Guinea pig bedding can be seen as an unnecessary expense by many people looking to save money. “Why, should I spend money on something that I am going to ultimately throw away?” Usually this type of pet owner reaches the conclusion that what they should do to save money is re-use their daily newspapers as disposable bedding.
Unfortunately, newspaper used as bedding is found everywhere – from homes to piggie rescues struggling to survive. Hopefully after reading this article, your family will decide to use bedding better suited for piggies. Plus, you will all enjoy the benefits of less mess and greater odor control!
Newspaper is not ideal guinea pig bedding for a variety of reasons:
Newspaper absorbs moisture but does not dry rapidly. This means that your piggies will be running over a damp surface all day long. This dampness is actually urine, which smells and will transfer to your guinea pigs’ feet and bellies. Remember, if you handle your piggies on a regular basis – this is what you are touching! (Important note – many people are allergic to guinea pig urine. This is another reason to ensure that urine is staying contained.)
Once wet, newspaper falls apart into little bits. This makes a mess of tiny pieces that will stick to your piggy (and other things as well.)
The whole point of bedding is to draw urine away from the walk-able surface and to prevent as much liquid as possible from pooling at the bottom of the cage. When done well this means less time is spent cleaning the cage and scraping off urine scales.
Fleece Bedding: An Inexpensive Reusable Alternative
Instead, if you are looking for cheap but effective guinea pig bedding – consider fleece. You can buy fleece fabric from craft and discount store for very little money. Simply buy enough yardage to cover the bottom of your cage times two – this way you will have an extra bedding to use while one is in the wash.
All you need to do in order to prep the fleece material is wash it multiple times. Four seems to be the magic number. The goal is to reduce the water repelling properties of fleece. Once this is done, simply lay the fleece over the liquid absorbing material of your choice (a couple layers of towels with a single layer of newspaper underneath will work well.)
See Also : Bedding Collections Futon Chair Bed
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