Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview

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I've been using Aubiose and its great - soft and absorbent. But recently moved and now can't find any locally (delivery too expensive). Local horse stores believed Aubiose has stopped being manufactured. But anyway, I've started using rapeseed based Equinola and wondered if anyone has any experience with it. It seems slightly less soft than Aubiose but also less dusty.
 
I have always used shavings....and touch wood, never had a problem.
With that said i am switching to fleece, which I'm hoping will obviously reduce cleaning times as it takes me a good couple of hours to get piggies out, empty, sweep up, clean and wash down, dry etc On colder days i use my dads hot air gun to dry the hutches out.
In summer its fairly easy to put pigs in run and get on with it, but with the weather turning a bit temperamental fleece will help hugely!
With regards to the wash bags, if a pillow case isnt big enough, what about a childs single duvet cover? Put a zip on end and voila.... :)
There is a lady locally to me who makes and sells a wide variety of fleece items, ranging from waterproof lap pads, cage liners, cozy hideouts etc aswel as the wash bags, bottles,and more. She has a facebook page called snoozie's cozies, and all mine love their cozies....and she ships worldwide as far as i know
 
Aubiose is great and very absorbent but is in no way soft, after a few weeks by boys feet got noticeably more red... This was very easily fixed when putting a soft layer over the aubiose. I used easibed which was great as a top layer, very soft.
Changed easibed every 3 days and aubiose every 5-7.
 
Hannah Boyd said:
I've been using Aubiose and its great - soft and absorbent. But recently moved and now can't find any locally (delivery too expensive). Local horse stores believed Aubiose has stopped being manufactured. But anyway, I've started using rapeseed based Equinola and wondered if anyone has any experience with it. It seems slightly less soft than Aubiose but also less dusty.
Click to expand...

If you want to go back to Aubiose you can order from here:

AUBIOSE HEMP BEDDING 20KG AUBIOSE HORSE BEDDING Horse Bedding | GJW Titmuss
 
lawz said:
I have always used shavings....and touch wood, never had a problem.
With that said i am switching to fleece, which I'm hoping will obviously reduce cleaning times as it takes me a good couple of hours to get piggies out, empty, sweep up, clean and wash down, dry etc On colder days i use my dads hot air gun to dry the hutches out.
In summer its fairly easy to put pigs in run and get on with it, but with the weather turning a bit temperamental fleece will help hugely!
With regards to the wash bags, if a pillow case isnt big enough, what about a childs single duvet cover? Put a zip on end and voila.... :)
There is a lady locally to me who makes and sells a wide variety of fleece items, ranging from waterproof lap pads, cage liners, cozy hideouts etc aswel as the wash bags, bottles,and more. She has a facebook page called snoozie's cozies, and all mine love their cozies....and she ships worldwide as far as i know
Click to expand...

I know the feeling! It used to take around 4-5hrs to do it all when I had cages but now I have C&C cages and fleece it takes about 1hr...although it takes about 5-10m every day with the hand vacuum to scoop up the poops and (irritating) hay and bedding on the fleece. Sometimes I really can't be bothered and leave it for 2 days but then it takes longer to clean and I can use up the charge on the hand vacuum! I have recently started to consider giving some of my piggies up as the maintenance is getting to me and they don't really give their value worth like a cat/dog would.

All my friends comment about 'What can you do with them?', and I would make excuses but they reality is 'Not much!' ..and since I'm not a housewife or woman with kids like most of you on here seem to be with all that time to waste, I feel like I am wasting my life looking after them not able to go on holidays or weekends away for more than 1 day as I only have 1 friend to look after them sometimes.

