BEDDING

Their are many different options for guinea pig bedding. Below are some of the options available for guinea pig bedding listed with the pros and cons of each. We also have a 'star' rating out of 5 to the left of each information point.

ACS does not recommend anything harsh on guinea pigs feet, difficult to keep clean or non-absorbent as bedding such as concrete, large sheets of cardboard, pavers, wire, timber or dirt. Anything with little to no absorbency is not suitable for guinea pig bedding and could cause foot related conditions such as bumblefoot in the long term. In stating this a paver or two or placing the guinea pig cage on a part of the concrete in a cool area in summer could benefit your guinea pig. As long as the above optiojns are not used as the guinea pigs main bedding but more-so as a very small portion of the hutch space  in summer months where it could prove benefitical.

TIP! When placing bedding down line the cage with newspaper first. When it's time to clean you can then just roll the newspaper up with the bedding inside it to easily dispose of.

PINE DUST EXTRACTED WOOD SHAVINGS

Availability (xxxxx): Bought from your local Pet Supply Story or Produce Store
Absorbency (xxxx1/2): Very absorbent 
Coat Type (xxxxx): Suitable for all coat types.
Cost (xxxxx): Good price for amount.
Other: Will keep your guinea pigs very dry and clean. Can be messy if your enclosure doesn't have high sides to hold the bedding in although the pros outweigh this one con. Perfect for long coated guinea pigs to prevent matting/soiling of the coat. Some brands can be a little dusty. If asthmatic re recommend finding a brand that has been very well dust extracted.

RECYCLED PAPER KITTY LITTER

Availability (xxxxx): Can be bought from Large Chain Supermarkets, Produce Stores, Pet Supply Stores.
Absorbency (xxxxx): Very Very absorbent 
Coat Type (xxxxx): Suitable for all coat types. Perfect for longhairs to prevent coat soiling.
Cost (xxx): A little more expensive than most other options although can last up to three times as long as other beddings between cleaning.
Other: Absorbs Odors. Environmentally friendly. Will keep your guinea pigs dry and clean. Can be messy if your enclosure doesn't have high sides to keep the bedding in. Perfect for long coated guinea pigs to prevent matting/soiling of the coat. Recommend having some sort of other soft bedding in the cage aswell such as a fleecy bed so the piggies arn't walking on the paper pellets all the time. The COLES brand of paper kitty litter is actually flattened paper so is softer than the BREEDERS CHOICE brand.

FLEECE/TOWELLING

Availability (xxx1/2): Bought from fabric stores, discount stores, most Chain Supermarkets.
Absorbency (xxx): Not very absorbent. Needs to be changed every couple of days.
Coat Type (xxxxx): Suitable for all coat types. Longhair coats may become mildly soiled.
Cost (xxxxx): Cheap one off cost. Can be washed in washing machine.
Other: Can choose any colour of the rainbow! Your guinea pigs will thank you their is nothing more snuggly or clean looking than fleece bedding. Fleece bedding is for the guinea pig lover who wants to put in that extra effort in order to please their piggies. No issues with the bedding making a mess either other than the need to wash the fleece every couple of days due to it's low absorbency. Some people will put several layers of fleece or towelling on top of each other or on top of newspaper to keep it clean and more absorbent longer.

SHREDDED NEWSPAPER OR SOLID NEWSPAPER LAYERS

Availability (xxxx): Newsagency, your place of work?
Absorbency (xxx): Low. Needs to be changed every couple of days.
Coat Type (xxxxx): Suitable for shorthair guinea pigs. Not suitable for longhairs.
Cost (xxxx): Price Varies depending on where the paper comes from.
Other: If you have a good supply of free shredded paper then you're all set!

HAY

Availability (xxxx): Produce Stores, Pet Cafe Stores.
Absorbency (xxxx): Average.
Coat Type (xxxx): Suitable for shorthair guinea pigs. Longhairs may get their coats tangled in bits of hay and their coats may get mildly soiled.
Cost (xxxx): Price Varies depending on where the hay comes from. A full bale of hay from your local produce store is cheapest.
Other: Natural, healthy and the guinea pigs can eat it and love to dig/play in the hay as well. Soft on guinea pigs feet and comfy.

Be weary of hay that is too dry or that has sharp stalks. Your guinea pig may harm/poke their eye on a sharp stalk. Purchase nice fresh/soft hay if to be used as bedding.

If possible try to avoid Lucerne hay as it's higher in calcium than other hay types and is best only fed to growing guinea pigs and not adults. Other types of hay which are fine for adults are Barley, Wheaten, Oaten and Grassy hay and also OXBOW Timothy Hay. If Lucerne hay is all you can get it's better than nothing as long as it's nice and soft and not too stalky.

STRAW

Availability (xxxxx): Produce Stores, Pet Cafe Stores and some other Pet Stores.
Absorbency (xx1/2): Low.
Coat Type (xxxx): Suitable for shorthair guinea pigs. Longhairs will get their coats tangled in bits of hay and their coats will get soiled.
Cost (xxxx): Price Varies depending on where the hay comes from. A full bale of straw from your local produce store is cheapest.
Other: NOT RECOMMENDED TO USE (Unless this is the super soft pet bedding found in some Pet Stores in Brisbane. Bedding Straw is specifically made for small pet bedding and does not contain the small splinters and sharp stalks unlike hay brought from your local produce store. Straw is known to cause eye infections in guinea pigs. The small splinters can get into the eye causing irritation and some straw is quite sharp and a guinea pig can poke their eye. Straw is also known to carry 'static mite' which is an external mite guinea pigs can get. The mite doesn't affect their health but in large numbers can cause coat thinning.

ECO BEDDING

Availability (xx): Some produce Stores and some pet stores may stock.
Absorbency (xxxxx): Very Absorbent.
Coat Type (xxxx): Suitable for all coat types.
Cost (xxx): A little more expensive than some of the other bedding options.
Other: Website: http://www.ecoab.com.au/index.html. Natural/Environmentally friendly cardboard recycled pieces. Eco Bedding is Dust-Free and soft for guinea pigs to lay/sleep on.

ORGANIC SUGAR CANE MULCH (NOTE - Only buy organic. Other types may harbor pesticides or be left outdoors with mould/rain a worry. Only buy the safe packaged type).

Availability (xxxxx): Most garden supply and produce stores and Bunnings Warehouse.
Absorbency (xxxx): Good.
Coat Type (xxxx): Suitable for all coat types.
Cost (xxx): A little more expensive than some of the other bedding options.
Other: Nice and soft for the guinea pigs to walk/lay on. Lovely aroma to the bedding. Bedding is quite absorbent although may need to be cleaned slightly sooner than the pine wood shavings would need to be. A nice natural and natural look bedding for guinea pigs.