Guinea pig bedding. Please help

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Kellys

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Hi my daughter has two guinea pigs. Please can someone tell me what’s best to use as bedding? We used straw bedding, currently use a towel but they stink. I read to use fleece bedding? Can I buy a general bed fleece from a shop and use that? Will they bury under it? Please help they live in her room and they are her lifeeee 🤣
 
Kellys said:
Hi my daughter has two guinea pigs. Please can someone tell me what’s best to use as bedding? We used straw bedding, currently use a towel but they stink. I read to use fleece bedding? Can I buy a general bed fleece from a shop and use that? Will they bury under it? Please help they live in her room and they are her lifeeee 🤣
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Hi, straw should not be used for guinea pigs.I use puppy pads for the absorbent layer with vet bed on the top.I did used to use fleece blankets but prefer vet bed.If you buy them new you need to wash them 1st and don't use fabric conditioner as they won't wick the wee otherwise 🙂
 
We have 3 (very messy) boars and use bath mats as main bedding. We have found them to work very well and be very durable!
The bathmats will however need brushed off daily and washed every week at least (maybe more if you think they need it).
We also use soft hay inside hides and to cover areas in the cage that aren’t quite covered by the bathmats.
 
Gem789 said:
Hi, straw should not be used for guinea pigs.I use puppy pads for the absorbent layer with vet bed on the top.I did used to use fleece blankets but prefer vet bed.If you buy them new you need to wash them 1st and don't use fabric conditioner as they won't wick the wee otherwise 🙂
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Hi thank you so much for your advice. I’m definitely still learning and taking all the advice I can. I’m going to look in to the vet bed now thank you!
 
SeijiBrinandtheTwins said:
We have 3 (very messy) boars and use bath mats as main bedding. We have found them to work very well and be very durable!
The bathmats will however need brushed off daily and washed every week at least (maybe more if you think they need it).
We also use soft hay inside hides and to cover areas in the cage that aren’t quite covered by the bathmats.
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Hiya oh they are so messy, I don’t mind putting in the work of cleaning them it’s just the smell I can’t handle 🤣 Is there a certain bath mat you used? Don’t want there feet getting caught on it, would they ever try go underneath it and get stuck?
 
Kellys said:
Hi thank you so much for your advice. I’m definitely still learning and taking all the advice I can. I’m going to look in to the vet bed now thank you!
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Vet bed is much cheaper on eBay etc.I bought from pets at home in the past when my vet recommended vet bed for my boar who had arthritis and it wasn't cheap and started buying from other places after that.
 
I don’t know how too link the guide, but the forum has a guide on bedding, its in the housing and enrichment part.
 
I use puppy pads as the bottom layer followed by fleece and noodle bath mats. The bath mats are great as it's easy to pick them up and shake the mess into the bin, much better than trying to get hay off the fleece and they dry very quickly.
 
I use waterproof fleeces as a base and have bobble bath mats and fleece pee pads. I check the top mats/pee pads every day when I spot clean and change them every day or two. The bottom fleece gets changed once a week. I have a sweeping brush with rubber bristles to brush the mats and fleece. I wash everything from the cage in a pet wash bag, put extra water in the machine and use an eco egg with white vinegar in the conditioner drawer. I have 2 boars and I have honest friends who agree that the only smell is from the hay. I use several small fleeces instead of one cage sized one for various reasons. I got my waterproof fleeces from Amazon. If you look on there, don't get the cheapest ones as they are rubbish. I don't know how to link but I've attached photos of them. When looking at the cost it is a certain amount of outlay but most of mine are a year old and still perfect.Screenshot_2023-10-26-16-36-13-46_b5f6883d2c20a96c53babc0b4ac88108.webpScreenshot_2023-10-26-16-34-24-38_b5f6883d2c20a96c53babc0b4ac88108.webp
 
I use a mix of whatever's available to me at the time - fleece, wood shavings, Back2Nature which is paper pellets and currently it's Megazorb. Megazorb is great but it loves finding its way into the water bowl and it has a natural smell to it that can be kind of off-putting. Back2Nature is probably the most absorbent bedding I've ever used, those pellets will hold a lot.
 
Lorcan said:
fluffysal said:
I use waterproof fleeces as a base and have bobble bath mats and fleece pee pads. I check the top mats/pee pads every day when I spot clean and change them every day or two. The bottom fleece gets changed once a week. I have a sweeping brush with rubber bristles to brush the mats and fleece. I wash everything from the cage in a pet wash bag, put extra water in the machine and use an eco egg with white vinegar in the conditioner drawer. I have 2 boars and I have honest friends who agree that the only smell is from the hay. I use several small fleeces instead of one cage sized one for various reasons. I got my waterproof fleeces from Amazon. If you look on there, don't get the cheapest ones as they are rubbish. I don't know how to link but I've attached photos of them. When looking at the cost it is a certain amount of outlay but most of mine are a year old and still perfect.View attachment 239935View attachment 239936
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Thank you so much!
I use a mix of whatever's available to me at the time - fleece, wood shavings, Back2Nature which is paper pellets and currently it's Megazorb. Megazorb is great but it loves finding its way into the water bowl and it has a natural smell to it that can be kind of off-putting. Back2Nature is probably the most absorbent bedding I've ever used, those pellets will hold a lot.
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Thankyou for your advice!
 
