Guinea pigs are not nocturnal, but they may often be awake and active during the night. They tend to sleep in shorter spurts throughout the day and night, so it’s important to provide them with appropriate guinea pig bedding that they can cuddle up in.

Here are some of the guinea pig supplies you’ll need:

• A guinea pig house Guinea pigs need enough room to move around and stay active throughout the day. Make sure the habitat has a heavy bottom.
• Food bowl and water dispenser Guinea pigs often like sipping from a water bottle. Provide a food bowl dish that is designed to be chew-proof and heavy enough that they won’t tip it over.
• Bedding Cozy bedding is a must for your pet. Choose from guinea pig fleece bedding, paper bedding or non-aromatic hardwood shavings.
• Toys and hideaways Help keep your pet entertained with guinea pig accessories like chew toys, balls and hideouts.

Line the bottom of your guinea pig house with bedding—either fleece, wood shavings or paper—that is 1- to 2-inches deep. Consider putting a layer of newspaper under the bedding to help keep the cage itself from becoming stained.

During rest periods, guinea pigs may often like to nestle in soft materials, such as blankets and pillows. However, these tiny animals often love to chew. If you decide to include a blanket in their guinea pig habitat, make sure that they’re not chewing and ingesting the fabric, as this might cause digestion issues. If they are ingesting the fabric, remove the blanket.

Some of the best bedding for guinea pigs may be dust-free hardwood shavings or paper-based guinea pig bedding, such as crumbled or shredded paper. Both of these options can often provide a comfortable guinea pig habitat for your pet and help to absorb messes and control odors.

Bedding made of cedar or pine wood shavings is not ideal for guinea pigs. These aromatic, oily wood materials may sometimes irritate their delicate skin and respiratory systems.

Your guinea pig can possibly do well with either fleece or paper bedding designed for small animals. Use paper options in guinea pig houses to help absorb moisture and messes, mask odors and aid in giving your pet a comfy place to rest. Guinea pig fleece bedding can be soft and reusable, while you might need to clean it more often, and it may not be as absorbent as paper bedding.