I am literally waiting for them to die and I will never have pets again (I was a 1st time pet owner) as I feel too sorry, sad and upset for them locked up in a cage. :(
 
Aaah @PiggyOinkOink .
Dont give them up. Yes theyre pretty shy animals and some would probably agree that theyre not as rewarding as some pets and my lot can be shy and wont allow me to stroke them unless i pick them up, but you know what i still love them. I love their quierky personalities, the way theyre so vocal and generally how cute they are.
I could never give them up..theres just something about them.
Re the fleece dad has to take the dirty bedding to tip most weeks otherwise our bins get full qhichbis another reasonnim switching to fleece as will cut down on petrol costs and waiting time at tip.
There are plenty of pet sitters who come to home to look after animals or you board them at their place, and although thats a cost dependingnom how much it is the way i see it is its a small price to allow you some freedom.
To me its not about what you can do with a pet that makes them worth having but what they can do for you.
I got my 2 rabbits as way for me to destress and focus on something other then my depression. And then dad allowed me to get piggies too and i love them all equally. Yes I'm 33 andblive with dad surrounded by my 2 rabbits, 8 piggiez, 2 budgies, 20 odd fish and a dog and some say I'm crazy....but all them combined have prevented me from going crazy...literally! Andbi wouldnt have it any other way :)
You have to do what you feel is right though.
 
PiggyOinkOink said:
I know the feeling! It used to take around 4-5hrs to do it all when I had cages but now I have C&C cages and fleece it takes about 1hr...although it takes about 5-10m every day with the hand vacuum to scoop up the poops and (irritating) hay and bedding on the fleece. Sometimes I really can't be bothered and leave it for 2 days but then it takes longer to clean and I can use up the charge on the hand vacuum! I have recently started to consider giving some of my piggies up as the maintenance is getting to me and they don't really give their value worth like a cat/dog would.

All my friends comment about 'What can you do with them?', and I would make excuses but they reality is 'Not much!' ..and since I'm not a housewife or woman with kids like most of you on here seem to be with all that time to waste, I feel like I am wasting my life looking after them not able to go on holidays or weekends away for more than 1 day as I only have 1 friend to look after them sometimes.

I am literally waiting for them to die and I will never have pets again (I was a 1st time pet owner) as I feel too sorry, sad and upset for them locked up in a cage. :(
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Instead of waiting for them to die, why don't you rehome them with someone who will enjoy them.
 
The highlight of my day is sitting down for an hour to feed the piggies and catching a bit of lap or cuddle time. If they are a chore and you just see them as a financial drain then you have two options. You either rehome them or you decide to change your outlook on them and keep them. Don't soldier on looking after them and being negative as the resentment will build stronger.

Maybe you need to remember what fun they can be. I sat and watched mine charge about this evening because I put a new cardbox in their cage with holes in. It was hilarious and simple to do. Make them a few toys with hay and toilet rolls. Do something other than clean and feed them and maybe some joy will return.

Plus There are alway ways around getting them into boarding whilst you go away - not only pet boarding but maybe there is a rescue near by that can help you.
 
PiggyOinkOink said:
I know the feeling! It used to take around 4-5hrs to do it all when I had cages but now I have C&C cages and fleece it takes about 1hr...although it takes about 5-10m every day with the hand vacuum to scoop up the poops and (irritating) hay and bedding on the fleece. Sometimes I really can't be bothered and leave it for 2 days but then it takes longer to clean and I can use up the charge on the hand vacuum! I have recently started to consider giving some of my piggies up as the maintenance is getting to me and they don't really give their value worth like a cat/dog would.

All my friends comment about 'What can you do with them?', and I would make excuses but they reality is 'Not much!' ..and since I'm not a housewife or woman with kids like most of you on here seem to be with all that time to waste, I feel like I am wasting my life looking after them not able to go on holidays or weekends away for more than 1 day as I only have 1 friend to look after them sometimes.

I am literally waiting for them to die and I will never have pets again (I was a 1st time pet owner) as I feel too sorry, sad and upset for them locked up in a cage. :(
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I am sorry that you feel this way and I agree with @BossHogg that perhaps you really should consider re-homing them to somebody who will enjoy them for who they are.

I'm afraid I do not agree with you about most of us on here being housewives or women with kids and all that time to waste. I for one am a single parent who works full-time with 2 teenage children and 8 piggies, 3 rabbits, 2 hamsters and a puppy. I can assure you I do not have time to waste and the time I spend with my children and animals is wonderful and precious. The love and joy that my piggies give me is totally different to what my dog gives me but just as appreciated and special.

