Hey all! I am currently using fleece bedding for my large C&C enclosure (21 square feet). I have five peegs, separated into two sides.

For cost purposes, I have been using fleece since I only had two guinea pigs. Now that I have a little herd, problems are arising. The boys like to ‘dig’ in the fleece near the border, possibly to try and get to the girls. And the girls are just as bad except they ‘dig’ on the other side of the enclosure near where the hay is stored (because obviously the hay they have already is not tasty enough 😅). Once the fleece is throughly loosened they will burrow in it and play in it until it’s a bunched up mess. Then they poop and pee on the plastic underneath and everything is a mess. 😭

I want to swap to something else to see if it works better. I’m thinking some sort of paper bedding. Any tips or advice for this transition? Is the shredded type bedding safe for them? Is there any reason other than cost that fleece seems to be the preferred bedding?

Alternatively, if anyone knows a solution to this digging behaviour, that might work to keep the fleece. -they have plenty of hides so they definitely don’t need to bunch up the fleece for this purpose -they receive plenty of fresh hay daily along with veggies and small bowls of pellets -they have toys, tunnels, blankets to burrow in that are cleaned and swapped out once a week so I hope it is not due to a lack of enrichment