Cheap guinea pig bedding ideas?

[walkdmc]

I currently spend about $60/month on bedding for my GPs. I have been using Care Fresh Ultra for 2 years and it's so expensive. Their enclosure is 2ft x 4ft so bedding is pricey. I don't want pine shavings or hay. Anyone use anything they recommend?

TIA!

 

[sameyeyam]

Go to a local co-op, feed store or farm & garden shop. I used to have a guinea pig and was able to buy a 1 cubic yard bag of wood shavings for about $15. It lasted months and months and months. They were large shavings, not the tiny/messy shavings that you buy in the stores. Actually they are the big ones that are generally used for horse stalls and they smelled nice. But even if you don't like the wood shavings, they might have other types of bedding in large amounts for cheaper prices.

If you live in the city, try to find one in the outskirts of the suburbs. Areas where you see people that have a few acres and horses will generally have feed stores.

You can usually buy bulk feed for them also at a price much cheaper then in the stores.

 

[digitalsiren]

When I had guinea pigs I found they could be sensitive to quite a lot of the common beddings. Petco sells 150 liters of the Carefresh Ultra for $56.99 and they are currently offering free shipping on it. Use code "Fit10" to save 10% more to bring it down to $51.29 plus tax, shipped. Perhaps if you have a paper shredder or know someone who does you can blend a little bit of that in to the Carefresh everytime you change the bedding to help "stretch" it a bit further.

 

[dhardawa]

I have heard of people using a few layers of fleece and then just washing it. To me, that sounds stinky though. I have also heard to go somewhere like Tractor Supply and look around because they have bedding in large quantities for thinks like stalls.

 

[brewcrew]

I use oxbow pellets. Don't think it is any cheaper though.

 

[Katy Belle]

We had Guinea Pigs while we were living overseas. The bedding wasnt available very often, so we used shredded paper. We put down a thick layer of folded newspaper and topped with shredded paper. We shredded the kids homework, junk mail, etc.

 

[lucyem]

I know you said you do not want pine shavings but thats what we always used. Buy a big bag from a feed store or tractor supply. The big kind of bag designed for horse stalls.

You can also buy the pelleted bedding. It's just like the fuel pellets but is just pine. Also available at Tractor Supply and a lot of feed stores and packaged for horses. I know some people who use it in litter boxes as well.

 

[disney_girl125]

Just use pine shavings. I know you said you don't want to use them, but really they will be fine!! I get a big bag from tractor supply and it's about $6 for a huge bag. It's not the bag in the pet section, but the pine shavings for horses. Not only are they chep but they are best for odors. I have used everything and have always come back to pine shavings. You save so much money and they are safe for them.

 

[walkdmc]

Thanks everyone! I was told by the people who sold us the GPs(Petco) not to use pine shavings...something about the oil bothering their respiratory systems. Oddly, the GPs' cage had pine shavings when I bought them, from Petco. The sales lady said, "I know we use pine shavings here but you shouldn't use them at home." Hmmm....maybe she was trying to boost Carefresh sales since it's expensive.

 

[MyDizneyBoyz]

Pine bedding is a bit controversial so you need to weigh the risks / benefits of it. Supposedly kiln-dried pine has more of the aromatic oils removed from it than air-dried pine.

Personally, if I were you, I'd try stretching the Carefresh with shredded paper or a cheaper commercial product. I know that pine is so common and back in the day when we used to have GP's it's all that we used and as far as I could tell our little dudes were fine.

However, knowing now that it can cause problems would make me hesitant to use it. I'd be worried that the constant exposure would make them uncomfortable with no way to complain or get away from it. While they may survive just fine, would it be keeping them from thriving and being in optimal health? Probably more thought than most would give it but the little stinkers are too dang cute not to worry about.

Here's a link with some good basic info, if you haven't seen it already:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/bedding.htm

 

[disney_girl125]

Yeah, I forgot to mention..get the kiln dried ones..all the pine shavings that I got for horses were the kiln dried pine shavings anyway...

 

[jrmasm]

Aspen is supposed to be safe.

 

[HM]

The guinea pigs that we would keep for my son's preschool just used newpaper.

We buy that darn expensive pellet-like stuff for our rabbit.

 

[ptmmg]

we use the fleece. we have 2 sets and just alternate It only smells if you dont clean it like every other bedding. if you google fleece and guinnea pigs it will explain exactly wat you need to do.

 

[ceecee]

A girl I worked with used to take the paper from the shredder and use it.

 

[TSM1993]

Thanks everyone! I was told by the people who sold us the GPs(Petco) not to use pine shavings...something about the oil bothering their respiratory systems. Oddly, the GPs' cage had pine shavings when I bought them, from Petco. The sales lady said, "I know we use pine shavings here but you shouldn't use them at home." Hmmm....maybe she was trying to boost Carefresh sales since it's expensive.

I heard it was the pine shavings that have the red to it. They produce heat which can burn there feet (learned this from a pet shop I used to work at) The light beige or yellow or tan whatever color you want to call it is ok to use.

I have had gps, rabbits, and hedgehogs and all did well.

 

[NHmomof2boys]

We have used shredded paper for several years for our GP, and have no issues with it. The odor doesn't get too bad, you just need to change it like any other bedding.

The best part for us is that we shred everything, junk mail, old homework, old bills (already paid) and then the GP can do what it wants on it. It's actually kind of cathartic to have the bills get pooed on Then, when we change the cage, the old stuff goes in the compost. Not only are we recycling the paper, but we are also putting it back into the Earth in a way that is beneficial to our garden.

 

[our2miracles]

We have 3 GP's and when one of ours had surgery to remove a cyst, the vet told us to use old towels and change it everyday as we had to keep the incision clean. We have kept doing this after all is said and done. We fold the towel and I put a small layer of the Carefresh to absorb. I clean the cages once a week now and wash the towels. It has cut back somewhat on the bedding since we are not putting a bunch in the cage. Plus our Guinea's seem to like the softness of the towels.

 

[iheartdisney]

i was all excited to save money by doing the fleece lining... my bunny and piggy had it chewed up in one night!
I stick to Aspen shavings now and change it every 3 days. They are outside during the day in an open-bottomed hutch and sleep inside in their cage.
But I've had them for 4 months now, and I'm only on my second bag of bedding.

 

[hsmamato2]

we just got a GP from craiglist last week! he's a cutie....he came with the fleece blanket setup...ew! it was smelly and looked soggy,even tho it had just been changed....no WAY! I found some interesting litter at the feed store- called cedar-ific (?) it is kiln dried, and ground very fine,it's light,and scoopable- it's marketed for cat boxes, or small critters like a GP.
so far we love this stuff- ds just scoops stuff out with a litter scoop daily,and we add more to keep the level up- it reminds me of sawdust a little...cost was 7.99 for a big bag.so far everyone is happy!