The 10 Best Bedding For Guinea Pigs

Reviews

Aspen Small Animal Bedding by Kaytee

Our pick for the most cost-effective bedding for guinea pigs is Kaytee Aspen Small Animal Bedding. It is manufactured with natural aspen shavings that have been treated to reduce dust and dirt.

Because aspen is a hardwood, it lacks the fragrant oils found in other wood shavings. It is odorless and highly absorbent to eliminate scents at its source. Additionally, these shavings are 100 percent biodegradable, so you may use them with confidence.

This bedding is meant to have minimum dust, but it is not dust-free; thus, it is not suggested for animals with respiratory concerns. Also, if you allow your pet out of its cage, it will leave some paw prints.

Pros

• Non-toxic
• Eco-friendly
• Scent-free
• Super absorbent
• Budget-friendly

Cons

• This bedding is less absorbent than paper or fleece.
• Not for pets with respiratory problems
• Signs of paws

 

Small Pet Preferred Pine Pellet Animal Bedding

Small Pet Select Pine Pellet Small Animal Bedding provides wood-based bedding for guinea pigs. While wood pellets are commonly linked with irritants and toxins, such as those found in wood stove pellets, these pellets contain none.

The pellets are exceptionally compact and absorbent due to their high density. The pellets contain odors, so you will not be able to detect them.

Pine pellets are both biodegradable and compostable, making disposal simple. Due to the density of the pellets, fewer are required to complete the task. In addition, they retain their absorbency for a long time, making them a very cost-effective option for bedding. Although a bag of this bedding is pricey, it is durable and so decreases your overall bedding expenses.

Since these pellets are composed of wood, sawdust is possible. If your guinea pig has respiratory problems, you may need to find an alternative to wood dust.

Pros

• Eco-friendly
• Cost-effective
• Chemical-free
• Absorbent
• Long-lasting
• Locks in smells

Cons

• Combining sawdust with pellets

 

Clean & Cozy Natural Small Animal Bedding by Kaytee

Kaytee Clean & Cozy Natural Small Animal Bedding’s all-natural, recyclable bedding is created primarily for odor management. If you have a stinky guinea pig, you may want to try this bedding.

This paper bedding is more absorbent than others, holding up to four times its weight in wet. It is 99 percent dust-free, making it a safer solution for preventing respiratory issues.

While this bedding is extremely absorbent, it is difficult to clean. It swells greatly when wet, so if you wait too long to replace it, it will become a soggy mess. It is quite comfortable for your pet to lie on, however, it tends to clump when it becomes soiled. It performs an excellent job at odor control, but cleaning may become more laborious as a result.

Pros

• Great odor control
• Dust-free
• Holds a great deal of water.

Cons

• Uneasy to clean
• Spongy when wet

 

Confetti Carefresh Small Animal Bedding

Confetti bedding absorbs more fluids and controls odors more effectively than conventional bedding materials. The ConfettiCarefresh Small Animal Bedding is not an exception.

Since it is nearly dust-free, your guinea pig may burrow to its heart’s content. It is covered with an odor control solution that eliminates offensive ammonia odors for about 10 days. It remains intact and does not adhere to the bottom of the cage when removed.

Although this bedding is excellent for odor control, it is not the most comfortable. Some guinea pigs find the ground to be rough and bothersome. There are also problems with the odor of the bedding. The substance employed to prevent smells appears to have its own nasty odor.

Pros

• Compostable
• Absorbent
• Good odor control
• Eye-catching hues
• Dust-free

Cons

• Not convenient
• The bedding has an unpleasant odor.

 

Oxbow Small Animal Pure Comfort Bedding

Up to 300 times its own weight of moisture is absorbed by Oxbow Pure Comfort Small Animal Bedding. Although we do not advocate waiting this long to replace your pet’s bedding, this does indicate that it has great odor control.

It is also quite soft, so your pet will surely like it. The bedding offered by Oxbow is guaranteed to be 99.99% dust-free. Once opened, the vacuum-sealed bags of bedding can grow by up to 250%.

This bedding tends to adhere to your guinea pig and be tracked throughout the home. This allows the possible spread of excrement and urine in undesirable areas, which is undesirable.

