Paper bedding is very popular bedding for guinea pigs and there are so many products available in the market. But, What is the best paper bedding for guinea pigs?
Carefresh Confetti Natural Paper Bedding is the best overall paper bedding for guinea pigs, as it’s highly absorbent, comfortable, and very affordable. Small Pet Select Natural Paper Bedding is the best in terms of softness and it’s also great absorbent. Small Pet Select also offers high-quality unbleached paper bedding.
Kaytee Clean & Cozy Paper Bedding and Vitakraft Fresh World Crumble Paper Bedding are also great options for your guinea pigs.
Let’s take a look at the top paper bedding for guinea pigs with their pros, cons, and price.
Table of Contents
7 Best paper bedding for guinea pigs
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Here are the top 7 paper bedding that you can use for the guinea pig’s cage.
1. Carefresh Confetti Natural Paper Bedding
Carefresh is the best paper bedding for guinea pigs. Not only that, in terms of popularity, it is in the top two of all bedding for guinea pigs. But, why is it so?
The main reasons are – absorbency, price, and comfort.
Good paper bedding can provide you with the best absorbency compared to any other type of bedding for guinea pigs.
Carefresh Confetti Paper Bedding is super absorbent and controls moisture from poop or urine extremely well
Moreover, it offers you a greater and longer odor control than many bedding.
Absorbency is 2x higher than wood shavings. It keeps the bedding dry for a very long time.
You can also expect this bedding to prevent any bad smell for up to 10 days. So, you can use the same bedding for a long time, and no need to replace it frequently.
Carefresh Confetti Paper Bedding comes at the cheapest price compared to other bedding. But, an interesting fact is that it ensures high quality. You will get almost all the advantages.
So, I would like to add that this paper bedding is softer and more comfortable than wood shaving. Though it may not be soft like fleece bedding, your guinea pig will love it.
Carefresh makes these bedding materials from scratch. They use natural paper fibers to ensure safety and quality.
To make it safe for your guinea pigs, they process and filter it nicely. So, it doesn’t contain paper ink, dust, or any harmful chemical.
However, you should make sure it’s dusty after opening the pack as occasionally some batch may be a little dusty.
This bedding is also 100% biodegradable and compostable.
Though it offers a variety of colors, I will suggest you go with the colorless variety. This is applicable for all the paper bedding in this article or others.
Pros
Ultra-absorbent and moisture control
High odor control, up to 10 days
Very affordable
Comfortable
Made from reclaimed natural fibers
100% Biodegradable
Can be composted
Available in both colorful and colorless variety
99% Dust-free
No ink, harmful chemical, or synthetic dyes
Longer lasting between changing
Cons
Color variety may not look good
Product name
Carefresh Small Pet Bedding
2. Small Pet Select Natural Paper Bedding
This natural paper bedding is one of the best bedding for guinea pigs right now. It can serve all the purposes of bedding extremely well. But, you may wonder why I listed it on number two?
The reason is the cost. Small Pet Select Natural Paper Bedding is the best option for you if you have a good budget.
Speaking of the advantage I must tell you that it’s hard to find any drawback of this product because Small pet select maintains the quality all the time.
This Natural Paper Bedding is probably the softest paper bedding and your guinea pig will love it.
Moreover, the absorbency of the bedding is superb. It can control moisture from poo or urine very well. In terms of controlling smell, it’s also great.
Small pet select paper bedding is made of Pure Unbleached inkless paper. It’s safe for guinea pigs as it goes through special treatment and therefore contains no chemicals or dust.
It has no additives or scent. So, it’s completely safe for your guinea pigs.
You may be shocked if you see the size of the package. But, the interesting fact is each bag expands volume up to 3 times the size.
So, you will get a larger amount of bedding materials with a good value.
This bedding is also very easy to clean. Poop hides under the paper pieces very well and the guinea pig doesn’t come in contact with poop. So, it maintains good hygiene as well.
Pros
Extremely soft and cozy
Expandable in volume
Highly absorbent
Great at moisture and smell-control
Value for money
Safe for guinea pigs
Dust-free
Natural paper and eco-friendly
No ink, paint, or scent
Easy to clean and maintain
Cons
Slightly pricey
Product Name
Small Pet Select Natural Paper Bedding
3. Small Pet Select Unbleached White Paper Bedding
Small Pet Select provides you another great quality paper bedding made of unbleached paper fibers.
The price of the product is almost similar to that of Small Pet Select’s natural paper bedding. It has a good value for money.
This paper bedding is 3 times expandable in volume. You can use this bedding safely for guinea pigs because they ensure the product is Sludge-free 99% dust-free. It also has no recycled print or chemicals.
This paper bedding has a higher absorption rate and controls moisture nicely. It can also prevent bad smell between cleanings.
