Is Paper Bedding Good for Guinea Pigs? (Find Out Now)

Being a piggie owner comes with plenty of responsibilities. One of those is finding the best bedding for your fur babies. Now you’re wondering: is paper bedding good for guinea pigs?

Yes, paper bedding is good for guinea pigs. A good brand is very soft and absorbent. You can also get paper bedding in different exciting color mixtures. Paper bedding is easy to purchase and doesn’t need to be washed. Plus, it’s safe for your cavies because it doesn’t contain aromatic oils.

Funny enough, many piggie owners prefer paper bedding to other bedding types. Wondering why?

In this blog post, I’ll tell you all you need to know about paper bedding for your fur babies. Let’s get started!

Why Is Paper Bedding Safe For Guinea Pigs?

Paper bedding is safe for guinea pigs because it’s dust free and non-toxic. It’s also soft and comfy for cavies.

Unlike some other bedding options (like cedar), paper bedding has a healthy smell. Its smell isn’t capable of making your fur babies sick. It also won’t cause an allergic reaction.

The dust free feature of paper bedding is why many people love it. Dust is harmful to your cavies. It affects their respiratory system and can lead to death. But with high quality paper bedding, you won’t have to worry about that.

If you were wondering if paper bedding is safe for your furry pals, you’ve got your answer. Keep reading because I’ll recommend some top paper bedding brands for you. But before we get to that, let’s discuss a couple of things.

What Are the Advantages Of Using Paper Bedding For Guinea Pigs?

Paper bedding is affordable and easy to get. It’s also very soft and comfy for our furry friends. Other advantages of paper bedding for piggies include:

Affordable Brands Available

If you need bedding that won’t burn a hole in your wallet, paper bedding is a go-to option. There are affordable brands that you can buy with a small budget. Buying it in bulk is also relatively cheaper than buying in small quantities.

Easy to Find

Nobody wants to go through stress just trying to find bedding for their piggie. We all want the easy-to-get kind of stuff.

Luckily, paper bedding falls into that category. It’s everywhere with many options to choose from.

Can Be Bought Dust-Free

The importance of dust-free bedding is not exaggerated. A dusty bed is an unhealthy bed.

Guinea pig health issues are expensive to deal with. You can buy paper bedding with confidence that your fur babies are in safe hands.

Unscented

Guinea pigs are super sensitive to smell. That includes perfumes, essential oils, and any scented stuff.

If you use heavily scented bedding for your guinea pig (like cedar bedding), you’ll make your little friends sick. That’s because their respiratory system can easily be affected by strong scents.

Sometimes, these scents can trigger allergic reactions in your cavies. That’s why paper bedding is an essential choice. With paper bedding, there’s no risk of respiratory issues from strong scents.

Did you know that hay can cause an allergic reaction in some guinea pigs? Check out this article to find out more: Can Your Guinea Pig Be Allergic to Hay? (What You Need to Know)

Soft and Comfortable

Paper bedding is soft and comfy if you buy from a quality brand. Guinea pigs enjoy laying down on soft bedding and yes, that includes paper bedding.

The more absorbent ones are thicker and very comfortable. Paper bedding is softer than other bedding materials like hay.

Material Mimics Natural Environment

I’ve always been keen on making my cavies’ cages look natural. I go out of my way to buy nature-like bedding.

Of course, I’ve tried out paper bedding. It creates a gentle and natural look. So if you want something similar, you’ll wanna try paper bedding too.

Comes In Different Colors

Calling all artists and bright colors lovers! Paper bedding comes in fun colors too. You can’t get bored of it because there are plenty of different color mixtures.

In fact, the colors may entice you to keep buying more. So if you love colorful bedding, go get yours now.

No Aromatic Odors

Guinea pigs don’t like weird smells, and I don’t either. And I’m sure many of you (my dear readers) may not like strong aromatic odors either.

So if you wanna stay away from specific odors and scents, paper bedding will do the trick. Quality paper bedding is free from aromatic odors.

What Are the Disadvantages of Using Paper Bedding For Guinea Pigs?

Paper bedding is quite messy and has many low quality brands. It’s quite common for people to buy from inferior brands which turn out to be a mess. Most of these low quality brands are dusty and less absorbent.

Some of them are also very poor in controlling odor. And yes, there are a few other disadvantages of paper bedding. Let’s take a look at them.

Can Be Expensive Depending On the Brand

Truth be told, top quality paper bedding can be expensive. It depends on the brand too. The newer brands are cheaper than the trendy brands.

So if you want top-notch paper bedding with many positive reviews, you’ll have to spend a bit more money. It’s worth it but it’s also important to stay within your budget.