Posyrose said:
I use puppy pads as the bottom layer followed by fleece and noodle bath mats. The bath mats are great as it's easy to pick them up and shake the mess into the bin, much better than trying to get hay off the fleece and they dry very quickly.
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Thank you so much!
 
When people say ‘fleece bedding’. It is a little misleading for new owners. What people use is a specially made liner consisting of a fleece top and bottom (or a waterproof bottom) with an absorbent layer sandwiched in the middle. Some people do use just the fleece but it has to have towels, puppy mats or some other absorbent layer underneath.
In my experience they only start to smell when the fleece is due to be cleaned (once per week for mine). Though it does depend on the age of your pigs, the cage size and whether they are male or female.
 
Gem789 said:
Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview
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Lorcan said:
Thread 'Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview' Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview

Also the bedding guide, sorry I missed it earlier
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Thank you!
Pantalaimon said:
When people say ‘fleece bedding’. It is a little misleading for new owners. What people use is a specially made liner consisting of a fleece top and bottom (or a waterproof bottom) with an absorbent layer sandwiched in the middle. Some people do use just the fleece but it has to have towels, puppy mats or some other absorbent layer underneath.
In my experience they only start to smell when the fleece is due to be cleaned (once per week for mine). Though it does depend on the age of your pigs, the cage size and whether they are male or female.
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Hello and welcome to the forum.

I use specially made fleece liners. They are amazing. Then on top of that I use bobble bath mats as “pee pads”. These pads are then changed every two days and the main liners once a week. My boys never smell. Good luck I hope you can fine a solution that works for you.

Bobble mats (I got mine from Home Bargains and cut them in half).

IMG_3767.webp

Pictures of your gorgeous piggies please. 🥰
 
Kellys said:
Hiya oh they are so messy, I don’t mind putting in the work of cleaning them it’s just the smell I can’t handle 🤣 Is there a certain bath mat you used? Don’t want there feet getting caught on it, would they ever try go underneath it and get stuck?
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We just use run of the mill bobble bath mats and as they are reasonably heavy our piggies don’t tend to burrow underneath them.
Although they do occasionally flick up a corner of the bathmat if I’m a couple of minutes late for pea flake time! 🤣
 
My girls have fleece over towels. I put unprinted newsprint on the bottom to ease clean up; the girls think its fun to rip up the paper, but they usually leave me enough paper to collect and discard the debris. I use a silicone curry comb to brush the debris (hay bits and fur) off of the fleece and towels.

Do they burrow under the fleece? Latte does. No chance in her getting stuck, though. Latte specializes in cage rearrangement ... Her mini mats are not pee pads, they are toys, as is her bendy bridge/cradle. This is understood amongst all parties; we made the mini mats with the intent of them being played with.
9DD500F9-B53A-4195-9D45-9265B7B1878F.webp
 
Oh, and in terms of smell:
I clean their cages 1-3 times a week depending on the weather/season. (3 = damp/humid and/or really hot). I toss the fleeces and towels in a bag/bin next to the cages after changing to be washed when I have a couple to wash together, and I have had no issues with smell from the cages or waiting fleece/towels. My girls aren't huge into marking/scenting, so that helps.
If your piggies tend to scent mark a lot, be aware that you may be cleaning too much ... try leaving something that has some scent in the cage, so they don't feel the need to remark as much.
Other than that, make sure you're taking any wet hay out, as that can be stinky.
 
I agree, I fully changed fleece in the penthouse yesterday, basement floor is 3/4 days after. Just normal bath mats some from Tesco and some from home bargains. If they have any beds or hideys that are made of fabric they get washed too as they usually get used as a potty. My boys love a hammock and Mischievous Master Boris poops when sleeping, I have 6 so there's always a clean one for Dignified Sir George.IMG20240120141120.webpIMG_20231219_160653.webp
 
I totally get the dignified piggy. That's Lexa! She's a princess (Princess Dustmop, to be precise.) She sleeps and sits on top of her bendy bridge/throne so her fur doesn't drag or get mussed. One of my previous pairs was also a bit of an Oscar and Felix, but Lexa is even more fastidious. The other day I was going to scoop her cage but got pulled away for a bit, and when I went back to scoop, she had consolidated her poo and put most of it in her bowl for removal. (Yes, I'm sure it was intentional. She's that type of piggy.)
 
That's brilliant, I'll have to show Sir George that post. He earned the dignified title because he is also fastidious about his toileting. It always makes me smile when I spot clean the palace and hay tray because his poops are ALWAYS in neat piles whereas Mischievous Master Boris poops everywhere including in the hammocks. I have witnessed several occasions when Sir George has climbed in a hammock and come straight back out. He then will groom for ages. When I check it's guaranteed I'll find that his boisterous companion has pooped in there much to his obvious disgust.
 
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