Having a guinea pig as a pet may be a fun and educational experience for people of all ages, but in order for the little furballs to flourish in your care, you’ll need to provide them with a safe environment, nutritious food, and plenty of play time.
In terms of housing, guinea pigs are often housed in large cages. However, it is important to offer soft, cushioning bedding that will be lovely to walk on and will also absorb their messes, since walking on bare cage flooring might gravely damage your cat.
Although there are many options for guinea pig bedding, not all of them will be suitable for your pet. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 guinea pig bedding options currently available and written a detailed buying guide to help you decide which one is ideal for you and your pet.
carefresh 99% Dust-Free
This fluffy paper fibre bedding is great for guinea pigs since it is hypoallergenic, two times as absorbent as shavings, and soft on the piggies’ delicate paws. This paper guinea pig bedding has an effective odor-control solution that eliminates ammonia smells for up to 10 days. This sort of guinea pig bedding is 99% dust-free, making it entirely safe for your friend, and it also helps eradicate unwanted odours from your pet’s environment. Different sizes and colours of sea glass are available to meet the demands and budgets of each customer.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Perfectly safe, chemical-free bedding | Quality inconsistent |
| The odor-control formula prevents bad smells for up to 10 days | |
| Virtually dust-free | |
| Very absorbent | |
| Very soft and gentle on guinea pig feet | |
| Biodegradable and compostable | |
| Various options available |
Sunseed Small Animal Bedding
The recycled paper used to make this little animal bedding is biodegradable and environmentally beneficial. It is completely safe for guinea pigs to use since it is neither bleach nor does it contain any harsh chemicals, and on top of that, it is 99.5% dust-free. This guinea pig bedding is incredibly absorbent, able to soak up to three times its weight in wet without feeling damp or soggy. And since baking soda is so effective at naturally neutralising and eliminating undesirable smells, it is included in this guinea pig bedding to ensure that unpleasant scents are kept at bay.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Eco-friendly recycled paper bedding | A bit pricey |
| Super absorbent and dust-free | |
| Contains no chemicals or harmful substances | |
| Baking soda neutralizes odors | |
| Made in the USA |
Kaytee Clean & Cozy Bedding
This is the best guinea pig bedding you can get if you’re looking for something that will absorb a lot of moisture yet is still comfortable for digging. This bedding’s “secret” ingredient includes long strands of recycled fibre paper, which give it a light, airy texture and allow it to absorb 6 times its weight in liquids, or at least twice as much as traditional wood shavings. Due to its compliance with Food and Drug Administration regulations and its lack of dust, this material is suitable for use around tiny animals like guinea pigs without worrying about their health. You may purchase it in trial amounts to see whether you like it, or stock up on it by purchasing larger quantities.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Absorbs 6 times its weight in liquid | Dustier than expected |
| Meets FDA standards | |
| Softer and burrowing long-strand paper fibres | |
| Dust-free and fluffy | |
| Solid odor-control |
PETSPICK Aspen Soft Pet Bedding
Certain guinea pig owners may choose wood fibre bedding for their pets, but only aspen guinea pig bedding is healthy for these animals. This aspen soft pet bedding is crafted from wood shavings, thus it is made without any of the harmful aromatic oils that may be found in other types of pet bedding. It can absorb two times its weight in fluids without adding any more weight, and it can grow to be three times its original size without collecting any dust. This guinea pig bedding has been kiln dried and has no chemicals, so you can feel good about giving it to your pet.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Natural odor control | Dustier than advertise |
| Expands to three times its size | |
| No aromatic oils | |
| Absorbs twice as many liquids | |
| Kiln-dried |
Small Pet Select Natural Paper Bedding
Paper is a typical choice for guinea pig bedding since it is non-toxic, comfortable, and inexpensive. Furthermore, it is completely biodegradable and environmentally beneficial. The paper fibre in this guinea pig bedding has never been bleached, and it is completely free of sludge, deys, and irritants; it is also created from virgin paper, never recycled from print. It’s great news because there won’t be any lingering poisons in your pet’s bedding! This guinea pig bedding can take up a lot of moisture without becoming too soggy or losing its fluffy texture.
