Need info

[deirdre]

Switching from pine chips to material bedding for my guinea pigs. I know I will have to poo pick and wash bedding. What do I provide for the
guinea pigs to pee in? I see owners use a tray for pee--but what materials do I fill it with?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Owners use trays for feeding hay, not specifically for pee.
You can put a tray in the cage, put a layer of something absorbent in the bottom such as shavings, a puppy pad, paper bedding etc and then put a pile of hay on top. Guinea pigs cannot be litter trained so they will not deliberately go to the tray to toilet and instead will continue to pee and poop all over the whole cage. They do tend to pee where they eat so by putting hay in a tray you will be able to catch some pee incidentally.
You need to ensure a good absorbent layer underneath your fleece bedding so that urine is wicked away and the fleece top remains dry.
It’s a good idea to use an additional smaller fleece pee pads under hides and in other high traffic areas as they can be changed out daily when they are wet. This means you may be able to get an additional couple of days before need to change the whole fleece (fleece bedding needing to be changed approximately every 3-5 days).

A Detailed Guide For Fleece Bedding

 

[Deleted member 148738]

I have puppy pads in my two cages they pee and poop anywhere they please

 

[Zorro1]

What do I provide for the guinea pigs to pee in? I see owners use a tray for pee--but what materials do I fill it with?

I use a tray for my piggy. I first bought it as a hay tray but when I realized he uses it as a toilet as well, I put some "paper pellets" in the tray. It's a specific natural product that is simply baked recycled paper that has been squashed into pellet form. It is highly absorbent, has no chemicals in it, neutralizes smell and you can buy it in a big packet. The picture of Cat litter and small animal bedding is the exact same product made out of recycled paper. I've used both.

I put the pellets down in the tray first and then put the hay on top.
I also use puppy pads in my pig's cage and I highly recommend them.

 

[JJW&Pigs]

Paper pellets are a good bottom layer, and then a bunch of hay on the top is great as they can eat AND poop! They cannot be fully litter trained, but I’ve noticed the decreased amount of poops ever since i started using a tray.

 

[Deleted member 148738]

This is our set up. The pad near the hay is where they pee and poop the most and the one that usually needs washing daily. I use reachable mats and they save a fortune. Initially I ised sawdust and the whole room smelt like a farm which I hated. Now it doesn't smell at all really unless it really needs a good clean

 

[Princess Dustmop]

My girls are on fleece. I use a layer of towels on the bottom with a layer of fleece on top. There isn't a designated piddle spot anymore than with litter (though they have their preferences). The fleece wicks the moisture away from the piggy, and the towels beneath absorb it. Some people like to have the absorptive layer built into their fleece liners, but we like the layered approach. (1. It was easy to make. 2. The fleece is easy to brush and shake hay and poo off of.) I don't use a hay tray; they just get handfuls of hay added in a pile.
I used to use CareFresh, but it tangled in Lexa's fur, got all over the room, and was getting pretty expensive (and with less quality control), so I switched. Both the girls and me are pleased with the switch.

 

[VickiA]

I use micro fibre noodle bath mats over puppy pads on the floor of the cage. And we have hay trays lined with newspaper, a layer of wood shavings and then a mountain of hay. Hay still gets dragged everywhere but the piggies love burrowing in it, eating it and pooping and peeing in it. But they do still pee and poop everywhere.

 

[Adelyn]

I use GuineaDad fleece liners. They only need to be washed once a week, and shook out once a day. Lots of pee and poop end up in the hay tray, but more gets all over the cage