I also know that others like @BossHogg (who happens to be male by the way) has a full-time job and family commitments and also doesn't have time to waste but he also loves and cares for his piggies and rabbits and gets enjoyment from them for who and what they are.

Perhaps it really is time for you to decide for their sake and your own as to whether they do bring anything into your life and if not find them someone who will feel that.

I wish you all the best in your decision.
 
lawz said:
Aaah @PiggyOinkOink .
Dont give them up. Yes theyre pretty shy animals and some would probably agree that theyre not as rewarding as some pets and my lot can be shy and wont allow me to stroke them unless i pick them up, but you know what i still love them. I love their quierky personalities, the way theyre so vocal and generally how cute they are.
I could never give them up..theres just something about them.
Re the fleece dad has to take the dirty bedding to tip most weeks otherwise our bins get full qhichbis another reasonnim switching to fleece as will cut down on petrol costs and waiting time at tip.
There are plenty of pet sitters who come to home to look after animals or you board them at their place, and although thats a cost dependingnom how much it is the way i see it is its a small price to allow you some freedom.
To me its not about what you can do with a pet that makes them worth having but what they can do for you.
I got my 2 rabbits as way for me to destress and focus on something other then my depression. And then dad allowed me to get piggies too and i love them all equally. Yes I'm 33 andblive with dad surrounded by my 2 rabbits, 8 piggiez, 2 budgies, 20 odd fish and a dog and some say I'm crazy....but all them combined have prevented me from going crazy...literally! Andbi wouldnt have it any other way :)
You have to do what you feel is right though.
Click to expand...

Wow! You really have an animal farm there lol How on earth can you afford vet bills with that many?!

I have kept them because I live alone and I can suffer from depression too so they DO keep me company but as you know, it gets very difficult to do things when you are not feeling your best and patience can wear thin. My friends sometimes comment that I should give them up as they stop me from living life since I always have to work my life around them. I have had a look at pet sitters but the cheapest was £5 a pig per day not including the food, so it would be pricey. I'm not sure I would want a stranger having the run of my house either.

BossHogg said:
Instead of waiting for them to die, why don't you rehome them with someone who [you]will[/you] enjoy them.
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Lol well I do enjoy them but I often get the feeling that I am tired of the maintenance. I only originally wanted 2 but got lumbered with 4 which turned into 9 and now finally 6 so it has been quite stressful for a 1st time pet owner! After nearly 2 years of 5hrs+ cleaning every week kind of takes it out of you as well as the bedding giving you asthma. Oh, I forgot to mention that I have to also give 4 of them a haircut every 2 months at least and that's a (difficult) chore within itself as I am alone and I have to be careful I don't cut them or chop a nipple off (which I nearly did last week!). When you think they have calmed down and are still they can dart off within half a second lol I bet you would feel the same if you had to deal with all that with no help either!

Your recommendation is a bit crap because I did try to rehome some before but nobody would take them so I gave up. I had 2 boars on here for months but I think because they are long haired and not babies/neutered nobody wants them. I even tried on other rescue forums but I didn't get any replies so I HAVE TRIED!

I also tried to rehome my friend's 4 other piggies on here before but with no luck so they went to a rescue in the end. It's all well saying 'rehome them' but I don't think people realise the reality of trying to do this!

Anyhows, despite being tired with the incessant maintenance, I spend SO much money on them so I wouldn't do that if I didn't enjoy them at some level!
 
