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LITTER/BEDDING

Whether housed indoors or out the bedding requirements for guinea pigs is the same:

An absorbent litter to soak up urine, something suitable to shelter under for warmth and security. Something like an upturned cardboard box with a door cut into it, a wooden log roll, plastic igloo or similar from a pet shop. Do NOT use hay, as this is the primary source of mites and fungal spores, which cause no end of distress and illness. If you want to give your piggies something to burrow into and/or snuggle under, you could use shredded paper or scrunched up newspaper. The most important factor is cleanliness and freedom from damp.

Some people put a layer of newspaper on the floor of the hutch / cage before adding litter. This is purely a matter of personal preference. Some people find it makes cleaning out easier, others feel it simply adds another item to be cleaned out. Newspaper is in itself, absorbent and may help to draw moisture downwards away from the surface. Some owners of very longhaired cavies in particular keep them on newspaper alone as shavings or other loose litters tend to tangle into the coat. This is absolutely fine as long as the newspaper is changed VERY regularly (perhaps twice a day).

LITTER

Most people use a simple 1-2cm layer of woodshavings (NOT sawdust as it is too fine and will irritate eyes and lungs). The shavings must be softwood and definitely not cedarwood as this can be very harmful. It is best to use proper shavings sold especially for animal bedding as those gathered from a sawmill or timber merchant for instance will not be dust extracted and may contain splinters and pieces of unsuitable woods.

Options that are preferable to woodshavings are:

Shredded paper. This is fine and of course very cheap. but it is essential to ensure that it doesn't contain any staples or other sharp objects or pieces of plastic / cellophane such as from window envelopes.

Pulp based bedding. This is more expensive than shavings but is very absorbent and biodegradable. Two products of this type are Carefresh (sold in most petshops) and Megazorb (available in large sacks from some equine supplies outlets).

Hemp based bedding such as Aubiose (available in large bales from equine and some larger pet supplies outlets) This is less dusty than shavings and seems to allow liquid to drain through, remaining dry on the top. A good layer of newspaper or other more absorbent material is best used underneath a layer of hemp chippings.

Cat litter. there are many types of cat litter - all of which are very absorbent. Some cavies may have a tendency to nibble some types of cat litter so a little experimentation and close supervision may be need to find the right one for your pets.

At Cavy Haven we use either wood pellet cat litter or a mixture of approximately 1 part Megazorb and 2 parts Aubiose, mixed together to form a layer approximately 1cm deep. We find that either of these work extremely well for us but the whole issue of bedding is very much down to personal taste and what works best for you and your pets.

Whatever litter you choose, the most important thing is to keep it clean and dry. The frequency of cleaning out will vary according to how much fresh food your guinea pigs eat, how much time they spend in their hutch, and of course, how much liquid they ingest (either directly from water bottles or from fresh vegetables and fruit with a high water content).

BEDDING

Because of the huge risk to the animals' health from microscopic occupants of the hay, do NOT use hay as bedding. Instead, a ready supply for eating should be maintained using a hayrack or wire container. This gives the pigs ready access to the hay to eat, but doesn't allow them to sleep in it.

Guinea Pigs do not actually need a bed as such, but they do like to feel secure. In cold weather their best source of warmth comes from snuggling together. If you want to provide something for them to snuggle into/under, then you could use an upturned cardboard box with a "door" cut in it, wooden houses or plastic igloos from a pet shop, or scrunched up newspaper, a fluffed up towel or a pile of shredded paper. Whatever you use must be kept clean.

STRAW

Farm Straw is very definitely NOT suitable for use as guinea pig bedding. It can be very sharp and therefore poses a significant risk of serious injury, particularly to the eyes. The animals will tend to eat it but it holds very little nutritional value, so, as it is tough to digest it will go some way to satisfying the appetite and therefore reduce the intake of other foods. This, could potentially lead to malnutrition.

Some people do use soft chopped straw as a bedding material - this is OK (but still not recommended) as long as a plentiful supply of hay and other foods are provided as well.

At Cavy Haven we do not recommend the use of straw at all - it does not serve any useful purpose and it just means an extra item to store and clean out.