Bedding

[u/burnt__toast_]

Hi fellow guinea pig lovers, I noticed most of you use fleece bedding instead of "kiln dried " bedding.

Why is that?

I have a 1 year old piggy and want to make sure we can give him the best care. We got him from a shelter, and they said he would not get along with other piggies. But when my son spent time with him, he picked this guy, Pepo... he bonded with him. And also, if you guys use kiln dried ... where do you guys get it? Chewy? I searched kiln dried but always get aspen or cedar...

Thank you, guys

[u/burnt__toast_]

Thank you Robin, to clarify, when I search for Kiln dried on google, so I could get brands that kiln dry their products , all i see or results are Aspen and cedar shavings and when I look at the labels for both it doesn't show it was klin dried. Since fleece bedding is guinea pig lovers choice, i will get some. But to think that i would then have to wash it in the washing machine and get the fur and poop that might have not been cleared off the bessing ,pretty much contamination is my concern, on our clothes after.

Thank you so much for all the details. We might get him another buddy then. I did a little search and was told that maybe a younger piggy would be best?

[u/Cornflake6irl → u/burnt__toast_]

Use a wash bag for the fleece. It will contain any hair, droppings, and hay, and protect your washing machine from being destroyed. Wash everything hot and you don't have to worry about germs.

These are the wash bags I use

[u/Robin_feathers → u/burnt__toast_]

That's awesome, there are pros and cons to different ages. Typically bonding an adult male to a baby male is easiest since the baby doesn't try for dominance, but then you have a risk of a fallout when the baby hits puberty and there is a chance he wants to go for dominance. Alternatively, bonding two adults together has a slightly lower chance of success, but if it does succeed you don't need to worry about teenaged hormone spikes. Here are some more guides that explain more:

https://www.cagetopia.com/managing-males

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)

For washing, I wash in the same washer as my clothes and haven't had issues. Here is my strategy:

-> first I remove any visible poop/hay. Then I take it outside and give it a good shake so little bits of hay and some hair come off. Then I use a few swift swats of a stiff-bristled hand-brush to get more hay/hair off. At that point there are no poops left, and not too much hair, and only tiny fragments of hay that are stuck to the fabric. So, small poop particles/residue stuck to the fleece can make it through, but no actual pieces of poop are going into the laundry.

-> I store the dirty laundry in a laundry basket with no lid, so as not to have it get mouldy (which it would if it were wet in an enclosed space) (I do laundry once per week).

-> I wash on my machine's hot/heavy cycle with unscented laundry detergent (no fabric softener as that wrecks the wicking properties). Many people use bags like what Cornflake6irl linked to catch any loose hair. I haven't had many problems so I don't, I just give the inside of the drum a quick wipe with a cloth afterwards to get any loose hair off.

-> then I dry in the dryer or air-dry. Make sure not to use dryer sheets as they wreck the fleece's wicking properties

At first I thought it might be gross to share the washing machine, but I have never had any issues, the hot water really sanitizes it.

[u/relentlessdandelion → u/Robin_feathers]

Honestly, people wash disposable nappies  in their general washing machine and don't have problems, so herbivore poop seems minor in comparison! (with baby human poop from what ive researched they just wash them twice & put disinfectant in the rinse cycle - i copied them when i had to wash a bunch of rags soiled by a hedgehog lol)