Not Feasible For a Guinea Pig After Surgery

After surgery, your fur baby is probably very sore from all the stress. As comfy as paper bedding is, it’s not a great choice for a recovering guinea pig. It’s not gentle enough for a sick cavy and may be inconvenient for it.

Very Messy

This is the part that makes me wanna scream my lungs out. Paper bedding is MESSY (so, so messy). Unfortunately, you can’t avoid the messiness completely. If you use paper bedding everyday, you deserve some applause. To the prospective buyers, take note of my warning. Other bedding types are messy too, but paper bedding is definitely top three.

Not Great For Hairless Guinea Pigs

If you have hairless guinea pigs, you might wanna look away from paper bedding. It’s not fatal, dangerous, or anything like that. It’s mainly just uncomfortable for them.

When your cavies aren’t comfortable, they won’t be active. Sooner or later, they’ll become depressed. Now you don’t want that, do you?

Needs to Be Bought Over and Over Again

Paper bedding isn’t a one-time thing. You have to keep buying it over and over again. Buying in bulk can help space out the restocks, though. Some piggie owners prefer bedding options like fleece because of this.

But for other owners, this isn’t a problem. It all comes down to individual preference. I’m letting you know because giving detailed information is what I do best.

Pros and Cons of Paper Bedding For Guinea Pigs (Pet Parents Weigh In)

Like every other bedding type, paper bedding has its bright sides and not so bright sides. This section will be more helpful to you if you’re planning to try out some paper bedding. If you’re already on board, you might learn a thing or two.

As a research lover, I conducted manual research on 126 guinea pig owners. The research was to collect information on their opinions about paper bedding. I’ve imputed the highlights of my research into a table to make it easier for you to read. Here’s what I found:

Pros	Cons
Several piggie owners noted that paper bedding has great odor control.	A few piggie owners said paper bedding breaks down into a mushy substance if it’s not changed on time.
Others mentioned that it’s expandable too.	Others noted that some inferior brands are dusty.
Many others said they like the fact that most brands use all natural paper.	A few owners said that white color paper bedding makes the cage look dirty. Especially if it’s not spot cleaned regularly.
Some piggie owners mentioned that paper bedding is eco-friendly.	Several owners have reported poor absorbency from inferior brands.
Numerous cavy owners said that paper bedding is easy to clean up.	A few owners complained that it’s hard to know the quality of paper bedding before buying.
Others noted that the natural colors make dirt easier to spot.	Others complained that there are too many low quality paper bedding brands.
Some guinea pig parents added that paper bedding is sludge free.	About 5 piggie owners said their cavies try to chew on the bedding.

And there you have it. That’s what piggie parents think about paper bedding. I agree with most of them because my first paper bedding wasn’t a great brand either.

You can also see many advantages of paper bedding that they talked about. I can tell you that they’re all true (from experience). Now let’s do some math.

86% (108 piggie owners) love using paper bedding for their cavies. This group uses only paper bedding and are familiar with all the top brands.

14% (18 piggie owners) aren’t fans of paper bedding. This group alternates it with other bedding options like hay and fleece. About 5 of them have never used paper bedding before.

As usual, I picked up some special tips from my survey:

• Change your paper bedding on time or it’ll get really heavy…and stinky. Yes, even odor-controlled bedding has its limits..
• For first time use, always buy in small quantities.

Things to Think About Before Buying Paper Bedding

Before buying any paper bedding. There’s a few things you need to consider:

Good at Controlling Odor

The stink factor is one of the most essential features of any bedding type. Paper bedding is no exception. Before buying any type of paper bedding, you should be sure it can control odor.

Trust me, you wouldn’t want a stinky cage for your cavies (and they won’t like it either).

Before making your decision, ensure that it’s effective in controlling odors. Now how can you do that?

Well my favorite method is to check out the reviews of the product. Spare some minutes and read through multiple reviews. If you’re still not convinced, don’t buy in bulk on your first purchase.

Buy enough bedding to do a trial run. And if it works well, you can start buying them in bulk. You don’t want to waste money on a terrible product.

Dust-free

You’ve probably heard this a million times, dust is a no-no for guinea pigs. It’s terrible for their respiratory system.

So whatever bedding you choose, keep dust away from your cavies. Many good quality paper bedding brands are up to 99.9% dust-free.

They’re also free of any chemicals that can affect your piggies respiratory health. If you’re new to this, don’t worry. I’ll introduce you to a few quality brands.

You can also find out about dust free paper bedding brands by reading product descriptions and reviews on Amazon. Don’t just make a random purchase. It’s risky.

Clean and Dry

Now what’s the point of bedding if it’s not clean? Bedding isn’t just a decorative item as some people might assume.