Pros

• Absorbent
• Soft and accommodating
• Dust-free
• Small packaging

Cons

• Adheres to your guinea pig.
• Inside-the-home footprints

 

Small Pet Bedding Made of Food-Grade Paper and Rabbit Hole Hay

Rabbit Hole Hay Ultra-Premium Food Grade Paper Small Animal Bedding’s most noticeable characteristic is that it is constructed from food-grade paper. Although most guinea pigs do not consume their bedding, a few do. If you have a pet that likes to chew, you can be certain that this bedding will not injure your furry friend.

This paper bedding is impregnated with an odor-controlling base and can absorb six times its weight in water. You will not need to replace the bedding as frequently as you would with other materials. It is comfy, dust-free, and silky.

However, the absorbency of this bedding is not nearly as advertised. It becomes wet quickly, and once saturated, it begins to smell. However, you should change the bedding weekly, as it takes 6-7 days for the anti-odor characteristics to diminish. This item’s high cost relative to competing alternatives may disqualify it for some owners.

Pros

• Odor-control substrate coating
• Dust-free
• Made from food-grade paper

Cons

• When wet, it loses its odor-fighting qualities.
• Expensive

 

Kaytee Pine Small Animal Bedding

The greatest benefit of utilizing wood shavings as guinea pig bedding is their absorbency. Unlike paper bedding, which becomes mushy when wet, wood absorbs moisture naturally. The natural pine oils in the Kaytee Pine Small Animal Bedding inhibit bacterial development and impart a pleasant scent to the cage. This bedding is 99.9% free of dust.

Pine bedding is effective in controlling smells, but it emits its own scent. It can irritate the airways of animals with vulnerable respiratory systems. If you don’t want your living room to smell like a pine forest, this might also be an annoyance.

As with any wood chips, there is a chance that your guinea pig’s feet will be scratched by sharp edges. It is also readily tracked around the house, so it may create more mess than it is worth.

Pros

• Absorbent
• Natural oils inhibit bacterial development.
• Fresh smelling

Cons

• Odors can irritate both animals and their owners.
• Inside-the-home footprints
• Your pet’s feet might be injured by jagged edges.

 

Kaytee Clean & Cozy Small Animal Bedding with Odor Control

The Kaytee Clean & Cozy Excessive Odor Control Small Animal Bedding may be required if you have an extreme odor problem. This product has a fourteen-day odor-free guarantee. It is extremely soft and absorbent.

This bedding, despite Kaytee’s claim that it is 99% dust-free, is too dusty for burrowing animals and is likely to cause respiratory discomfort. According to the majority of consumers, it does not live up to its 14-day promise, since it begins to smell after around 5-7 days. It also has an odor. Lavender and apple cinnamon fragrance the mattress, which might become unpleasant.

Pros

• Odor-free guarantee
• Comfortable

Cons

• Dusty
• Irritating odor
• Occasionally falls short of its odor-control claims.

 

Sunseed Fresh World Large Animal Bedding

Sunseed Fresh World Heavy Duty Small Animal Bedding provides bedding for small animals with a 14-day odor control guarantee. This bedding is composed of recycled paper that is 99.5% dust-free and absorbs three times its weight in moisture. Additionally, it is biodegradable, so you need not worry about how to dispose of it.

Unfortunately, the warranty for this bedding is not met. It is absorbent, however, after about a week it begins to smell. It is also quite heavy when wet, making it difficult to remove from the cage. It has a gravelly consistency that can be rough for little feet.

While it has flaws, it is completely odorless. If you’ve had trouble finding dust-free, odorless bedding, this is still a decent alternative. It clumps similarly to clumping cat litter, making it simple to remove dirty bedding on a daily basis, even if you cannot avoid cleaning for 14 days.

Pros

• Dust-free
• Absorbent
• Compostable
• Unscented
• Clumps to facilitate cleaning

Cons

• Gravity-like texture
• Weighty when wet

Buyer's Guide

What Kinds of Guinea Pig Bedding to Search For

Most guinea pig owners opt for three basic types of bedding: paper-based bedding, wood bedding (aspen or pine), and fleece bedding. Not only are they the most prevalent, but they are also the safest and easiest to use. However, like with other items, each variety has its own advantages and disadvantages. Your preference will depend on what you are willing to live with. So let’s examine the fundamentals.