I don't want you to think I'm getting at you, my wife says I spend too much on my tribe (3 pigs 2 rabbits) Apart from my female rabbit, they're all rescues, 2 of the pigs from another member on here. I know pets can be stressful at times, I lost 3 pigs and a rabbit all within 2 months of each other. They get under your skin, they are hard work - I wouldn't have it any other way, I use mine to relieve stress when I've had a harrowing shift on the motorway. That said, like you, I will probably not replace my current ones when they shuffle off over the bridge, but until they do, I'm going to enjoy every minute of them as they're not on this planet for long in the grand scheme of things. :tu:
 
@PiggyOinkOink well my rabbits and dog are insured. ..and touch wood piggies fine. Only one that wasnt was BB who was out to sleep last week and then the treatment she had i charged to the rescue as they let me bring her home with bad teeth despite them saying all was fine.
Cost is ok....i buy food, bedding and hay in bulk which works out cheaper. But i don't intend on getting more now i know my limits. If they help you with depression then dont let anyone convince you otherwise
 
@Mellowcloud on facebook there is a page called snoozies cozies...the pictures is a little brown piggie in a purple and yellows fleece cozy.no get all my bits frkm her.
She has an app aswell for phones
 
Hi again, I am still using an Aubiose alternative called Equinola but it is more prickly than Aubiose and I can't seem to get hold of Aubiose anywhere here. Anyway, I bought some Megazorb which feels great! So I have just started using a deep layer of Equinola and then a layer of Megazorb on top, any comments on how well this works? At the moment I skip/clean out once every 1-2 days, usually every day but with not such a deep layer of Equinola and no Megazorb. But I had hoped (especially with the price of Megazorb) that this method would mean less waste of bedding?
 
MamaPiggy said:
I would like fleece bedding, but there are some problems. I have to go to school, which takes a lot of my time. And my mom is allergic to guinea pigs, we did not know this until after she gave me 2 baby boy guinea pigs. So after I play, cuddle, or take them out for floor time, I have to to take a shower. And I don't have time to take 2 or 3 showers a day. So if there any way I can do a poop sweep once a day? Or every other day? And what should I put under the fleece, towels or newspaper? I have a 2 by 4 ft c&c cage with 2 boys. And can I use a pillow case instead of a hoarse bag, because they are expencive.
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Hi, can I ask what you decided to do? I'm contemplating fleece, but like you, I'm out of the house most of the day.
 
Fleece or Vetbed? Non-slip backing or not? Been looking on Amazon & I'm so confused with all the choices...
 
@Tallulah1 Hello Talluah, welcome to the forum. You will get lots of responses if you start a new topic. Just click new thread

@MerryPip uses vetbed. We have used fleece with towels underneath it in the past.
 
I use fleece and old towel in the boys indoor run .... I'm also using newspaper too as its Lino underneath. I also have hay in there too which they swish down . I put hay in hanging tubes so it doesn't get wee on . However how do you combat that cage smell? My boys are cleaned regularly more so when they are indoors more.....
I'm now looking at making a loft apartment for them
 
I now have mine indoors. Now I use newspaper over a wipeable damp-proof layer, then hemp bedding and plenty of hay. I do a full clean of the newspaper every two days (by then it smells a bit), and wipe the flooring with baby wipes. That seems to get rid of the smell pretty well.
 
Does anyone use back2nature? I have found recently that it lets off a bleach type smell and although it absorbs wees well, i was very concerned for my piggies being in that strong smell. Has anyone else had this problem?
I have also used vet fleece but found it very hard work... I have 6 babies together so obviously the amount of wees is overwhelming, it does absorb well but after a few days of being washed it starts to smell of urine.
I have found hay to be the best thing, with Back2nature underneath but i will be purchasing something different now. Anyone know a good litter?

Thanks xx
 
Hi folks!

I've not been on here for a while but would like to share an update regarding the bedding and base layers I'm using with my 2 boars - Charlie and Echo.

Previously I had a cage which was a bit small for the pair. I used wood shavings which I found to be a pain - really messy. I tried fleece in the cage but the smell was ridiculous. I think this was due to the limited space they had. Due to the smell being unbearable, I had to go back to shavings.

I then moved to a 2x4 c&c with a 2x1 loft. I made the loft their "kitchen" and used wood shavings, with fleece on the lower level. I found that the boys would drag the shavings down the ramp which would defeat the purpose of having the shavings in the upper level.

