Bedding Good bedding other than pine and carefresh? - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**Ted&Ham** · #1 08-24-09, 04:25 pm

I am through with pine! It smells so quickly and I am just tired of it. I've tried carefresh but it doesn't please me.

I hate Kaytee products but I've seen reviews of the Kaytee soft sorbent. I'm not considering it but I just wanted to know what you think of it if anyone has tried it.

So does anyone know a good and cheap alternative to pine and carefresh? Also I can't shop online so I have to buy from PetSuck (PetSmart)

PS. I don't really like fleece that much either. >->

Thanks. ^-^

**akstrohm** · #2 08-24-09, 04:35 pm

Bedding

**vics2004** · #3 08-24-09, 05:11 pm

Not sure if you can get it in USA but I use megazorb

**Ted&Ham** · #4 08-24-09, 05:18 pm

I don't think that is in the USA.

But I am also wondering about Yesterdays News.

Is it good at controlling odors for at least a week?

Oh and how much would a 12.4 lb bag cover in cubic inches and feet?

**trump_cinnamon** · #5 08-24-09, 05:24 pm

Yesterday's News is a cat litter that you could try, as it is very absorbent. I use it in my litter boxes for the piggies. The only problem I have with it is that it is not very soft for the piggy's feet.

**Irishmoon** · #6 08-24-09, 05:25 pm

I'm not sure where you are located but do you have a Fleet Farm in your town? I buy shaved aspen bedding, a 50lb compressed bag for $6.00 and my piggies love it. Fleet Farm is a hardware store/farm store so if you dont have a Fleet Farm but something like it I would try there. It's horse bedding basically but farm stores normally have bulk stuff for cheap.

**Ly&Pigs** · #7 08-24-09, 05:34 pm

Everyone: Please refrain from using symbols like >-> and ^-^ in your posts to represent smilies/emoticons. They are distracting, unnecessary and against the rules.

**Ted&Ham** · #8 08-24-09, 08:05 pm

Thanks Ly. Its a habit. I'll try my best to stop. Haha.

And no I do not have a Fleet Farm in my town. I live in Tracy, CA which is in my terms, the little ghost town.

I may try Yesterdays News but I need to find something comfortable.

**lissie** · #9 08-24-09, 10:07 pm

I did a search on Google Map with the keyword "feed store". I saw a lot came up. You can probably try those places.

**Aquena** · #10 08-24-09, 10:14 pm

I like Yesterdays News, they do make it in different textures...but since I started using towels under my fleece, I only need it in my litter box. Myself, I do recommend Yesterdays News.

Pine and other wood shavings can be toxic - aromatic oils. I think Aspen is safe, but you go through that like water - once it gets wet it just holds the smell and stays damp.

**Ted&Ham** · #11 08-24-09, 11:16 pm

I also heard about a cheap knock off of carefresh called crittercare.

Is that any good?

**jumbolaya** · #12 08-25-09, 12:35 am

I haven't tried CritterCare, but I used to use Carefresh which is pretty good - but expensive! I've started a fleece cage liner, and 3 litter boxes. The litter boxes have Yesterday's News, then some aspen, and a bit of Carefresh on top. It seems to work pretty well. I just scoop off the wet Aspen/Carefresh daily and do a weekly litter box change.

**jumbolaya** · #13 08-25-09, 12:37 am

Just found this link while researching Critter Care!

http://www.guinealynx.info/bedding_paper.html

**Wodentoad** · #14 08-25-09, 09:56 am

Pardon my interruption, and please don't read this as anything more than curiosity and attempt to find a workable solution, but may I ask what you don't like about fleece? Is it a personal tactile preference? or is it the clean up? Because there may be a solution that would allow you to use it instead of expensive messy bedding. I can wholly understand the tactile thing, as an example, I can't stand to touch velvet or corduroy, but there are fleeces that feel different but work just fine. As for clean up, there might be a way to clean it that would be easier for you and luxurious for your furry friends.

Carefresh works fine, but it really needs a buddy to help hold in the smell, so we usually layered it with yesterdays news. We cleaned it out every other week, and freshened every 3-4 days, cleaning the most used areas. This did a pretty good job, but is very expensive. We were spending $80 or more per month, which I now spend on toys and bell peppers and gourmet hay and pellet (Not really gourmet, Oxbow, and not more expensive).

You should try a litter tray as someone else suggested. Ours use them as a bed and leave it to pee

, but some take quite well to them, and it may help. I hope you find a solution!

**Aquena** · #15 08-25-09, 10:29 am

Go for the fleece (look in the bargain bin - I bought mine for $4/yard at JoAnn) and put a couple towels underneath. It works for me! I vacuum the poopies every day, and wash the fleece and bedding as needed (about every 5-6 days). Fleece and towels also make for good footing, no slippery bedding to climb through, no dust, no mess. Just buy something for your litter pans.

**Ted&Ham** · #16 08-25-09, 07:52 pm

I dont know why but my mom doesnt like fleece. Probably because we don't have much time to spot clean. I think I'll keep looking for a bedding for now. Thanks for the suggestions though.

**1frankie7** · #17 08-28-09, 04:39 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted&Ham

I am through with pine! It smells so quickly and I am just tired of it. I've tried carefresh but it doesn't please me.

I hate Kaytee products but I've seen reviews of the Kaytee soft sorbent. I'm not considering it but I just wanted to know what you think of it if anyone has tried it.

So does anyone know a good and cheap alternative to pine and carefresh? Also I can't shop online so I have to buy from PetSuck (PetSmart)

PS. I don't really like fleece that much either. >->

Thanks. ^-^

Might i recomend megazorb it works really well

.

**1frankie7** · #18 08-28-09, 04:39 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted&Ham

I am through with pine! It smells so quickly and I am just tired of it. I've tried carefresh but it doesn't please me.

I hate Kaytee products but I've seen reviews of the Kaytee soft sorbent. I'm not considering it but I just wanted to know what you think of it if anyone has tried it.

So does anyone know a good and cheap alternative to pine and carefresh? Also I can't shop online so I have to buy from PetSuck (PetSmart)

PS. I don't really like fleece that much either. >->

Thanks. ^-^