Guinea Pigs - Rodents with Attitude

There are many types of bedding on the market, and sometimes choosing the most appropriate bedding for you and your pets can be confusing. Bedding is one of the most important parts of care, and it may take some research and experimentation to find a bedding you like.

Fleece is known for being very soft and kind on paws. You can buy cheap fleece from mother and baby stores, fabric shops and markets and it comes in a variety of patterns and colours. In the same way as towels, fleece is ideal for use with recently neutered boars because it's so soft and comfortable.

Fleece used as bedding are very quick to change when cleaning out simply by swapping the soiled fleece for fresh fleece. You can then roll the soiled fleece up and shake it out in the garden before putting it through the washing machine. Bits of hay and poo should be removed before putting the fleece through the washer, or you may eventually clog up your washer and need to call the plumber. After washing animal bedding, always put your washing machine through an empty 90 degree cycle before washing your clothes, and clean under the rubber ring just inside the door.

Hay is a staple part of the daily diet as guinea pigs do not produce their own Vitamin C. If you decide to use it as bedding, you will need to buy a lot of hay to make sure you have enough to feed your guinea pigs and bed your hutch with.

Bags of hay are easy to find in pet shops and garden centres, while larger bales of hay can be found at wholesalers and equine suppliers. You'll need somewhere dry to store your hay if you're buying bales otherwise it'll go musty and mouldy quickly and you can end up wasting huge amounts of it.

Hay is best used over a layer of newspaper and with another type of bedding, such as Megazorb, woodshavings or hemp to soak up moisture and provide a soft layer. You will need to change loose hay every day as it becomes soiled very quickly when they play and sleep in it.

Hemp bedding is a natural product made from the core of hemp plants. Many people use it to bed horses on as hemp bedding is easy to buy in bulk, absorbs urine and water, and reduces odours.

However, when using a hemp product for guinea pigs you must be aware that some brands are treated with essential oils such as citronella (for a fresh smell) and eucalyptus (a decongestant). Guinea pigs do enjoy chewing their bedding, and as Eucalyptus oil in particular is poisonous to guinea pigs, any bedding containing this oil must never be used for bedding guinea pigs on. On the same note, it's not preferable to use bedding treated with citronella oil as this may cause harm to your pets if consumed.

The one hemp bedding product I have found that is safe to use is Aubiose, while products such as Hemcore and Bliss are treated with essential oils and therefore not suitable.

Megazorb is a dust extracted dried wood pulp that has been produced at a high temperature to remove mould, bacteria and moisture. Through experimenting with various bedding types I've found that Megazorb is far less dusty than woodshavings, but not quite as dust free as hemp bedding. However I did find that Megazorb is more absorbent than both hemp and woodshavings.

Most wholesalers stocking bedding for horses should sell bags of Megazorb, and an 85 litre (20kg) bag of Megazorb goes a long way, especially for people with a small to moderate number of guinea pigs.

Newspaper is the staple under layer for most other beddings, especially those that are loose such as hemp, woodshavings, and Megazorb. Used alone newspaper is a very sparse and unfriendly bedding choice, with nothing for warmth and little capability for absorbing moisture as it becomes damp and falls apart. Newspapers are cheap from corner shops, newsagents, supermarkets and petrol stations so can be used generously underneath another type of bedding.

Guinea pigs enjoy shredding and eating newspaper for amusement and for extra roughage in their diet. Some people recommend against using newspaper where the ink rubs off as there is speculation that the ink may be of harm when ingested, whereas others use newspaper with such ink without any problems. Newspaper with printed ink that does not rub off is the popular choice.

Shredded newspaper can create a fun place to tunnel and play and can be used in addition to other bedding options for extra warmth.

Perhaps a very good aspect to using newspaper as part of your routine is that you can read it and then recycle it by using it as bedding, thus getting an extra use out of your morning read!

Remember to remove all staples!

Straw is easy to find in bags and bales, is relatively cheap to buy and is bio-degradable so can be safely disposed of with the household rubbish.

