NOTE: Newly acquired bedding must be DRY. Wet bedding can easily mold and cause unnecessary health risks for your guinea pig. Also check for any non-belonging items and throw them away.
Various materials can be used for bedding: wood, paper, hay, towels, etc. Owner chooses optimal bedding based on cage arrangement, cost, available time, and information learned from the Guinea Pig Manual.
3.1 Wood products
- Aspen shavings: more expensive than pine shavings, possibly more difficult to find. Primal decision factor: Aspen shavings are without volatile OILS.
- Pine shavings: economical bedding material. Primal decision factor: Pine shavings contain volatile oils, for which some owners believe that may harm the guinea pig’s liver or respiratory system when using for a prolonged period of time. It is recommended to open the shavings’ bag and disperse the shavings in some open container – after several days volatile oils should dissipate. If the pine smell is strong, then there is a considerable amount of volatile oils still present.
- Wood pellets: economical bedding material, but more difficult to obtain. The good: odor preventing and easiness of use. The bad: it is possible that pellets are hard to walk on for a guinea pig. It is recommended to use another bedding material in complement to make walking more comfortable.
3.2 Hay
Economical natural product. Not recommended to use as the only bedding material (not absorbent and requires everyday removal/replacement).
3.3 Cotton cloth, cotton fleece, towels
Absorbent, soft, reusable. May require daily cleaning or replacement.
3.4 Polyester fleece
Soft, allows fluids to drain through, reusable. Not absorbent. May require daily cleaning or replacement.
3.5 Paper
Economical, available, absorbent and provides warm flooring background for other complement bedding materials (like shavings). It makes cleaning easier (owner can just roll up the bedding and throw it away). Owner could be concerned about printed ink toxicity.
3.6 Material Combining
Described bedding materials can be combined into quality bedding for a guinea pig. For example:
- 1st layer – paper for warmer flooring and easier cleaning
- 2nd layer – shavings for absorption and softness
- 3rd layer – hay for burrowing, sleeping arrangements, eating and to prevent shavings from flying around
3.7 BEDDINGS TO AVOID
- Cedar: possible negative affect on health because of the contained aromatic oils. Could cause harm to the guinea pig’s respiratory tract and liver
- Corncob: does not eliminate odors and it has a high tendency to mold. Not suitable for walking on because it is hard on guinea pig’s feet. Guinea pig can also eat corn cobs, which swell in digestive tract when wet and cause blockages. It is possible that corn cob bedding contributes to impaction problems in males
- Straw: non absorbent and can mold easily. Risk of serious injuries because of the stiffness.
- Sawdust: fine particles could be inhaled and cause problems to guinea pig’s respiratory system
- Plastic wire floors: Risk of injuries