This Unbleached Paper Bedding is white in colors and so it will look messy if you can’t do spot-cleaning regularly. But, spot-cleaning and maintenance work is so easy.
Your guinea pig is going to love the bedding because it’s so soft and comfortable for their feet.
Though, sometimes one or two packs maybe a little bit smelly. In most cases, it’s odorless. You can check it out before spreading the bedding on the floor.
Since the bedding is 95%biodegradable, you shouldn’t compost it in the garden.
Pros
Highly absorbent
Good odor-control
Very soft and cozy
Expands volume (3X)
Dust extracted
Easy spot-cleaning
No smell and chemicals
Value for money
Cons
Maybe a little bit smelly (some batches)
Product Name
Small Pet Select Unbleached White Paper Bedding
4. Kaytee Clean & Cozy Paper Bedding
Kaytee offers you great quality paper bedding for your guinea pigs just like their other products.
Clean & Cozy Paper Bedding is very soft and fluffy, therefore comfortable for their sensitive paws. These long recycled fiber strands have a good absorption capacity. It can expand 6 times its original weight when touched with moisture.
Though it can control odor well, some batches may not be so good at preventing bad odor for a long time.
It’s safe for your guinea pigs as it is non-toxic and 99.9% dust Free. This product also provides a variety of colors and scents. But, always try to pick colorless and unscented paper bedding for your guinea pig’s health.
Though it contains low dust, it may feel dusty when you do spot-cleaning.
Pros
Very soft, cozy, and fluffy
Affordable price
Good absorbency
99.9% Dust Free
Easy to clean
Available in colors
Cons
Slightly Expensive
May not control odor for a long time
Product name
Kaytee Clean & Cozy White Small Animal Bedding
5. Vitakraft Fresh World Crumble Paper Bedding
Crumble paper bedding by Vitakraft Fresh World is a good bedding option for your guinea pigs.
This product is made from 100% recycled paper and completely safe for guinea pigs as it is
baking soda-free, non-toxic, unbleached, and 99.5% dust-free.
Probably, Vitakraft Fresh World Crumble paper bedding is one of the best bedding materials in controlling bad odors. It can prevent any bad smell for a very long time.
This paper bedding absorbs moisture 3 times more than its weight and it’s super expandible. It controls moisture nicely and keeps the cage dry for weeks.
Though it’s like paper pellets, it’s soft and cozy for your guinea pig’s soft feet.
This Crumble paper bedding reduces the maintenance work because it lasts longer.
However, when it absorbs moisture, it gets heavier. So, you may have to deal with it when you do spot-cleaning.
This product is expensive compared to other options on the list.
Also, be sure after opening the pack if there is a lot of dust.
Pros
Controls odors up to 14 days
Extremely well absorbency
Well expandable
Longer lasting
Low cleaning frequency
Soft and comfortable
No harmful chemicals
99.5% dust-free
Biodegradable and compostable
Cons
Slightly higher in price
A little bit dusty, occasionally (Some batches)
Product Name
Vitakraft Fresh World Ultra Strength Crumble Bedding
6. PURINA Yesterday’s News Unscented Paper
PURINA Yesterday’s News store offers you great quality paper bedding. These are the strand paper pellets that work great as a bedding material or in a litter box. But, you can see a cat image on the pack. So, you may be wondering, why I listed it here for your guinea pigs?
The reason is many guinea pig’s owners are using this unscented large granule bedding safely and are extremely satisfied with that.
This bedding controls moisture superbly. Pellets absorb moisture from poop or urine fast and then expand. This keeps your piggies not standing on their poop or pee.
It provides you 3X absorbency and keeps the bedding dry for a very long time.
The more interesting fact is it can control bad odor greatly in between cleanings.
It’s made with recycled papers and they ensure the product has no harmful chemicals and is 99% dust-free. Paper pellets are also non-abrasive and soft for piggy’s paws.
If not as bedding, you can use this in the litter as it’s great at absorbency and odor control.
However, it may not be so easy to clean because it expands and becomes heavy after absorbing moisture. It’s also expensive compared to other paper bedding.
If you choose this paper bedding, go for an unscented version, as colorful products may not be good or safe for guinea pigs.
Pros
Powerful odor control
Great absorbency
Unscented
99% dust-free
No chemicals
Non-toxic
Soft and safe
Stay dry for a long time
Eco-friendly
Cons
A little bit difficult to clean
High price
Product Name
PURINA Yesterday’s News Odor Control, Lightweight, Unscented Paper Cat Litter
7. Homemade Paper bedding
You can use homemade paper bedding for your guinea pigs such as shredded paper bedding or DIY paper pulp bedding.
Get plain paper and shred them into small pieces and spread it over the floor of the cage to make paper bedding.
However, you should never do that with paper that contains ink such as newspaper. Ink or this type of chemical is dangerous for guinea pig’s health if they eat a piece of them.
