By Lachlan Ortega · Last updated 17 May 2026
Bedding is the most-debated guinea pig purchase. Every keeper has a strong opinion. Ours is shaped by six years of trying most of the options, plus what we see hit the bin at rescues. Below is our honest comparison.
Quick comparison
| Bedding | Absorbency | Odour control | Dust | Reuse | Pig-safe | Cost/month* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fleece + absorbent layer | High (with layer) | Good if changed every 3-4 days | Very low | Wash + reuse | Yes | $15-25 (after upfront) |
| Paper (Carefresh, Back-2-Nature) | Very high | Excellent | Low | No | Yes | $40-60 |
| Aspen shavings | Medium | OK | Medium | No | Yes | $15-25 |
| Hemp | High | Very good | Very low | No | Yes | $30-50 |
| Pine shavings | Medium | Strong (problem!) | High | No | NO | n/a |
| Cedar shavings | Medium | Strong (problem!) | High | No | NO | n/a |
| Straw | Low | Poor | Medium | No | NO (eye risk) | n/a |
| Corn-cob | Medium | OK | Low | No | Risky (mould) | $15-25 |
| Cat litter (clay/clumping) | n/a | n/a | High | No | NO | n/a |
Fleece — our pick
What we use day-to-day. Fleece is a fabric that wicks moisture through to an absorbent layer beneath, while leaving the surface dry for the pigs to walk on.
The fleece sandwich
- Top layer: anti-pill fleece, washed 3+ times before first use to remove the water-repellent treatment (so it wicks instead of beading)
- Middle layer: absorbent fabric — Zorb, U-Haul moving pads, old towels, or pre-made “fleece liners” with built-in absorbent
- Bottom: the Coroplast / corflute cage floor
Why we like it
- Soft on feet (reduces bumblefoot risk)
- Dust-free (no respiratory irritation)
- No ongoing cost after the initial set of liners
- Looks tidy
- Easy to spot-check for poop volume and abnormal urine
Downsides
- Initial cost: 2 sets of liners runs $80-150 depending on brand
- Daily maintenance — must sweep up hay and poop daily or it gets gross fast
- Full wash every 3-4 days. No fabric softener (residue is bad for guinea pigs).
- You need somewhere to wash and dry it (don’t put fleece liners in shared family laundry — wash separately, ideally in a dedicated pet bag)
Paper-based bedding — easiest
Carefresh, Back-2-Nature, Kaytee Clean & Cozy, and similar brands. Soft, dust-extracted, very absorbent. Toss in the bin when soiled, refill.
Aspen — budget choice
Hemp — premium
Hard NO — never use these
Pine and cedar shavings
Straw
Cat litter (clay or clumping)
Wood pellets sold for stoves
Newspaper alone
Maintenance schedules by bedding type
| Bedding | Daily | Mid-week | Full clean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fleece | Sweep hay/poop, refresh hay | Swap fleece (3-4 days) | Wash fleece + scrub Coroplast weekly |
| Paper | Spot-scoop wet patches | Top up dry bedding | Full strip weekly |
| Aspen | Spot-scoop | Top up | Full strip every 5-7 days |
| Hemp | Spot-scoop | Top up | Full strip weekly |
Litter training (yes, you can)
A real-world weekly cost comparison
| Option | Upfront | Year 1 total | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fleece system | $120 | $150-200 | $30-50/yr (washing cost) |
| Carefresh paper | $0 | $600-720 | same |
| Aspen | $0 | $240-360 | same |
| Hemp | $0 | $400-500 | same |
Further reading
- RSPCA UK — Guinea pig environment
- Cornell University Vet College — small animal husbandry references
- Our cage setup pillar and complete care guide
We get asked — guinea pig food FAQ
How much fresh veg should a guinea pig eat per day?
About 1 cup of fresh vegetables per pig per day, ideally split into two meals (morning and evening). Hay should still be 80% of the diet and available unlimited. Pellets are a small daily addition, not a meal replacement.
What’s the most important nutrient for guinea pigs?
Vitamin C. Guinea pigs cannot manufacture their own and must get it daily from fresh food. Bell pepper is the gold-standard source. Vitamin C in pellets oxidises within weeks of opening, so don’t rely on pellets alone. See our food safety master list for daily portion guidance.
What signs should send me to a vet?
- Not eating for 12+ hours (GI stasis — emergency)
- Not pooping (or smaller, drier poops than usual)
- Crusty eyes, wheezing, or sneezing more than once a day (URI)
- Hunched posture, fluffed coat, hiding
- Sudden weight loss (weigh weekly to catch this early)
- Blood in urine, hunching when peeing
A pig that hasn’t eaten in 12 hours is an emergency, not a “wait and see” situation. More detail in our vet warning signs pillar.
Related reading
- The complete guinea pig care guide — diet, housing, social pairs, lifespan
- Master food safety table
- Cage setup & size guide — most pet-shop cages are too small
- RSPCA UK — Guinea pig welfare standards
Portion sizes & serving rules
Across every “can guinea pigs eat X” question, the same portion-size rules apply. A piece of new food should be no larger than a thumbnail the first time, watched for soft poops or gas over the next 24 hours, then offered as part of the regular rotation if no issues. Adult guinea pigs (over 6 months) get about a cup of total fresh veg per day, divided between morning and evening — never one big plate at once.
The “5×5” rule we use: at least five different vegetables across each week, and no single veg more than five days in seven. This rotation prevents calcium build-up (parsley, kale, spinach) and stops one food becoming a fixation that displaces hay intake.
Calcium, oxalates, and bladder stones
Bladder stones are one of the most common reasons guinea pigs end up in surgery. They form when calcium-heavy diet combines with poor hydration. The high-calcium foods you should rotate rather than feed daily:
- Parsley (very high)
- Kale (high)
- Spinach (high — also high oxalates)
- Mustard greens, dandelion greens, beet greens
- Mineral-rich pellets if your tap water is hard
The fix is straightforward: rotate, don’t accumulate. Two days of parsley followed by five days of romaine and bell pepper keeps the calcium load moderate. Filtered water for households with very hard tap water.
Three quick checks before any new food
- Sugar / starch content. Sugary or starchy foods cause gut bacteria imbalances. Limit fruits to 2-3x a week as treats; same for high-starch roots.
- Calcium load. If you’ve been feeding lots of kale/parsley, today is a cucumber day.
- Pesticide residue. Wash everything. Skip waxy supermarket fruits if you can’t peel them.
When to stop and call a vet
Symptoms within 24 hours of a new food that warrant a call:
- No or markedly fewer poops
- Soft, mushy, smelly poops
- Reduced appetite for hay
- Hunched posture, fluffed coat, hiding more than usual
- Drooling or food-dropping (potential dental + diet interaction)
- Bloated, hard belly
Stop offering the suspect food, increase hay, monitor closely. If symptoms last more than 12 hours, that’s a vet call. Our team’s full reference list of warning signs lives in the vet warning signs pillar.
Page last updated 17 May 2026. We re-check our pet-care content regularly and update when something changes.
