Disposable bedding is the simplest way to set up a guinea pig cage. There's no washing or wicking—just fill, use, and replace. The two main categories are wood shavings and paper products, and each has its own strengths depending on your priorities.
Regardless of which type you choose, disposable bedding should completely cover the cage floor to a depth of 2-3 inches. This applies across the board—wood shavings, paper bedding, paper pellets, and hemp bedding all need this same depth to absorb properly and keep your guinea pigs comfortable underfoot.
Wood Shavings
Wood shavings are a low-cost, low-maintenance option. The wood naturally helps mask odor without relying on chemical additives. Check the bedding daily for dampness—especially under hideys and in the corners, where moisture tends to collect. Any bedding that's wet and saturated should be replaced right away, not left to dry out on its own.
Choosing a Safe Wood
All wood contains some level of phenols—naturally occurring chemicals that guinea pigs are sensitive to. Using a wood with high phenol content can make your guinea pigs sick, so it's essential to stick to safe types:
- Aspen: Naturally low in phenols, safe to use as-is.
- Kiln-dried pine: Pine that has been heat-treated to remove harmful phenols. Regular, non-kiln-dried pine is unsafe.
Look for shavings marketed for small animals or horses, and check for products that are low in dust with appropriately sized chips. You'll find these at most pet shops and farm stores.
Never use cedar. Cedar has extremely high phenol content and strong odors that are toxic to rodents, even in small amounts. Likewise, avoid any pine that hasn't been kiln-dried. Both can cause potentially fatal upper respiratory infections.
A Note on Terminology
In the United Kingdom, the terms "shavings" and "sawdust" are often used interchangeably. This can confuse US owners, since in the US "sawdust" specifically means the ultra-fine dust produced during woodworking—which is unsafe for animals. If a UK source refers to "sawdust," they almost always mean wood shavings, not the fine woodworking byproduct.
Paper Bedding
Paper products are another low-maintenance, disposable option.
Avoid any paper bedding containing fragrances, baking soda, or other odor-reducing additives. These are poisonous to guinea pigs. Baking soda in particular is a natural rodent poison that causes internal bleeding and organ rupture if ingested, yet some companies still add it as an odor control agent.
Soft Paper Bedding
This is one of the most popular bedding choices because it's low-dust and often recommended by veterinarians for guinea pigs with respiratory issues. It's soft and cushioned, making it a good fit for elderly guinea pigs or those with mobility problems. White bedding has the added benefit of making it easier to spot urinary problems or blood early.
Recommended brands include Rabbit Hole Hay, Small Pet Select, Oxbow, CareFresh, and Kaytee.
Natural brown and white are both good general choices—brown tends to hold odor best, while white makes it easiest to catch blood and related health issues. Colored bedding is safe too, since the dyes are food-grade, though it may stain your guinea pigs' fur.
Paper Pellets
Made from 100% recycled materials, paper pellets are safe and highly absorbent. Because they're firmer underfoot, add a thick layer of hay on top for cushioning and comfort. Small Pet Select, Oxbow, and Marshall's Ferret Litter all make suitable paper pellet products.
Stick to pellets actually made and marketed for small animal bedding. Avoid pellets designed for industrial use or wood-burning stoves—these contain additives that aren't safe for guinea pigs. The same warning applies to wood pellets: pellets made for stoves are treated with chemicals meant for fuel, so they should never be used with guinea pigs.
Newspaper and Shredded Paper
Newspaper and shredded paper are not practical for every day use. Newspaper doesn't hold much moisture and breaks down very quickly once wet. It's fine as a short-term emergency option, but the cage needs to be deep-cleaned daily to stay hygienic. Skip glossy pages, since they aren't absorbent.
Hemp Bedding
Hemp bedding, made from the woody stalks of the hemp plant (hemp hurds), is a newer but increasingly popular eco-friendly option. It contains no THC or marijuana, and there are no reported safety concerns for guinea pigs. Aubiose is a well-known brand in this category.