# Guinea Pig Help Please



## Nela (Sep 30, 2010)

I am thinking of what I want to do with the piggies housing... I want to use mdf and then put tiles on top of the mdf to make a nice durable floor that can easily be cleaned. 

Now... Years and years ago, when I had my very first piggies, my father had bought me a children's sandbox and housed my piggies in that and yes, he had put sand. I quite remember the guinea pigs popcorning happily. 

Would it be safe to put some play sand over the flooring? I think they would like to run in it and schuffle it around... It'd be very easy for me to clean as well since I could just sweep it all up. Also very good for my allergies... 

They are on soil in nature right? I guess if sand isn't safe I could use soil? I'd much prefer sand though as I don't know how I feel about soil in the house. Plus, if sand gets wet, it's not as messy as soil and I think the piggies wouldget dirty rather easilyon soil.

Many people let the bunnies play in sand... I know Smores loves it. I'm guessing it should be safe. I don't think a guinea pig would eat the sand but I thought I would ask and get feedback from those with more experience


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## Bunnymom,K (Sep 30, 2010)

A fine grain sand should be just fine as long as it is not chemically treated or dyed. Also be sure to check the piggies feet and genitals to be sure they are not having issues with the sand.


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## Nela (Sep 30, 2010)

Alright thank you very much :biggrin2:


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## Anaira (Sep 30, 2010)

I wouldn't think it would control smell very well. If you have allergies, maybe try looking at fleece, or vet bed? I know a lot of people use that with success.


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## jessicalovesjesse (Sep 30, 2010)

I second fleece.
Most piggie owners I know use it, and I use it for my rats.
It's really easy to deal with and looks nice.


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## Nela (Oct 5, 2010)

Thanks guys. I definitely will not be using fleece though. That would be soiled within minutes? :expressionless


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## Nela (Oct 5, 2010)

Meant to add, I might just try the sand or put some sand in a spot but I am thinking of using a cotton bedding I have been using for the rabbits. :biggrin2:


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## jessicalovesjesse (Oct 5, 2010)

Nela wrote:


> Thanks guys. I definitely will not be using fleece though. That would be soiled within minutes? :expressionless



Nope.
You put the fleece over a towel and it wicks the pee to the bottom where the towel absorbs it.
You just sweep up poos everyday and I wash my fleece and change it out once a week.
Very easy.
http://hubpages.com/hub/fleeceforbedding


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## Anaira (Oct 5, 2010)

*Nela wrote: *


> Meant to add, I might just try the sand or put some sand in a spot but I am thinking of using a cotton bedding I have been using for the rabbits. :biggrin2:


You could try that, with just a layer of fleece over it; guinea pigs are a LOT messier than rabbits, and practically impossible to toilet train. 

More ideas for fleece combos Here.


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## akane (Oct 6, 2010)

Male pigs tend to get sand crammed up various areas. They like to drag their butts to mark things and you'll end up having to clean them out which is very disgusting. Also if they ingest too much sand it could cause a problem like sand colic in horses that are fed hay on sand or graze on sandy pastures.

Fleece over towels or something else absorbent works well if you have a good washing machine, vacuum, and not too many pigs. Just using cotton or other absorbent materials without fleece will give you soaked pigs and the same if you use fleece with nothing absorbent under it. You want to try to get fleece that is not waterproofed but unfortunately they are not labelled. If possible buy a sample or the smallest size allowed and dump some water on it to see if it pools or soaks through. Otherwise run it through the wash a bunch of times before using it to help remove the waterproofing.


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## Nela (Oct 6, 2010)

Oh okay :confused2:I shall keep the fleece in mind then!


