Aspen is another wood shaving used as animal bedding, but is completly safe because it contains no Phenol. Aspen is alot more expensive than cedar and pine, and also is harder to find. It's odor controlling properties aren't very good, so it's not always cost efficient to use because the bedding needs to be changed often to control odors.

CareFresh is a wonderful small animal bedding. It is made from wood pulp fibers that are too short to be made in to paper. The fibers are processed to form what looks like shredded egg cartons. CareFresh can be costly, but it's superior odor control make it worth the extra money!

Sometimes it's necessary to bathe your pig. Long haired breeds are harder to maintain and require a bath on occasion. Guinea pigs have very sensitive skin so you really have to be choosy when finding a shampoo to use. The best kind is that made for kittens. It's extremely mild. Avoid baby shampoos, even though they say they are mild on the bottle, they can be terribly harsh to a guinea pigs skin! When bathing your pig use the bathroom or kitchen sink and use a cup to thoroughly wet his fur with warm water. Avoid wetting his face and be careful not to get water in his ears! Lather his fur with the shampoo, again avoiding eyes and ears. Rinse the soap really well from his fur, leaving any residue behind can be very irritating. You can wash his face with a damp washcloth, don't use any soap. Towel him dry and then use a blowdryer on a low setting to thoroughly dry him.

You can clean any waxy buildup from his ears with a Q-Tip, but do not insert it into his ear canal!