I think I'm giving up newspaper in all spots except the inserts -- it's just too stinky, and I like the ease of spot cleaning sans paper. Thanks for the feedback!

Do most people line their cages with newspaper and then load up on shavings? He's my dilemma.... When I use newspaper to line the cage, it gives the pigs better traction and is easy to roll up and pitch, but I find that it STINKS because they pee such an ENORMOUS amount after a day or two...

Use the "search forum" box in the upper right of the screen -- there are so many types of bedding available from pine shavings to fleece to carefresh.... Lots of options, based on level of mainenance you want, aesthetics, price, etc. Good luck!

When we first got our pigs from Amiable Animals, she gave us a large bag of KM hay...the boys just devoured it. We had ordered some Oxbow hay, and decided to switch and see if they liked it....they wouldn't touch it for two days, then gradually started to nibble, and when we introduced both at...

I should have listened to Slap...we went from pine to fleece to aspen....and now back to pine! Fleece was too stinky in the heat and too much upkeep. Aspen has a funky aroma and does seem to smell faster. (Some other here love it, though, and it's supposedly safer for pigs.) I'm back to pine...

I've got to admit, my only complaint about piggie care was cleaning the cage. It's not that it's hard or time consuming, but I hated having to huck a garbage bag of organic, recyclable material into a landfill every week. That's over 52 bags in a year! Sooooo, I finally got off of my duff and...

I think the wood stove pellets look great if you have a really solid base -- my cage is on grids, and I think the weight would be too much. We extended our cage, and there are two rooms on either side with pine shavings and a little carefresh (also their hidey houses, food and hay racks -- one...

Just an FYI -- I know that I've read posts before from people who use newspaper under their bedding and the costs of buying it. Our local post office has a recycle bin for people with PO boxes, and there are a few free local papers/classifieds that come to everyone. I've begun regularly...

We used two grids bent into "L" shapes and cable-tied to the back of the cage as their 'lofts' -- they are covered with a puppy pad and some towels that I change out every three days. They get a little exercise going up and down, and they LOVE to lay up there and sleep or munch on hay. (We use...

My friend had a large guinea pig cage, and it always had an odor problem even with just one pig. (Plus they paid like $150 for it!) When we got the two, I built a C&C cage in under an hour (although I must admit it took half a day to drive and pick up all the supplies). After a few weeks of...

If odor is your problem, I wouldn't use fleece as an absorbant layer. Have you seen those extra large re-usable pads for incontinent dogs? You can wash and re-use them, and they have better absorbancy and smell control. I'd try that or a used mattress pad (wicked cheap on Ebay). I love...

I know this is a late post, but have you tried Ebay? You can get used pads for cheap...

Thanks again to those who responded -- I appreciate the reassurance.

How do you know if they are allergic to the shavings?

We are absolute newbies in the guinea-pig department. (I feel like I'm getting ready to have my first child again -- the worry about doing the right thing and not mucking it up!) When I was buying my supplies, the feed store guy recommended the pine since it was a huge bag and relatively...

We are preparing to adopt two guinea pigs from a local rescue. (Thanks to this website for the cage idea and information -- we never would have a chosen such a large and suitable home without it!) I purchased a large bag of kiln-dried pine bedding, and have been airing it out before using...