It’s important and has a direct effect on your guinea pigs health. So before buying your paper bedding, find out about its absorbency.

Can it maintain dryness for a good amount of time? Can it absorb lots of urine? Can it remain clean for a day? These are questions you should answer before making your choice. Why is this important?

First, a wet or soiled bedding can cause urinary infections in your cavies. Dirty bedding will promote the growth of bacteria too.

Diseases like fly strike can come from dirty bedding. Making a good choice is important.

You want a bedding that you can easily maintain and hat fits your busy schedule, right? I know I sure do.

How Often Should You Change Paper Bedding For Guinea Pigs?

Change your guinea pigs paper bedding at least once a week. That means a complete change out. You’ll have to still spot clean the bedding daily, obviously. 

It’ll be great to note the area your piggies like to pee and change out the spot frequently. In summary, you should spot clean daily, refresh every 3 days, and fully change the bedding weekly.

All this is to ensure the safety of our fur babies. Soiled bedding isn’t healthy for them or you. It STINKS (badly too). And, it lets bacteria grow in it. That’s where all the weird named infections (like flystrike) come from.

Is Crumpled Paper Bedding Good For Guinea Pigs?

Yes, crumpled paper bedding is good for guinea pigs. It’s surprisingly soft and comfortable. Trust me, your piggies will totally love it.

It’s also among the less expensive of paper bedding types. So if you want good paper bedding at a decent price, you’ll find out that this one is a good option.

Want some more info? I’ll add a few key pros and cons of crumpled paper bedding.

Pros:

• It’s a very impressive odor blocker.
• It’s 99.5% dust-free.
• It contains zero chemicals.
• It absorbs liquid up to 3x it’s weight.
• It’s super expandable.

Cons:

• It’s super absorbent feature makes it heavy within a short time.
• It needs frequent changes to prevent it from getting too heavy.

What Can You Use Instead Of Paper For Guinea Pig Bedding?

You can use fleece or hay instead of paper for your guinea pigs bedding. There are a variety of options for your cavies’ bedding. Wood shavings are a common choice among piggie owners. 

The most popular ones include aspen and kiln dried pine shavings. Pellets are also very popular. Let’s learn more about some popular bedding options.

Fleece Liners

Fleece liners are the latest trend. Many piggie owners are obsessed with fleece liners. Truth be told, it’s a very beautiful bedding option. It’s also reusable so you don’t have to buy it as often as paper bedding. It’s soft and comfy too!

What’s more? It can be pre-treated. Some are even antibacterial. The downside of this bedding is that it requires lots of laundry.

Cleaning it can be stressful too. Plus, some piggie owners don’t like fleece because it doesn’t look natural.

Newspaper and Hay

Newspaper and hay are also quite popular bedding options. In fact, hay has always been popular because it’s also piggie food.

Using newspapers as bedding comes with a risk. The ink on the papers can be toxic to guinea pigs if they eat it. Newspapers aren’t really great absorbents either. 

As for hay, there’s a risk of dust and skin irritation. Poor quality hay may be dusty…VERY dusty. 

Hay also gets soiled pretty quickly.

Shredded Paper

Now this one isn’t a top choice for many people and it’s for a good reason. Shredded paper with ink or chemicals is dangerous for piggies but natural ones are safe.

This shouldn’t be used as a standalone bedding though. It’s not good at controlling odor.

Besides, most people only use shredded paper as emergency options or as bedding support.

It’s cool to use it along with another bedding type. It’ll help in providing more absorbency.

Best Paper Bedding Options For Guinea Pigs

If you don’t know much about paper bedding and their brands, I’ve got you. Here are my top recommendations:

Carefresh paper bedding

This bedding is super soft, 99.9% dust-free, and ultra absorbent. It’s also safe for your cavies. You can buy Carefresh paper bedding here.

Kaytee extreme odor control bedding

This bedding can control odor for up to 14 days. It can absorb 6x its weight in liquid. Plus, it’s safe and comfy. Buy Kaytee paper bedding here.

Small Pet Select unbleached white paper bedding

This brand is quite popular and also very absorbent. This particular bedding is white which makes it easy to spot dirt. It’s also sludge free and 99% dust-free. Buy this bedding on Amazon here.

Final Thoughts

So, is paper bedding good for your guinea pigs? 

Absolutely! Remember to purchase only from reputable brands (like my recommendations). 

Don’t let the bedding get thoroughly soaked before you change it. You’ll also want to spot clean it daily to maintain the fresh vibe.

If you don’t like paper bedding, you can try out the other bedding options I listed.

I know you’ll make the best decision for you and your little friends.

You’ve got this!