Suggestions for best cavy bedding

Question
Hi Pat,

I had sent an email to your personal email as well as pics of the 4 cavies.  I didn't get a response to your email so i figured I'd send my question this way.
 
I have another question.  I heard that fleece makes good bedding for guinea pigs and you can put it in their cage and put a doggie pee pad under it or towel for absorption and then clean the fleece every few days or so.  Is this ok?  What if they chew it?  It seems to me that it could cause problems if they chewed it?  They say you can replace aspen shavings with the fleece but it's not absorbant so that's why you need towels or pee pads underneath?  What are your thoughts on this? Winters here are so cold that I'd love to provide them fleece as an option but want to make sure it's safe.

Also, I got the piggies some dried corn husk for bedding.  Do you know if this is ok?  I know that they can eat corn husk.  They chew the dried stuff but I haven't seen them actually eat it.  It doesn't seem that they really use it either though.

Hope you had a Happy Holiday and also have a wonderful New Year.

Sincerely,
Heather

Answer
I'm so sorry I didn't get the email.  I think my spam filter does just a little too much thinking on its own and tosses things I want to keep.  I'd still love to see the pictures.

As for the bedding that's not as difficult as it seems. I know a number of people who use fleece and love it. The pigs enjoy the comfort of the soft bedding. The drawback is having to do the laundry. It's more maintenance than shavings and you need to stay on top of it to keep odor down. If your cage is large enough and you only have a couple of pigs it's not so much an issue. I don't think chewing on the fleece will be a problem. They prefer hard things to chew on. That's how they keep their teeth properly worn.

I honestly don't know about the pee pads. You'd probably have to try them to find out if they work the way you want them too. I have friends that use the corn husk bedding and are really happy with it. I've seen articles here and there about pine shavings but have to disagree with the majority of them.  I've used pine for many years and never had a problem. I find them more absorbable and seem to control any potential odor. I also put a thick layer of Bermuda hay over the shavings.

We discourage cedar shavings because of the oils that could cause respiratory problems.  But I think that depends on the environment the pigs are in.  If there's plenty of ventilation it's not a problem. I know people that use nothing but cedar and have never had any issues with it.

Pine shavings are the most readily available which is probably why they're used so widely by people with large caviaries like mine. It's more cost effective than other beddings.

Shredded paper is another choice, but again each of us have different needs. Not everyone can find the shredded paper and it too can be costly.  And the reality is we're all concerned about costs so the budget often dictates what we choose.

Cavies do well in cold weather as long as they have a shelter. A small wooden box, an oatmeal box with both ends cut out, a cardboard box just to name a few. Their body temperatures are much higher than ours and if they're in a small little area like an igloo, etc, they radiate quite a bit of heat.

If you put your hand inside the box or igloo when they're inside you will be amazed at how warm it actually is. If there are a couple of pigs inside it stays toasty warm for them.

Whatever you use and are happy with is the right choice for you. I don't think there's a magic choice that is the absolute best for everyone. It's a personal thing.