Bedding....

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jessblacow

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Hi
I am fast realising that guinea pigs ate unlike any pets I have ever had and also need their bedding changed a lot more than just once a week.

What are my options? What does everyone else do? I know a lot if people use fleece but I am opposed to this. Currently I line my cage with newspaper but have realised this is not a good idea as it becomes sodden. I then put guinea pig friendly sawdust on top and use paper shredding.

I am toying with the idea of just using paper shredding And sawdust and no newspaper, or maybe even just newspaper which I can change everyday. What do guinea pigs actually need and is bedding a requirement for them to stay warm etc? I haven't seen them nest particularly, not like my hamster does.

I have only ask because I have seen pictures which vary from no bedding at all, to being fully packed with sawdust and hay to fleece and it's all very confusing.

And what would my options be for keeping them warm in winter. They cannot live in the house as my husband is allergic. They live in the shed.
 
Hi :) Yes, guinea pigs do need some kind of bedding which needs to be changed regularly. Ideally something absorbent as a bottom layer - newspaper, puppy pads, etc. - with something else on top. As they are outdoor piggies then their bedding will be particularly important to keeping them warm in the winter.

I use layers of newspaper which are changed daily, with vetbed on top. Fleece and vetbed are certainly not for everyone though.

There are many different types of bedding available now. This link should give you some ideas: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/types-of-bedding-reviews-and-tips.53208/
If you are new to guinea pigs then perhaps you could experiment with a few different types of bedding to see which kind suits you best?
 
Amount of changes are dependent on size of cage or run & amount of piggies in it. The less piggies per square metre means the longer you can go between changes. I have 2 6x2 c&c runs for mine 2.16m x 0.72m. Using either Auboise (hemp based) or Raviera or Bliss (Oil Seed Rape Straw based) I get 6 to 7 days between full changes. I also spread a layer of hay on top of the base bedding as well as piles of it at one end. All these products are similar to shaving but without the bad effects.
 
piggyfan said:
I would never use shavings as they can cause allergies. Vetbed will keep piggies warm in winter. I love vetbed. It is very soft and cosy but fine in summer too.
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I've noticed you're a massive fan of vetbed. I've just had a look on dog product direct for prices and such, and I am thinking of investing!
Was just wondering how many do you have and how long do they last (do they survive the washing machine)? - Sorry if I'm butting in.
I use fleece at the moment, which I love, but my washing pile does get quite large!
 
gus+walter said:
I've noticed you're a massive fan of vetbed. I've just had a look on dog product direct for prices and such, and I am thinking of investing!
Was just wondering how many do you have and how long do they last (do they survive the washing machine)? - Sorry if I'm butting in.
I use fleece at the moment, which I love, but my washing pile does get quite large!
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I have three sets. Two are over a year old. It lasts ages. They wash very well. I wash them in horse wash bags to protect the washing machine. I wash them and the towels every three days.
 
I use a combination of Fitch and fleece. The Fitch truly is the best bedding I've come across. I realised today that I've not had to do a full clean on the pigs for 10days! I did do a spot clean & they have a litter tray with their hay in which needs spot cleaning as they do most wees and poos in there.

I love it & can't praise Fitch more. It's fantastic and thankfully, I don't need too much of it & managed to fit the used bedding from 2 cages in one bin bag! Lol.
 
Hey Jess, i use newspaper with vetbed over the top and i change the whole cage twice a week, but i do check most nights to see how they are wet wise just in case. the vet bed is a costly outlay, but once you have it it lasts for a long time and it washes well and dries very quick. Its the best thing i have used really.

I wouldnt use shavings and i found shredding is just flat as a pancake in no time due to wet and walking on it.

prior to vetbed i used aquaflex from dunelms which also washed and dried well but wasnt particularly warm in winter i dont think.

My pigs are indoor pigs though, i have never had them outside so cant really comment on that.
 
I changed to fleece for my C&C cage as I thought it was a lot of waste throwing out so much bedding all the time. Now I've only got litter (finacard) in the loft and in their litter tray down bottom, which I really like. Underneath the finacard in the loft I use puppy pad things.
 
I have had my guinea pigs 2 weeks now and despite extensive research i feel that i am still none the wiser :(
 
jessblacow said:
I have had my guinea pigs 2 weeks now and despite extensive research i feel that i am still none the wiser :(
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You'll get there hun. With bedding it's mostly trial and error, you can't really go too far wrong & you've got some great advice to start from :) x
 
Thanks. They are just so unlike any animals I have ever had. Don't get me wrong, i know it takes time and patience but I go on hol next week as well. I'm hoping that things will settle down after I get back for both me and the piggies!
 
Hi guys, can u answer some questions on fitch?

Is it soft on their feet?
What colour is it (weird q, but found back2nature quite poo colour so hard for spot cleaning as looked a bit like poo!)
How is the consistency?
Where in uk can you get it, is it expensive?

Sorry to crash thread, thinking about using fitch as sounds awesome :)
 
jessblacow said:
Thanks. They are just so unlike any animals I have ever had. Don't get me wrong, i know it takes time and patience but I go on hol next week as well. I'm hoping that things will settle down after I get back for both me and the piggies!
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It can feel like a lot to learn when you're getting started. I've had bunnies for years, but was new to piggies last year. You'll learn what works best for you & your piggies, & you'll learn what doesn't work. I'm still learning things now, but as long as you've got the basics, you'll be ok :)

They must have plenty of hay & that's what most will use for bedding, like a hamster would have a soft nest. They love to have places to hide in, so plenty of boxes, houses, igloos.. There are lots to choose from in pet shops & online :)

They'll also eat the hay & it will help keep their teeth nice & short.

In the winter, you'll need to make sure they have extra hay to hide in & you can get products like snuggle safes which you can heat up in the microwave. If you can cover the shed with any sort of insulation, that will help too :)

As for bedding, the paper alone won't be absorbant enough, especially if you want to do weekly changes. I use Fitch now, which lasted 10 days, with the odd spot clean. I've used woodshavings in the past, but found it got wet after a few days. There are lots to choose from & they all have their benefits really. I felt a bit overwhelmed trying to pick a new bedding.

Try not to stress too much over choices atm, you're doing great & everyone here is lovely & here to help x
 
newtoguineas said:
Hi guys, can u answer some questions on fitch?

Is it soft on their feet?
What colour is it (weird q, but found back2nature quite poo colour so hard for spot cleaning as looked a bit like poo!)
How is the consistency?
Where in uk can you get it, is it expensive?

Sorry to crash thread, thinking about using fitch as sounds awesome :)
Click to expand...

Yes, it's soft on their feet. It's very similar to Carefresh.

It's white, so very easy to spot poo! And it goes brown when it's been peed on a couple of times, but stays dry! So spot cleaning is a doddle.

I got a 20kg bale from Fitch Recycling (should come up on Google) for under £20 incl delivery via courier. I'm not even half way through the bale & have cleaned out the equivalent of 4 x 3x2 c&c cages, plus a large gerbilarium!

Hope that helps x
 
Wow that is so helpful, and fitch sounds like the dream bedding! thankyou mochamoo. loving this forum! :)
 
newtoguineas said:
Wow that is so helpful, and fitch sounds like the dream bedding! thankyou mochamoo. loving this forum! :)
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I've not found anything I don't like about it yet! Lol. With spot cleans, it lasted 10 days! Not like woodshavings which had to be cleaned no later than day 7 & it was horrid at that point :( 4 days after cleaning and it was nasty.

I am a convert, will never use anything else again! x
 
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