Bedding Help Please!

[Klangdon]

My hubby insists on buying pine for our animals. ( We also have pet rats) I grew up on a farm and all our show small animals used pine. However, I am wondering just how safe is it?

For one, its just mess everywhere. All the pigs do is dig and get the newspaper and eat it grrrr

I have recently read of ideas on fleece since its safer and washable. Suggestions? I have a hand built cage that is about 4 ft by 3 and two stories. Whats the best bedding, if fleece where on earth do I get that big of an amount?

Frustrated piggy mom =(

 

[shannon321]

i presume when you say pine you mean shaving, with regards to the rats its big no no,a shredded cardboard bedding or carefresh is much better for them!

With guineas I'm not to experienced but i would personally never ever use shavings for any pets (apart from my pony) fleece or vet bed is good for piggies - try ebay for vet bed

 

[katiepops]

Hello there are lots of alternative beddings to try. I personally switched from woodshavings to fleece which was great, now I use vet bed which is even better.
You can get large quantities of either from places like Ebay. The initial outlay can be expensive but it's certainly saved me lots of money in the long run, made it quicker and easier to clean out and overall more healthy and pleasant for my piggies. Have a look in the reference section here for reviews of the different kinds of bedding available. http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=9

 

[Wiebke]

You can get cheap fleeces with great patterns if you look for polyester bedspreads or baby fleeces. You can also buy cheap towels for the underlay.

I must admit that I switched to fleece a few months back and wouldn't change back to wood shavings - it is so much less messy and you can cover bigger areas much easier and cheaper. I couldn't have such a big group like mine in the living room if I had to clean out woodshavings every second day!

 

[samantha.b]

hi, sorry to hijack this post but could i ask if you are meaning just to use fleece and nothing else ? no woodshavings underneath ? i am new to guinea pigs and mine have woodshavings then hay to sleep with (although only last night i bought them a cosy bed each too !) i would prefer to use fleece to be honest but wouldnt have thought it would be as good for them. what about the absorption of urine ? is it as healthy for them ? sorry for all the questions, but if its ok to use the fleece then I'm swapping ! thanks all

 

[katiepops]

I used newspaper, an old towel then a layer of fleece on top. The fleece wicks the wet away and the towel absorbs it, keeping the wetness away from the pig. Don't wash your fleece and towels with fabric conditioner or it won't work. New fleece needs to be washed two or three times before it starts wicking.

 

[Little Piggles]

.. Or try adding a layer of puppy training pads between the fleece and old towels too (some people use incontinence sheets instead )

These soak up everything. I would definatley recommend them if you're going to give fleece a try!

 

[Bubz]

Could i use fleece outside? i have just bought a chicken coop for my 3 garden piggies and wondered if i could use fleec out there or is hay better?