Best bedding
By starjmom
@starjmom (88)
United States
September 5, 2008 4:20pm CST
I adopted a little piggie this summer and would like to know from all of you experts out there, what is the best type of bedding? I really like the carefresh but it is soooooooo expensive!! I've used the wood shavings but they get everywhere! Plus my piggie is longhair so when I take her out of the cage it sticks all over her!!
6 responses
@fluffnflowers (1594)
• United States
6 Sep 08
I've tried a bunch of stuff, but I've finally settled on shredded newspaper. I get the unprinted 'leftovers' from the newspaper office (prevents black piggie bottoms!), shred them up, and put down a layer. Then I cover that with an unshredded layer, and dump more shreddings on top since one of mine likes to burrow.
I did use Carefresh for awhile, and you can get it cheaper if you buy it in large amounts.
@starjmom (88)
• United States
6 Sep 08
Someone else had mentioned to me about shredded newpaper, it certainly is economical! I have also started using puppy training pads as the underneath layer since they seem to be very absorbant. When I run out of the stuff I have I will try the newspaper. By the way, how often do you change your cage? I clean it daily but usually change it at least 2x week.
@fluffnflowers (1594)
• United States
7 Sep 08
I change mine whenever it needs it. 
I have two piggies and a pretty spacious setup, so it only needs to be completely changed every 5-6 days. High use areas get scooped and replaced every 2-ish days or whenever they need to be.
I have two piggies and a pretty spacious setup, so it only needs to be completely changed every 5-6 days. High use areas get scooped and replaced every 2-ish days or whenever they need to be.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
8 Sep 08
It seems like you'd have to change that frequently to avoid getting their paws poopie as that doesn't sound very absorbent. Plus the straw and the hay could get mixed together and while eating straw isn't necessarily harmful, they're not able to digest it due to the lignin content.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
8 Sep 08
I used to use CareFresh but I also found it to be too expensive. Now I use Thoroughbed kiln dried pine shavings (don't use pine that isn't kiln dried, due to the phenols).
I've also tried Yesterday's News and a similar but cheaper brand of recycled paper bedding pellets. And those wouldn't stick as much on long haired piggies.
But with the kiln dried pine, if you're using a cubes and coroplast cage try raising the sides a bit. I made mine with 6 inch high walls (and then cubes on the outside to 14 inches) typically but sometimes now I make them with 8 inch high coroplast sides so that the bedding can't be kicked out so easily. See www.guineapigcages.com for information on how to make these.
@Draco04 (24)
• United States
10 Sep 08
I use to use kiln dried pine. I would buy in in feed store. I find that was the best and the heathiest for all my animals. There are many kinds of paper shaving out there. You just have to type it in sewrch box. I did that and pulled up many different sites that sell it.
@Cheryl_A (40)
• United States
24 May 09
I think bedding like carefresh is bestbut I buy Kaytee brand bedding.It's pretty much the same thing and I think it has less dust in it.
I will not use pine shavings or anything like that. Any pet will ingest at least a little bit of whatever bedding you use so make sure you are using something safe that's non toxic and won't become impacted in their digestive tract or anything.
@RoryGilmore669 (13)
• United States
10 Sep 09
pine chips are the best, do not use cedar... cedar has big chunks of wood in it that can harm the piggies