| prose | Cons |
|---|---|
| Low dust reduces respiratory diseases | Fibers are a bit thin so you need to use more bedding |
| Virgin paper fiber free of toxins | |
| Absorbs plenty of liquids | |
| Fluffy and good for burrowing | |
| Biodegradable |
Eco-Straw Wheat Litter
Not all beddings are equal when it comes to keeping your pet’s cage odor-free, and some may absorb foul odours to the point where the stink stays even after you remove dirty areas of the bedding. That won’t happen with this guinea pig bedding. Made from wheat grass straw, it is biodegradable, sustainable, and 100% safe for your dogs (even if consumed!). It has strong absorbency and excellent odour control, and it does it without the use of artificial chemicals or scents. This bedding swells and clumps when wet, so you may throw away just the dirty portions without throwing away any of the unutilized bedding.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Naturally safe for tiny animals | Can be messy when clumps fall apart |
| Eco-friendly and biodegradable | |
| Natural odor control | |
| Clumps when peed on | |
| No chemicals or fragrances used | |
| Up to 300% moisture absorption. |
Disposable Cage Liners
If you want to keep your guinea pig in a dust-free environment but don’t want to deal with washing the cage liners, disposable liners are the way to go. These cage liners feature 5 layers to ensure your pet always walks on a dry surface and their messes don’t seep through the cage floor; they’re simple to use, effective, and a wonderful alternative if you want to keep your guinea pig’s cage mess free with little effort. These cage liners are made with an odor-neutralizing technique made from natural bamboo carbon, which is also fully safe for guinea pigs.
| pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Super absorbent and leak-proof | Some guinea pigs can bite or scratch off pieces of the bedding |
| DrySpeed Technology rapidly gels urine. | |
| Bamboo charcoal neutralizes odors | |
| Liner-securing adhesive strips | |
| No dust whatsoever | |
| Easy to use and replace |
Small Pet Select Natural Paper Bedding Jumbo
Purchase in bulk if you want to avoid having to shop for guinea pig bedding for a long. Natural paper guinea pig bedding is available in 2-packs and 3-packs, and the maximum package size is 178 litres. This should keep your pet comfortable for quite some time. This biodegradable and compostable guinea pig bedding is made from unbleached, fluffy paper fibres that absorb a lot of liquids before it has to be changed. It is not manufactured from recycled paper and does not include any colours or irritants.
| pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Large packets for restocking | A bit dusty |
| Made from virgin fibers | |
| Fluffy and soft to walk on | |
| No dyes or irritants | |
| Biodegradable and compostable |
NATURALLY GROWN HEMP PET BEDDING
Prefer to keep your guinea pig with only natural items? If you’re looking for an alternative to traditional guinea pig bedding, hemp is an excellent choice since it is more absorbent than paper, eco-friendly, and dust-free. Made from hemp that was not treated with any synthetic fertilisers or pesticides, this product is completely biodegradable and safe for composting. It is an excellent natural option for guinea pig bedding since it absorbs twice as much liquid as paper bedding while creating practically no dust.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Pesticide-free hemp | A bit pricey |
| More absorbent than paper | |
| Sustainable, compostable, and eco-friendly | |
| Doesn’t produce dust | |
| Made in the USA |
What Is the Best Type of Guinea Pig Bedding?
Provide a smooth, cushioned surface for your guinea pig to stand and walk on while also absorbing moisture from its excrement and urine to discourage the spread of germs. Since an added precaution, make sure your guinea pig’s bedding doesn’t generate any dust, as this might aggravate his or her respiratory system. There are several guinea pig-safe litters and beddings that meet two of these criteria, but not many that meet all three.
You may use paper guinea pig bedding, wood shavings (aspen), or fleece to line the cage. It’s up to you to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of the various options and choose on one that suits your needs and budget; just make sure it’s absorbent enough and not too dusty. What you need know is that cedar or pine wood shavings, as well as newspapers, cat litter, hay, and straw, are all inappropriate for use as guinea pig bedding due to the production of aromatic oils that are poisonous to your pet.