What to use?

[_Mel_]

What suggestions do people have when it comes to what to put on the bottom of guinea pig cages? I've tried the absorbent bedding stuff.. it's wasn't bad just not my favourite but It was expensive and it honestly only lasted a week or two. I've also tired like puppy pads and I do not like them. Any suggestions on what I could use?

 

[Swissgreys]

What cage set up do you have?
C&C, Midwest, Ferplast, hutch?
And is it indoor or outdoor, how big is it and how many piggies do you have.

Sorry for all the questions, but depending o the type of cage and size etc. people will have different experiences and suggestions.

 

[_Mel_]

What cage set up do you have?
C&C, Midwest, Ferplast, hutch?
And is it indoor or outdoor, how big is it and how many piggies do you have.

Sorry for all the questions, but depending o the type of cage and size etc. people will have different experiences and suggestions.

I currently have them in an indoor two story cage that I got from the pet shop. I plan on getting them outside soon I just need to find where since our garden is south facing meaning it doesn't have many shaded spots. I hope that helps any?

 

[Piggies&buns]

For indoor you can use fleece but that will need puppy pads underneath. You can buy ready made fleece liners which have the absorbent material already stitched in.
Or it’s disposable bedding, but it sounds as if you’ve already tried that.
I use aubiose or megazorb as a preference but also use shavings if I can’t get my two first choice items.

What do you mean by only lasted a week or two though? Do you mean the package size?
I have three hutches to fill (5 and 6ft hutches) and buy 20kg bags of aubiose or shavings and 85 litres of megasorb. This lasts me a month to six weeks with weekly full hutch cleans.

Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview

 

[Free Ranger]

For inside my plastic tray cages I use Back-2-nature: it's like superabsorbent grey pellets and some councils accept it as compostable waste. It's nobbly so they have hay on top. It's dead absorbent but also expensive. I just have it in the 'bedroom' areas. I spot clean the wet bits each evening although if you are immune to the pong of boar pee you can just chuck on an extra handful of B2N and more hay if you're in a rush!

In the adjoining enclosure (which is a hard tiled floor) I made liners using 2 layers of fleece sandwiching a layer of fabric called 'Zorb original' and I'm very happy with these. I also made smaller pee-pads for areas where they hang out a lot and to put a hay pile on each day as the leftovers can just be shaken off. I sweep the big fleece clean with a little rubber bristled brush and dustpan each evening. I do a fleece wash once a week and they dry pretty fast. I didn't take to the puppy pads really - not so eco, and I was worried about them getting uncovered and chewed on.

As I stand in the enclosed area myself to sow seeds and water plants I can vouch for the comfort of the fleece sandwich. The pigs are entertained by my bare feet! I've thought about making more for inside the tray cage but actually it's nice for them to have a variety of places to lie.