When using straw as a bedding you will need to replace this one a day or once every two days as it will become quickly soiled. Straw is also not the warmest bedding option when used with newspaper as there is no layer of bedding to keep warmth in from underneath. Straw doesn't retain moisture so all water and urine will go straight through to the newspaper underneath, however when used in conjunction with a bedding such as hemp or Megazorb, moisture absorption is not an issue.

Guinea pigs are very low to the ground so they risk having their eyes poked by straw and causing themselves an injury. Some people believe a bedding of straw allows for better under-belly air circulation, and therefore a healthier coat on the belly.

Straw should never be used as a substitute for hay! Guinea pigs require hay in their diet and using straw as bedding does not mean you can do away with your hay supply!

Vetbed is a fleece-type bedding manufactured originally as a dog bedding and for veterinary use. There are many similar products on the market, but the original Vetbed has a distinctive green backing.

Although Vetbed is quite expensive to buy, if cared for well and washed frequently it can last for several years. You can buy Vetbed online or off the roll at some pet shops, garden centres or supplies wholesalers.

Vetbed is best used as a winter bedding for guinea pigs as it retains heat and provides a soft bedding for snuggling into. It's also suitable to bed sick or convalescing guinea pigs on, ideal for boars who have just been neutered, and a good alternative for guinea pigs (and owners) with repiratory problems or allergies.

When washing my Vetbed I remove as much debris from it as possible before putting it in the washing machine because, to my horror, I have clogged up my washing machine while washing Vetbed on more than one occasion! Although not a direct fault of the Vetbed itself, if you don't take care to remove as much debris as you can before washing, you could be calling the plumber!

You can remove debris by hanging your Vetbed from the washing line and beating it with a panel or large brush, or you can use a dog Slicka comb to gently remove debris without ripping out the pile. I wash my Vetbed on a 40 degree cycle. After washing animal bedding, always put your washing machine through an empty 90 degree cycle before washing your clothes, and clean under the rubber ring just inside the door.

Please also see my guide on how to cut Vetbed to size.

You can buy cheap towels and towel bales from department stores and supermarkets and they come in a huge variety of colours.

Towels are nice and soft under paws. Freshly neutered boars must be bedded on something soft to protect the wound and prevent discomfort from scratchy bedding, making towels an excellent choice.

Towels used as bedding are very quick to change when cleaning out simply by swapping the soiled towels for fresh ones. You can then roll the soiled towel up and shake it out in the garden before putting it through the washing machine. Bits of hay and poo should be removed before putting the towels through the washer, or you may eventually clog up your washer and need to call the plumber. After washing animal bedding, always put your washing machine through an empty 90 degree cycle before washing your clothes, and clean under the rubber ring just inside the door.

Woodshavings are a by-product of woodworking industries. The general hard or soft feel of the woodshavings usually depends on what type of wood those shavings were a by-product of. Therefore you can't always guarantee a bag or a bale of softer shavings. Also, don't confuse woodshavings with sawdust - these are two different things and sawdust is not used for bedding!

Compressed bales of woodshavings from pet shops and garden centres are usually good value for keepers of a small number of guinea pigs. For bigger numbers, large compressed horse-sized bales of woodshavings work out cheaper than buying several small or medium sized bales.

Guinea pigs as a species have a relationship with respiratory disease, and this can be aggravated by dust. Even the "dust extracted" bales have a level of dust that can aggravate.

Woodshavings get everywhere, especially during cleaning out. The flakes stick to clothes, carpet and furniture, and turn up in every corner.

The flakes of woodshavings often get stuck in the private areas of boars, this being very uncomfortable and potentially painful for them.

Never ever put a recently neutered boar on woodshavings. His wounds will be poked by the flakes, causing him pain and discomfort and possibly even infection.

Cardboard bedding is made from chopped up or shredded cardboard that has been dust extracted before packaging. Bedxcel, Finacard, and Ecobed (which is made from recycled cardboard) beddings are primarily used for bedding horses on and are cheap to buy in bulk, although both aren't the easiest beddings to find.

Cardboard bedding is soft for guinea pigs to walk and sleep on, and is also suitable to bed recently neutered boars on. They can eat the cardboard as extra roughage.