Cavies need comfortable bedding to sleep on and will also use it as a bathroom. There are many types of guinea pig bedding you can choose from. Some of these include shavings, paper, and hay. This article will discuss some of the common options for bedding for guinea pigs.

Wood Shavings

Wood shavings are a very popular choice for pigs. You can use pine pellets, pine shavings, and aspen shavings. Although using these shavings can lead to a lot of dust, it's one of the cheapest solutions. If you use pine shavings, it's best to air them out before use and use them in a well-ventilated cage. You should know that some cavies suffer an allergic reaction to shavings.

Paper

Another popular option for guinea pig bedding is shredded paper. Pigs love it because it's very comfortable. Its softness also assures that your pig won't get hurt. Shredded paper is also a good option if you have problems with a lot of dust since it won't produce any. It's important that you use shredded paper that's ink-free so that it won't be toxic to your pig.

Hay

One of the next bedding options is hay. Cavies need plenty of fresh hay in their diet. You can kill two birds with one stone and also use it for bedding. It's important that the hay isn't damp or moldy because that would be harmful to your pig. Some of the disadvantages of using hay is that is must be changed daily because it doesn't absorb liquids very well and molds easily.

Warning

There are a few things you should never use for guinea pig bedding. Sawdust is too fine and will easily be inhaled by your pig leading to health problems. If you choose to use straw, you should make sure there are no stiff stalks in it. Your pig may get stuck in the eye or suffer some other type of injury from it.