Do not trust a pet store employee to tell you what bedding is safest for guinea pigs (also called cavies.) Unless your vet specializes in guinea pigs, don’t trust the vet, either. Only people who have spent years or even decades with guinea pigs are the best sources for the best choices in guinea pig bedding. Unfortunately, that knowledge has not penetrated to the mainstream.
Keep in mind that guinea pigs will eat their bedding, so any bedding has to be safe to nibble on. It also has to be absorbent, because a guinea pig is going to have to stay for long hours in the same environment as the soiled bedding. Guinea pigs need a safe place outside of the cage to play and romp for at least one hour a day.
Definite No-Nos
Never use kitty litter, because the standard clay type will rip up a guinea pig’s tender feet and the scooping type is far too dusty for a guinea pig. Also, neither type is good for a guinea pig to eat. Since they are grazers, they will try to eat anything.
Never use wood shavings directly swept from your DIY project or even from the local limber mill UNLESS you can guarantee that all the pieces inside are small and soft. Any large pieces or splinters can do your cavy an injury.
Never use cedar wood shavings, even though many packages claim that the bedding is safe for guinea pigs. Most guinea pigs are allergic to cedar oil. You’ll know if they are allergic because they may develop sores on their body, may sneeze repeatedly and may have runny discharge from their eyes and nose.
Best Bets
Now that you know what to avoid, what about those guinea pig beddings that you should target? These include aspen wood shavings because guinea pigs are not allergic to aspen wood. Hay is also an adequate bedding, but it is an expensive one so it might not be a practical option for most guinea pig owners.
The late, great guinea pig author Peter Gurney described a system where he lay sheets of newspaper down and then layered a couple of inches of hay over top. When he needed to clean, he just rolled up the paper. Plain paper would be best, because some guinea pigs get ill from newspaper ink.
There are also pet beddings made of recycled paper products that work for guinea pigs. Since the cost of aspen wood shavings can be high, some guinea pig owners mix the recycled paper bedding in with the wood shavings.
Using old towels or other cloth material can work in an emergency, but they are not very absorbent and smell bad very quickly.
Is Pine Fine?
As late as the 1990s, pine bedding was considered the best wood bedding for guinea pigs. But many guinea pigs were either getting respiratory problems or mites. It took years to connect those problems with the bedding.
However, many guinea pig owners have had success with treated pine bedding known as “kiln dried.” This type of bedding lacks the oils that may cause respiratory problems and guinea pig mites.
References:
“The Proper Care of Guinea Pigs.” Peter Gurney. TFH; 1992.
“Guinea Pigs.” Nancy Ferris, et al. Bow Tie Press; 2005.
“The Guinea Pig Handbook.” Sharon L. Vanderlip, DVM. Barron’s; 2003.
Guinea Pig: Your Happy Healthy Pet, Second Edition.” Audrey Pavia. Howell Book House; 2005.
Author’s own experience.