Paper-based bedding

Popular because it is absorbent, effective in odor control, and pleasant for your guinea pig. Despite the fact that different brands are manufactured of essentially the same material, their quality varies, making it difficult for guinea pig owners to locate an optimal product. Consider the following while purchasing paper bedding:

• Some paper beddings absorb virtually little moisture, and when this occurs, odors develop! If your mattress does not absorb moisture, it will literally smell awful.
• The dust content of paper bedding varies substantially. While the majority of manufacturers promise to be nearly dust-free, this is not always the case. Dust can pose a significant health risk to your guinea pig, therefore excellent bedding will be as dust-free as possible.

Although it occurs seldom, it is vital to be aware that your guinea pig may consume paper. When this paper develops a soggy ball in the stomach of a guinea pig, it can be lethal. If you see that your guinea pig enjoys nibbling on its bedding, it would be prudent to locate a substitute.

Fleece bedding

Although relatively new, fleece bedding is increasingly gaining favor. Guinea pigs like the comfort fleece bedding offered, but you should not use just any type of fleece.

The underlayers of fleece cage liners are pre-treated for optimal absorbency. In addition, they are dust-free, thus they pose no health risks to your pet. They are inexpensive in the long run since they are reusable, however, this has a disadvantage.

The necessity to launder fleece cage liners makes cleaning more labor-intensive. The majority of pet owners discover that they require two liners so that they may wash one without leaving the cage empty. Additionally, it might be advantageous to line the underside of your fleece with a towel or puppy pad for added absorption.

Wood bedding

Aspen shavings differ somewhat from pine and cedar shavings in that they lack natural scents. Unfortunately, this also implies that it does not regulate odors as effectively as naturally scented woods. Frequently, wood shavings contain considerable amounts of sawdust, which can be hazardous. However, bedding of superior quality will be washed and dusted.

Characteristics of good guinea pig bedding:

• Soft to protect the delicate feet of your guinea pig
• Unscented to avoid respiratory irritation
• Dust-free
• Absorbent to control smells

Alternative Guinea Pig Bedding

Although we have not included these forms of bedding in our list, it is important to highlight that there are more alternatives for guinea pig bedding.

• Timothy hay: For decades, hay has been utilized as bedding for tiny animals. The issue is that it is not absorbent, thus you will need to use absorbent bedding beneath it. If your guinea pig like the texture of hay, you may blend it with paper bedding to boost absorbency.
• Wood pellets might be tough for your pet to walk on, and they are difficult to discover. Unless it is topped with fleece or paper, it is equivalent to letting your guinea pig walk on gravel.
• Towels or cloths made of cotton can serve as guinea pig bedding, but they must be changed and washed every day. This sort of bedding is best utilized as a temporary alternative, such as when your fleece cage liner is being washed.

Types of Bedding to Avoid

Wood shavings of poor quality might irritate your guinea pig’s respiratory system and injure its feet. Not all wood bedding is undesirable, but quality must be considered.

Clumping cat litter is intended for cats and not guinea pigs. Cat litter includes odor-control chemicals that aren’t suitable for your guinea pig, despite the fact that it might be appealing for quick cleaning. It can also tangle the hair of your pet if they roll in it. If the concept of bedding that “clumps” appeals to you, consider Sunseed’s Heavy Duty Small Animal Bedding.

Sawdust is a significant health risk for your guinea pig. Sawdust may cause major lung difficulties for both you and your pet if breathed. Avoid using dusty bedding of any kind.

A Tip for Odor Management

Along with odor-controlling bedding, it is crucial to maintain a clean cage for your guinea pig if you wish to control the stink. Small animal habitats should be cleaned at least once every week to keep your pet healthy and prevent bacterial development. If food or drink spills occur, or if the bedding gets significantly dirty, it must be cleaned quickly.

Even daily removal of soiled bedding without a total bedding replacement will help keep smells at bay. Combined with absorbent, high-quality bedding, the odor should be eliminated permanently.

Conclusion

These product reviews and buyer’s guides have provided you with all the information you need regarding guinea pig bedding. The most cost-effective small animal bedding is Kaytee Aspen Small Animal Bedding. It is non-toxic, odorless, and very absorbent, all at an affordable price.

Remember to utilize the advice in this article when purchasing bedding for your guinea pig, and maintain a clean cage to avoid smells and bacterial development. The combination of a regular washing routine and high-quality bedding will help eliminate smells permanently. 

BestForPets (bestforpets.org) hopes that our reviews of the best bedding for guinea pigs have assisted you in narrowing down your selections and identifying the ideal product for your needs.