Bedding And Housing Confusion

[Jessythecowgirl]

Hello i am a new guinea pig owner and have purchased a zoo zone large cage for my two guinea pigs , hiccup and polo, i think this cage is too small for them and they need a bigger i have looked in many pet shops and have been unsuccessful in finding big enough i wanted to know if a c&c cage is better .

I am also using wood shavings for the bedding but i have been told it hurts their feet and gives them breathing problems so i was wondering if fleece was a better option if so how do you use it ? Do you put towels underneath it? Or do you put newspaper underneath it? Do i need a special fleece or can i just use a 100% polyester blanket?

 

[Jess]

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/forums/housing-and-enrichment.9/

Check out the threads

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! A 2x4ft/120x60cm cage is the minimum recommendation by the RSPCA, so your cage is presumably not too small. Don't panic - your current cage will keep until you have done your research!

I have C&C grid cages, too; they allow you much more freedom to adapt them to your own space needs and you can extend them, divide them or add another story at any time! Traditional cages can be better of you have got other pets like cats, dogs or rats.

If you are not keen on fleece, there are alternatives to wood shavings. I use fleece (and yes, a simple 100% polyester or acrylyc bed throw or baby blanket will do. Be aware that some fleeces wick fluids away better than others and some fleeces have a much nicer feel). For most of my big pens, I use towels, but for the sleeping areas I use water proof mattress protectors that have been cut to size; some people use puppy pads instead. For my hay trays (which also have their toilet corners) I use newspaper for easy cleaning at the bottom, then an absorbent layer, which also absorbs the smell of urine. That is covered by hay on top. But then I have several groups of piggies, which I couldn't keep indoors otherwise! Nor can I change all hay trays twice daily!

Have a good snoop around our housing section. There is no ideal bedding; each has its own advantages and disadvantages. You sometimes have to find out by trial and error what suits you and your piggies best.

 

[Stewybus]

Lots of people use shavings & I don't use them often. I've just adopted 2 sows 3 weeks ago & they were used to shavings & came with an almost full bag of shavings. I used it in the same way that I use other types of bedding such as megazorb or Hemcore/Auboise which they're on now. I put newspapers down first then a layer of approx 10mm to 15mm deep layer of Hemcore covered with a thin layer of hay.

Of all the bedding materials I've used, I now 100% recommend Auboise or Hemcore. They're almost the same but the latter is usually cheaper. It's got a similar consistency to rough wood shavings but is made for the core of the hemp plant. I cover it with hay & this lasts for a week between changes with a little spot cleaning. Dead easy to clean out especially if you put full newspapers opened out beneath it.