Sage-Tips

Do guinea pigs prefer fleece or sawdust?

Answer: Fleece smells better than regular shavings would because the poop can be regularly swept and cleared from the cage; the fleece will stay dry if you prep it properly. Any bedding will eventually start to smell. With my two boars, I washed the fleece and cleaned the cage about once every one to two weeks.

What is the best pet bedding for guinea pigs?

We recommend paper bedding, Aspen, or a blend of the two to those new to guinea pigs. Fleece also can be used but with fleece, you’ll notice guinea pigs’ poop more and need to sweep it (as well hay and other debris) off the fleece daily.

What is better for guinea pigs fleece or bedding?

Fleece is gentle on your guinea pig’s feet – As you know, guinea pigs have very sensitive feet and are prone to nasty diseases like bumblefoot. Fleece bedding is much gentler on your cavy’s feet, and perfect for snuggling into.

Can I use hay for guinea pig bedding?

Timothy hay: Timothy hay can make a good bedding for guinea pigs. In addition to being a natural food source, guinea pigs enjoy tunneling through it, making nests in it and just playing with it. Fresh timothy has a pleasant smell, and will absorb some urine. Fresh timothy hay bought direct, is the best.

Is hay good for guinea pig bedding?

Hay. There’s no escaping the fact that guinea pigs love the stuff. Hay is a great bedding choice as it encourages lots of natural behaviours. You can line the base of the cage/hutch with some layers of newspaper and then pile plenty of hay on top.

Can guinea pigs use sawdust bedding?

Sawdust is not good for rabbit and guinea pigs respiratory systems as the dust causes the lungs to clog up, causing breathing difficulty, sneezing and running noses. The best bedding for small animals is straw in the place they sleep and a shaving or woodchip anywhere else.

What is the cheapest bedding for guinea pigs?

Bedding is where I spend most of my guinea-pig dollars because we clean our cage at least once a week. The easiest bedding option is natural paper bedding. You can buy it in pet stores, big-box stores and even some grocery stores. However, I found that the cheapest place to get bedding is Amazon.

Can you put sawdust in guinea pig cage?

Sawdust is far too dusty for guinea pigs to live on and can make them very poorly. Sawdust can also cause allergies in the household as they are so dusty. Wood shavings were a popular choice of bedding and are still often recommended and used by pets shops.

Can you use hay for guinea pig bedding?

Can I use Fleece bedding for my guinea pigs?

IF you do not take proper care of a cage using fleece, it will turn into a disgusting and unhealthy mess for your guinea pigs faster than you can say ” whose turn is it to clean the cage!?” And for those two reasons, we do NOT recommend fleece as a bedding solution when the parents have given responsibility of cage cleaning to their children.

How to make a guinea pig’s cage more comfortable?

One of the ways to make your piggy friend comfortable, safe, and warm is by lining its cage with comfy beddings. The bedding you choose to use should be a thick lining, and you should change it frequently. Guinea pigs feet are delicate, and therefore you need to get bedding that is soft to protect this animal’s little and sensitive feet.

Is dust bad for guinea pigs bedding?

Dust is extremely bad for guinea pigs who have delicate respiratory systems so you should look for bedding that is labelled “dust extracted” or “low dust”. If you use one that is dusty, it may well result in expensive vet bills if they get an upper respiratory tract infection – something that is very common in guinea pigs.

Is cedar or pine bedding better for guinea pigs?

Sure, cedar and pine bedding have that fresh, natural forest smell to it. But contrary to popular belief, “natural” is not always good. Many new guinea pig parents purchase cedar and pine bedding because they are cheap and readily available. They also realize that wood shavings are effective at masking guinea pig’s urine odor.