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## AquaticRex (Oct 6, 2010)

lol these ppl are very persuasive eh? lmao


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## Nela (Oct 7, 2010)

Lol, still not convinced but it'd be wrong to completely ignore something that people seem to have success with if I have no experience with it


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## akane (Oct 7, 2010)

One very large fleece cage with a little hay section:












7x2.33' with a 2.33x2.33' hay section that they had to jump over a brick to get to and 8 sows plus 1 boar. 1 layer of 200 weight (medium thickness) huntingdon brand fleece and 2 layers of cotton towels. It stayed completely dry on top. Every 3-4 days the entire thing was rolled from one end to the other and a new layer of towels was set down then the previous bottom layer of towels was rolled over that and the previous top layer was removed to the washer before the fleece was rolled back down. Sounds complicated but only took about 5mins. Every week the fleece was washed or switched. Vacuumed daily (took 2mins) with occasional spot vacuuming under houses with a hand vac. It actually worked out great when I had short bits of time every day but when I started not getting home until 8pm on week days it became easier to go back to standard bedding and just spend half of saturday and sunday cleaning cages. I had another 4 boars in the cage under that one and sometimes a cage with a sow and pups and in the other room.

Shavings and hay are murder on fleece so it has to be kept separated. Hay over wheat pellets:





Love love love wheat pellets as bedding but currently only oxbow makes them and they charge a fortune for the things. :/ I'd only get a bag when I made a big order of over 200lbs of feed because then I got the feed at like $.50/lb and it didn't add any more shipping to throw in a bag or 2 of wheat pellets. That lasted a fair amount of time when I was just using them in small hay areas or litter boxes. Some guinea pigs will pee in litter boxes but none can be trained to purposely poop in one. When I couldn't get wheat pellets and now that oxbow no longer sells directly to customers so I can't get a deal on large orders I use pine pellets. Far dustier though and has that downside of volatile oils even if it's far less in the pellets than the shavings.


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## Happi Bun (Oct 7, 2010)

Technically the Guinea pigs we have as pets are domesticated descendants of a closely related species and do not even exist naturally in the wild. Weird, right? 

I really wouldn't use sand. Like akane mentioned, males mark by dragging their butts across the floor. This is gross, but they have sacks that debris can and will become trapped inside. When that is the case you have to clean it out. Not fun, let me tell ya. My experience with sand is it all is incredibly dusty as well. Guinea Pigs also love to use their noses to root through things. The sand could easily be inhaled through the nostrils causing irritation or go in the eyes.

I'm a fleece user! Switched from wood type bedding about a year back. I have two males and only need to wash the fleece and towels once a week. No smell and they stay dry. I do have to sweep up poops twice daily. No biggie though. 

Fleece isn't for everyone though, that is for sure.

This was my boys cage for a while...





akane- Are all those piggies yours?


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Oct 7, 2010)

love the piggie pics, and cages Akane and Happibun!!!!!! I wanted to add that i used Fleece too, i think the more piggies the more often you might have to change it. I loved my fleece,lol.


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## Nela (Oct 7, 2010)

Lol okies... I will have to try it... I'm curious now. I do use a fleece blanket when they are out on the couch Thanks for the explanations and pictures! I'll probably not use the sand


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## JadeIcing (Oct 7, 2010)

I tried several different ways when I had pigs. My fave was when I had towels under fleece.


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## jessicalovesjesse (Oct 7, 2010)

Mannn I want piggies now.  Maybe after we move...
Hmmm...
My boyfriend would kill me. I just love piggie cages though!


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## Nela (Oct 13, 2010)

Okies...

I can see how the fleece does work now... I have half fleece half cotton bedding in there now :biggrin: Thanks again!


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## Anaira (Oct 13, 2010)

I bet the piggies love it, too! I know one person who has low-hanging hammocks for her piggies, they love it.


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## Nela (Oct 13, 2010)

So far, no smell. It's been great. I think I could vaccuum the poops straight off the fleece. Lol. The only thing is having to wash it which is a bit less fun because I don't like the idea of washing it in the washing machine much but ok, we give and take.


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## jessicalovesjesse (Oct 13, 2010)

When you wash it just add a bit of Vinegar.
It really shouldn't hurt/affect the washing machine at all.
I wash my rat's things in there all the time with no issues.


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## Anaira (Oct 13, 2010)

Some people have mini handheld vaccuum cleaners just for poop. 

My family are a bit fussy, so I soak my rat things in Napi-San first, then rinse them in the machine. I dunno why they have a problem with rat things, and not guinea pigs, but hey. :/


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## Jaded (Oct 13, 2010)

*Anaira wrote: *


> Some people have mini handheld vaccuum cleaners just for poop.


Haha thats to much, I would just sweep it


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