I then moved to fleece throughout. After a bit of trial and error I now use 2 layers of puppy pads then 2 beach towels in the lower level with fleece over the top. The upper level is the same with the exception that I use one folded over towel.

This has totally eliminated all odours and is simple to change. The lower level stays hay free too (most of the time).

The boys seem to love the set up and popcorn whenever it's changed. I get away with changing it once a week and poop pick once or twice a day.

Thanks for all the advice on this forum!

Whatever the problem there is always an answer. A bit of trial and error goes a long way!
 
So I got my boy two days ago, and got the bedding he was currently on as not to be to drastic of a change and ease his way into his new life. He's currently on aspen (I was told it was dust-free or as dust-free as it can be) and my plan is to get a sheet of fleece, but I would like to keep some kind of wood base beneath it to absorb initial smells that leak through the fleece and give a fresh scent from the wood. Is aspen an alright bedding to use beneath fleece? He seems to enjoy the aspen, burrowing it and making himself a little nest in his cubby, so I'll through in fleece balls for him to cuddle with, but he seems to be completely okay with the aspen scent (given it's probably all he's known). Just wanted to be sure it wasn't going to be harmful to him!
 
JordanaDG said:
So I got my boy two days ago, and got the bedding he was currently on as not to be to drastic of a change and ease his way into his new life. He's currently on aspen (I was told it was dust-free or as dust-free as it can be) and my plan is to get a sheet of fleece, but I would like to keep some kind of wood base beneath it to absorb initial smells that leak through the fleece and give a fresh scent from the wood. Is aspen an alright bedding to use beneath fleece? He seems to enjoy the aspen, burrowing it and making himself a little nest in his cubby, so I'll through in fleece balls for him to cuddle with, but he seems to be completely okay with the aspen scent (given it's probably all he's known). Just wanted to be sure it wasn't going to be harmful to him!
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what sort of cage do you have ?
 
JordanaDG said:
So I got my boy two days ago, and got the bedding he was currently on as not to be to drastic of a change and ease his way into his new life. He's currently on aspen (I was told it was dust-free or as dust-free as it can be) and my plan is to get a sheet of fleece, but I would like to keep some kind of wood base beneath it to absorb initial smells that leak through the fleece and give a fresh scent from the wood. Is aspen an alright bedding to use beneath fleece? He seems to enjoy the aspen, burrowing it and making himself a little nest in his cubby, so I'll through in fleece balls for him to cuddle with, but he seems to be completely okay with the aspen scent (given it's probably all he's known). Just wanted to be sure it wasn't going to be harmful to him!
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you'd be much better off with some sort of wipe clean surface ( maybe lino or correx) rather than wood. The smell if urine will get into wood . If you want to use fleece , you'll find bits of Aspen will keep sticking to it , making it difficult to clean. Puppy pads or towels make a good absorbant layer under fleece.
 
Hi PiggyOwner! He's currently in a fairly large cage, I don't know the exact dimensions but he can lay along the width and not touch either side at all, and is at least 4 lengths of him. I'm planning on getting a larger cage with a low-height multilevel, but when I was getting him, the models they had there were extraordinarily priced (it's a local store, so with all things local they have to pump up their prices. I figured, it would give me some time to find a better priced one, for him to grow and so he isn't too overwhelmed by big open space in a new environment.

That's a great idea actually, we have puppy pads that I had purchased for my parents dogs that they didn't need anymore, so I'll integrate that.
 
So I went out and brought some what I thought was the right fleece but it doesn't seem to be the right one. I brought it from Dunmill its of the fluffy kind but when I am looking at other peoples theirs are more like the flat fleece rather then the fluffy ?
 
Maria71 said:
So I went out and brought some what I thought was the right fleece but it doesn't seem to be the right one. I brought it from Dunmill its of the fluffy kind but when I am looking at other peoples theirs are more like the flat fleece rather then the fluffy ?
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Polar fleece is best
 
So the one on the left seems more absorbant then the one on the right .
Is the one on the left a different kind of fleece ?

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