their home safe. Your guinea pig’s place is not complete without comfy bedding for your little fluffballs.
But why is the bedding so important for your guinea pigs?
Keep your guinea pigs dry with the right bedding
The main job of guinea pig bedding is to make sure your piggies stay dry. The good types soak up wetness fast, so there’s no worry about soggy bottoms, even in their favourite bathroom spot.
If you have furry friends, you know they often use the bathroom. So, keeping their cage super clean is a big job. The right bedding helps keep your piggies’ bottoms clean between cage clean-ups.
So, when the bedding in your guinea pig’s house soaks up the wetness, it also makes it hard for bacteria to grow. Moreover, it helps stop bad smells from your piggies’ pee, like carbon dioxide and ammonia, from reaching your pets. Those things can make it tough for your lovely fluffballs to breathe.
So, good bedding for guinea pigs not only keeps them cozy but also stops them from getting sick.
Protecting piggy paws with guinea pigs’ bedding:
Without the right bedding for guinea pigs, our piggies’ paws can face dangers like bumblefoot and other paw problems. Using a thick layer of bedding, made of soft fleece, makes them feel like they are walking on clouds. Much better than sleeping on a hard cage floor.
Cavy caretakers should always go for comfy bedding. It not only feels good but also stops serious paw problems like bumblefoot. When a piggy’s foot gets hurt on a wire mesh or hard floor and gets dirty, it can quickly get infected. A visit to the vet with different medicines is needed to get rid of the infection and help them feel better.
Choose the best bedding to keep your guinea pigs’ sensitive feet safe.
What to Think About When Picking Guinea Pig Bedding
When it comes to your pigs’ bedding, there is no one-size-fits-all, what you and your piggies like is what matters when you are choosing the right type. However, there are a few things that all pet parents should consider when looking for the best guinea pig bedding.
Let us see what they are:
Perfect Bedding for Piggies:
Great guinea pig bedding keeps your pets happy and comfy. The best bedding turns every part of their cage into a nap spot. When picking your guinea pigs’ bedding, go for the highest comfort level, but more importantly, avoid anything that could hurt your pigs.
If you’re considering paper bedding or other options, make sure they’re dust-free. Dusty bedding irritates your little fluffballs’ airways and can lead to breathing issues. A no-dust zone is the way to go for your pets to breathe freely.
Wood shavings can cause problems, and more importantly, some types can be harmful to your pigs. Pien adn Cedar bedding are risky for the little furries. If you want wood shavings, it is safer to use aspen bedding.
Once you have picked the best bedding, make sure it is good quality. Fleece bedding is great, but if it is thin and does not soak up the wetness well, your pigs might end up with irritated skin and soggy bottoms. This goes for all types of bedding.
The bedding and the planet:
After you have picked guinea pig bedding that’s good for your pets, you might start thinking about the environment. How long does the bedding last? If you change it a lot, is it eco-friendly and without harmful chemicals? Or can you use a reusable option?
We all want to help the planet, and reducing your piggies’ environmental impact is an easy way to do it. Fleece bedding is excellent because you can use it many times instead of throwing it away every week. There are other eco-friendly bedding options for environmentally conscious caretakers, with fleece being the best.
Storing and cleaning up the bedding:
The last thing to think about for your guinea pig bedding is what happens to it before and after using it. If piggy parents buy much bedding to save money, finding a tidy place to store it can be a problem. This is especially true for aspen, pellet, and paper bedding. They take up much space and do not look great. So, before you get a huge bag of bedding, check where you are going to put it.
Top Guinea Pig Bedding Choices
A few of the many bedding options for guinea pigs have stayed popular because they’re excellent for cute pets or simplify cage cleaning. The top types are:
- Fleece bedding
- Aspen bedding
- Litter pellets
- Paper bedding
We have checked these bedding types closely and is the least practical for you.
Fleece bedding for guinea pigs
Kavee’s fleece liners are super soft and good for the environment. They have many layers that pull wetness away, keeping your pigs dry and comfy. The fleece is shaped to fit a C&C cage perfectly, so you do not have to worry about open corners. Your pigs are safe and happy with this fleece bedding.
Aspen bedding for guinea pigs
Wood shavings were the go-to bedding for guinea pigs before fleece liners became popular. While some piggy parents still use them, many switched to fleece bedding because wood shavings for guinea pigs can be:
It is unsafe, as even the tiny dust can cause breathing issues and infections in piggies. Only go for dust-extracted and kiln-dried bedding.
Toxic if made from cedar or pine, these contain harmful chemicals. So, aspen bedding is the safe choice.
Paper bedding for guinea pigs
Paper bedding for guinea pigs is an old choice that’s getting replaced by fleece bedding. You can buy it in pet shops, but not all paper bedding is equal. Some are thick or thin shreds, and there is also paper pulp. It is hard to figure out the best quality for our friends.
Litter pellets for guinea pigs’ bedding
Litter pellets are made from tough paper or wood pulp and are a common choice for guinea pig bedding because they absorb moisture well. However, they are not ideal for our little piggies’ paws. As we know, their feet are very sensitive, and the litter pellets can cause cuts and sores.
Guinea Pig Bedding Choices: Price Advice
Now that we have talked about the best bedding options for your guinea pigs and the ones most people like, there is one more thing piggy parents should know: how much guinea pig bedding costs.
To give you a good idea, we figured out the cost of bedding for guinea pigs in a 4×2 C&C cage, which is a popular cage, for a whole year. Our calculations assume you change your guinea pigs’ bedding every week during cage cleaning.
Bedding to Stay Away from Guinea Pigs
We discussed the bedding choices that many people like for guinea pigs, considering if they are good for cavies, their cost, and their impact on the environment. Fleece bedding is the best choice. However, what about the options you should never use for your piggies’ feet?
Some FAQs
What is the best bedding for guinea pigs?
The main options for guinea pig bedding include fleece cage liners, paper, cloth, and wood shavings. Fleece cage liners are becoming popular, especially for indoor guinea pigs.
What kind of bed does a guinea pig need?
Doughnut beds, hammocks, cuddle cups, little houses, caves, fleece snuggle sacks, and sleeping bags are popular choices. Guinea pigs enjoy enclosed and dark spaces for hiding.
What is the cheapest bedding for guinea pigs?
Shredded paper can be a cheap option but use ink-free or non-toxic printed paper. Avoid cedar or pine shavings, as their oils can harm your pets’ respiratory system.
What bedding absorbs guinea pig pee?
A good fleece liner should quickly absorb urine to keep guinea pigs dry. The liner should withstand washing machine cycles without falling apart, shrinking, or clogging.
