what kind of bedding can i use for my guinea pig?

Question

and i read somewhere that you can use cedar or pine bedding
....i dont know why....does anyone know?
and does anyone know where i can get any information on what they can and can not eat, how to care for them etc.

thanks

Answer 1

cedar and pine cause respitory problems

CAREFRESH....best litter

get a book on them. food must be high in Vitamin C

Answer 2

dont use any soft wood shavings (like cedar and pine) as bedding they cause health problems. If you want to use shavings you can use Aspen shavings they are not aromatic so they wont cause problems with health. You can also use processed pine pellets that expand when they get wet. They are also not aromatic. I found these work good with my guinea pig, because they expand and are very absorpititve. You can get small bags at places like wal-mart, the brand is Feline-Pine. But if you want a bigger bag you can go to a petstore and they should have pelleted litter/bedding. If you have a farm store nearby you may want to try that because often times you can get a 40lb bag for ALOT cheaper than a pet store.
For what they can eat, feed them the normal guinea pig food, NOT rabbit food(it contains vit D and that is bad for guinea pigs). Hay is also a VERY important part of their diet. Timothy is preferred but alfalfa will do.For treats feed him a carrot or cabbage or fruits that he may like. You also have to trim little piggy toenails. and he probably should have a house to hide in and definately need toys/things to chew on.

Answer 3

If you have the room, the cheapest, best bedding is actually horse shavings! You can go to a feed store and buy a bag of shavings. It is meant to cover a fairly large area, so it will last a long time for a guinea pig. It is less than $5 a bag usually, which is much less than the largest bags you can buy at the pet store or walmart, and you get more!

I find the shavings packed in the brown paper are better quality, at least in my area, than the ones in the plastic, but they all will work fine. That is what I used for my guinea pig.

Answer 4

Cedar bedding contains aromatic (smelly) oils that are bad for lungs. Pine, white aspen, or Yesterdays News work well. They need fresh guinea pig food every day, clean water at all times, and fresh veggies. Half a carrot, half an apple, a quarter of an orange, an eigth of a canteloupe, a handfull of dark leafy greens, or the equivalent every day will make your guinea pig healthy. Never feed rabbit pellets instead of guinea pig pellets because they need vitamin c. Never feed iceberg lettuce, the light green ball type of lettuce that mc donald's uses, it can cause diarrhea. Timothy hay is also a wonderful treat. Keep their cage clean and dry, give them a place inside their cage to hide, like a small cardboard box, and take them out of their cage for playtime everyday. You can buy a large wheel for them to run on inside the cage and some good apple tree branches or chews for them to wear down their teeth on. Guinea pigs are very social animals so they will be happiest if you buy them a guinea pig friend and a very large cage to live in. They should have at least one hour every day outside the cage, no one wants to live in a cell 24/7.

Answer 5

Do NOT use cedar. The chemical that gives it the scent that most people like is toxic for most small mammals. Pine bedding can be alright if it is KILN-dried, not AIR-dried, for the same reason. If in doubt, don't buy it.

Carefresh is an excellent, relatively-cheap bedding material that is highly absorbent and odor-trapping, and it can be bought in most pet stores.

If you're willing to make an investment (higher start-up cost), you can save money in the long-term by using fleece with an absorbent material beneath it:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/bedding/21568-fleece-project-study.html

Believe me, the pigs LOVE a fleece bedding by comparison. The first day I switched over, they were popcorning all over the place. Plus, within 2 months, I had saved enough money on bedding that the investment paid for itself.

As for general care, this site, especially the forums, is chock-full of information, including diet, health issues, environment... the list goes on and on. Nice and knowledgable folks:
http://guineapigcages.com/

Answer 6

You should NOT use cedar bedding because of the aromatic oils. You also shouldn't use sawdust as it is too fine and they could choke or suffocate. Also don't use corncob or straw. You can use newspaper, aspen or pine shavings or pine pellets or hay. They love hay. There are a lot of pre-bagged products specially designed and sold for guinea pigs.

Answer 7

type up guine pig caring on Google and hat should give you some info

Answer 8

i use shreds of hay and woodchips and if you ask i know that that doesn't hurt their feet so you should be ok!!! glad to help!

-rockergurl

Answer 9

we use wood chip pet bedding that is available at any walmart,target or pet store