Shredded paper is an easy and cost-effective option to make bedding. It can absorb moisture nicely as well. But, it can’t be great as the regular paper bedding designed for guinea pigs that I have already listed above.
Know about the advantages and disadvantages of using shredded paper bedding.
Another good DIY bedding can be made using homemade paper pulp. Just like paper bedding that you get from a pet store, you can make paper bedding at your home using inkless and plain paper.
Follow the proper methods to make paper pellets. These become almost similar to those regular paper bedding. It can absorb moisture and control odor nicely.
However, the process is time-consuming and needs a lot of work to do.
Both shredded papers and DIY paper pulp bedding can be effective when you are out of bedding materials. But, you shouldn’t use them in the long run as they can’t be good as regular bedding.
Pros
Very cheap in price
Urgent solution when out of bedding materials
Effectively absorb moisture
Can control odor
Cons
May need an extra effort
May contains dust and harmful ink
Not effective as paper bedding that’s designed especially for guinea pigs
Things to be considered before buying paper bedding for guinea pigs
Less or no dust
The main problem with using paper bedding is the dust. This is the reason you can’t use any kind of paper for a guinea pig cage.
Dust particles are dangerous for your guinea pigs because they can’t breathe properly in a dusty place. This will lead to lung problems and even life-threatening complications.
Cheap paper bedding may contain dust particles. So, you shouldn’t go for a cheaper product in this case.
Check out the label of the product and buy dust-free paper bedding for guinea pigs from a well-known brand, because they filter the papers and do various processing to make them dust-free. Recheck the product after opening the pack.
Ink-free
Many people wonder if the paper is readily available, but they have to buy paper bedding for guinea pigs? Usually, the paper you use contains ink, paint, or other chemicals that are very harmful to guinea pigs, as they sometimes eat the paper pieces.
So, you must ensure that you get a good quality product containing no ink or added chemicals.
Colorless
Many paper bedding are available in different colors. It may look fancy and great to you while using inside the cage. But, you should avoid that and go with colorless paper bedding.
Those added colors can cause health issues if your guinea pigs eat a few pieces of the bedding.
Odor-free
Make sure that paper bedding doesn’t have any smell. You may like the smell, but it can be bad for your guinea pig’s health. Their respiratory system can’t bear such a strong smell.
Super absorbency
Usually, paper bedding has a higher absorbency capacity than any other bedding for guinea pigs. However, some cheap products may not be the same.
So, ensure it can control the moisture on the floor. Good bedding must have great absorbency and moisture-controlling properties.
Good odor-controlling
Another important property for guinea pig bedding is controlling odor. Make sure that the paper bedding you choose can prevent and control bad odor after you put it on the floor of the cage.
Soft and cozy
Guinea pigs need a soft surface where they can walk freely without getting hurt to their feet.
Though paper bedding is soft and using it., you should usually
However, if you still want a softer bedding option go with fleece bedding.
Less messy
Some paper bedding gets messy so quickly. Try to get a product that will get less messy and keep the cage and room clean.
Longer lasting between cleaning
Paper bedding may get moldy fast when they get wet. They may not last very long. So, make sure that the paper bedding lasts at least 5-7 days before you have to replace it.
FAQ for guinea pigs paper bedding
Can guinea pigs have paper bedding?
Paper bedding can be used for guinea pig paper bedding because it’s the best in absorbing moisture and controlling odors. Moreover, good paper bedding is also comfortable for guinea pigs and doesn’t contain any dangerous chemicals.
How much paper bedding does a guinea pig need?
Paper bedding should be two to three inches thick to absorb moisture perfectly and make it comfortable for guinea pig’s soft feet.
Is natural paper bedding good for guinea pigs?
Natural paper bedding is good for guinea pigs as it’s not only soft, comfortable, affordable, and highly absorbent. It’s a great bedding material because of its great moisture and odor-controlling.
Is paper bedding OK for guinea pigs?
Paper bedding is safe for guinea pigs because it contains no harmful chemicals such as aromatic oils like wood bedding. High-quality paper bedding products also don’t contain any dust, added chemicals, and colors. Moreover, it works great as bedding materials for your guinea pigs.
How much does guinea pig paper bedding cost?
50 liters of Paper bedding for guinea pigs may cost you anywhere from 15$ to 75$ depending on the types of paper used to make the bedding.
Takeaways
Carefresh Confetti and Small Pet Select Natural Paper Bedding are two of the best and popular paper bedding for guinea pigs. Carefresh Confetti paper bedding is the best option for you if you have a low budget whereas Small Pet Select Natural Paper Bedding is the best if you want softer bedding. However, you can also consider using Crumble, Yesterday’s News, and unbleached paper Bedding for guinea pigs.
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I am Pallab Kishore, owner of Little Pets Realm. I share important tips, advice and answer all the queries to solve various problems about small pets such as guinea pigs and hamsters on this website.