Shredding?

[Gareth Nelson]

Hello

Can anybody tell me, excuse me if I'm being thick, but do guinea pigs like shredded paper as bedding/housing material.

I'm trying to think of recycling but I wasn't sure and I thought I'd ask before I did anything daft.

I'm thinking of the inks on general printed paper?

Thank you for your help in advance.

 

[Ryli]

I keep stuff for shredding for the piggies bedding ....... bit of a rythm me thinks !!

anyway yeah I only shredd like normal paper not the glossing stuff, don't use it much in the summer but have heaps to shredd ready for the winter

 

[MrsM]

I shred paper and mags to put between newspaper and fleece. Makes it more bouncy and more absorbent.

 

[Gareth Nelson]

I suppose that if they aren't supposed to eat it then they probably wont. I can get a ready supply from the local school so it will all be laser jet printed rough paper anyway. Thanks guys...

 

[MrsM]

I can get a ready supply from the local school

Watch out for staples! Can you garantee that there won't be any? I asked my previous school and they said NO because of staples.

 

[nutmeg]

I suppose that if they aren't supposed to eat it then they probably wont. I can get a ready supply from the local school so it will all be laser jet printed rough paper anyway. Thanks guys...

I think you have to know what sort of ink is used. Some pigs will nibble, some will eat, so you have to be sure the ink is safe. The ink used in newspaper is ok. Lots of people use that, but don't know about ink cartridges used in computer printers. xx

 

[Bullseye]

mine love a bit of shredded paper but not if its gone through a cross cut shredder

just the long strips

they even wear it

 

[amy104]

Its great in winter because mine don't eat it. If I give them a hay bed then for some reason they ignore their hayrack and eat their bed instead!

 

[lizzie_71]

I tried shredded paper from my office, but my boys just scoffed the lot

I wasn't sure how healthy it was for them, what with the printer ink etc, so I stopped using it. But if people think it's OK I may go back to it as it's free, unlike hay

 

[Gareth Nelson]

I've got a contact that is at work at a school through the holiday, poor lass, so I'll double check with these questions. I guess that I'm best trying them with a little bit first and seeing how they get on with it. I'll keep you all posted. Thanks everyone for the good advice.

 

[Porky Pig]

addional question ... sorry

I've been reading this helpful thread on shredded paper bedding, but I have an additional (stupid?) question:-

For those of you who use shredded paper as bedding, do you first put a layer underneath, e.g., woodshavings / carefresh? Or is it all just lots and lots of shredded paper? Does it absorb wee and wee smells well? How often do you change or replenish the shredded paper?

And, finally, is it ok to put the soiled shredded paper in the paper recycling box?

 

[Abby'sMom]

I can't answer all of your questions, as i've never used it. But i am Sure that you shouldnt try to "Recycle" in in a recycled paper box...it has wee and feces on it now.

 

[Black Jack]

I was the victim of identity theft a couple of years ago so invested in a personal shredder for home. I shred all my documents and letters that I no longer need and use it in the Winter months in the GP hutch - very warm and best of all it's free!

If anyone's worried about the ink on paper being poisonous, I read in one of Peter Gurney's books that even newspaper ink is not harmful these days. Apparently all the harmful ink has been banned as it was obviously harmful to humans too so had to be stopped.

 

[Briony_S]

you can use shreaded newspaper and paper which has not been printed on with ink from an inkjet printer as far as I am aware. However the ink in inkjet printers is carsonagenic (sorry if I spelt it wrong) to humans (can cause cancer if contact made with skin). You are supposed to use gloves when refilling cartridges etc.. so I wouldn't want that ink near my piggies incase they eat it.