Economic times are tough and cutting back every little bit really does help. If you have pets, then you’re aware that the costs of caring for them by providing food and necessities adds up. If you have a guinea pig or other rodent as a pet, then it is very easy to cut down on the costs by making your own guinea pig bedding.
As you already know, pet bedding costs an arm and a leg and is only good for a week or so at a time before you need to change it. Not providing your animal with bedding is certainly not an option. Guinea pigs need bedding to absorb their excrements and to give their sensitive feet something soft to move around on. Not to mention, it is bedding, which they curl up into when they sleep. Here is a way to stretch your dollars.
You will need to buy commercial bedding to use as your base. This is available at any pet supply store, as well as most supermarkets or discount stores like Wal-Mart and Target. I prefer CareFresh bedding. It is made of cellulose which is biodegradable and thus, eco-friendly. It also absorbs water and urine quite nicely, making cleanup quick and easy. A 10 liter bag of CareFresh retails at Petco from anywhere from $5.99 to $9.99.
When preparing your pet’s cage, I suggest that you line it with either an old towel or rag or some newspaper. When it is time to change the bedding, having this lining will allow you to lift up the waste and remove it all in one shot. Next you will need your commercial bedding as well as shredded paper. I use junk mail or old computer printouts that I no longer need and run them through my shredder. You can also use newspaper or magazine pages. If you do not have a shredder, you can tear the paper into long, thin strips or use a pair of scissors to do the same. I will also need some Timothy Hay. Timothy Hay is essential to a guinea pig’s diet. Whenever I feed it to my guinea pig, he purrs like crazy! It is fairly inexpensive–currently listed on Petco.com for $4.99 for a 24 oz. bag.
I mix equal parts of the commercial bedding with the recycled paper and line my pet’s cage. I think disperse small amounts of Timothy Hay on any part that looks barren. Your pet will eat up the hay and will possibly even eat the paper. This is perfectly healthy and quite common.
Guinea Pigs really like to have some place soft to lay and rest, or to hide their food. You can buy small couches at pet stores for them, but here is something just as easy and much cheaper. Take an old sock that has lost its mate and roll it into a ball. If desired, you can stuff it with shredded paper to give it extra cushion. Place it in the corner of your bed’s cage. You’ll soon notice he’ll investigate it and it will soon be his new sleeping spot!
