C&C help!

Chloe.123

Chloe.123

Junior Guinea Pig
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(Be patient, this might be a long one!) I am seriously considering buying/building a c&c cage for my girls after falling in love with the cages I have seen on here. It would mean moving them from the outside hutch inside. Will they be ok with the move?
Where does everyone buy fleece? Also I’ve read a lot about cage liners.. what are they? (Sorry if that’s a stupid question :doh:)
What does everyone put under the fleece for the wee? And how often do you clean and change the fleece?
My partner has also asked me if they will smell bad, does anyone find this?
Sorry for the long post... can someone make a c&c cage book for dummies?! :)):help:
I know this post had already been done but I can’t find all of the info in one place.
Thanks 🙂
 
This time of year they will be fine with the move, my piggys are going in and out every day at the moment.
I use vet bed - bought on ebay.
Liners are two layers of fleece with an absorbant layer in the middle. Underneath you can use, old towels, puppy pads or newspaper, everyone has their preferences.
In the summer when the boys spend time outside I change the fleece weekly, in the winter it needs changing twice a week.
I don't find mine smell. Occasionally you get a fresh poop pong if they've had cabbage! I poop pick twice daily in the winter, once in the summer if they have been out during the day.
You can buy fleece liners on ebay or direct from makers like Ziggies Piggies, (other people will come up with other sellers I am sure).
 
I second liners from Ziggy's piggies, all mine are from there and they are fab!
 
Yep, I am just getting some liners for my new c&c from Ziggy's piggies, having bought cosies and tunnels there before. She is very friendly and helpful and prices v reasonable - £90 for two 5*3 liners and £13 for a cosy set (£16 if you just buy a cosy set as postage is included in the prices shown online.). The liners are lined with Zorb (?) or something similar to deal with the wee so you don't really need anything else underneath to do that I believe.
 
I use fleece for my piggos and it doesn't smell. However, it does need washing regularly, so I have three sets of liners so I don't have to immediately wash one in anticipation of the other needing changing two days later.

Also, I'd advise checking what the maximum weight your washing machine can take if you're going to use fleece. A 2x3 liner gets very heavy when wet. My old machine had a 4kg max. weight and it couldn't handle it! My new one is 9kg and it's fine. :)

I don't use anything under my liners (I got mine from Ziggy's Piggies too) and have no problems. Flutterby advised me to put bathmats or towels in the places they urinate the most, so the main liner won't need washing as often. :) Hope that helps!
 
Thanks for all of the replies. I was looking at Ziggy’s piggies yesterday for liners so I’ll have another look today for the liners. Do I have to have liners or can I just use fleece with something on the bottom? Sorry for all of he questions just trying to get as much info as possible before I fully commit to moving them inside ☺️

My other half is fussy with washing the fleece, do you just pop it in the machine or would you advise using a wash bag? (I think that’s what they’re called)
 
I use cheap fleeces from b&m only because my cage is nearly 24 square feet. Supplmented with a layer of towels and 2 layers of puppy pads.
 
Chloe.123 said:
Thanks for all of the replies. I was looking at Ziggy’s piggies yesterday for liners so I’ll have another look today for the liners. Do I have to have liners or can I just use fleece with something on the bottom? Sorry for all of he questions just trying to get as much info as possible before I fully commit to moving them inside ☺️

My other half is fussy with washing the fleece, do you just pop it in the machine or would you advise using a wash bag? (I think that’s what they’re called)
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I use old pillow cases tied off at the top with string.
 
Ziggy's Piggies will provide you with washing instructions with the fleece. :) Basically, just don't use fabric conditioner as it waterproofs the fleece, meaning it won't absorb and wick away the urine. I'd advise using some sort of bag to wash them in to avoid hair, hay, etc. clogging the machine. Apart from that, there's no special treatment!
 
I've sown my own with fleece and a matress pad. I've also bought from PiggyBedspreads once and they have excelent products. All of which I washed with white vinegar to encourage wicking and hung to try. After 2 washes they were ready.
 
I have been thinking about doing my own. Are they difficult to make? (I’m not the best at sewing 😂) I’ll have a look at PiggyBedspreads
 
I use mattress protectors, the top of them has to be 100% cotton for absorbency. Pee pads for the high Wee areas.
The only thing with vet bed it is expensive & some people have said it's bulky for the machine. You must use non-bio washing powder, & no fabric softener.
 
Not difficult if you can measure correctly and sew in a straight(ish) line. I'd recommend making it a few inches bigger than your cage though. The materials shrink sometimes in the first washes
 
Thank you all for your advice. I ordered the cage yesterday evening :yahoo: I feel so weird getting excited about it!

I’ve found a problem already. The space I had planned for the cage isn’t big enough 😭 I had wanted a 2x5 but the space is only big enough for a 3x2. Soo I was going to make an L shape? 3x2 on one side and 3x2 the other side with a 2x2 loft. Will this be enough space for them? It’s for 2 girls.
 
My two sows live in a 2x3 stacked cage connected by a 1x2 loft. For two girls, the main ground space of 2x3 is the minimum requirement, so you're fine. :)
 
That will be plenty for two sows! I'm sure they'll love it! My sows live in a 2 story 2x4 and they love the room. You're cage will be perfect for your little piggies
 
Hi guys, Appreciate the knowledge here. We have had our guinea pigs for about a month and my toddler is obsessed. We are looking at changing to a C&C. Is a regular fleece blanket OK? Eg the one you might use on your couch or bed? Do all guinea pigs lose lots of hair and thus render you needing to use wash bag? Do you use the litter stuff in high pee/poo areas or just the fleece? Looking at a 2x3 with 1x2 or 1x1 loft, but can't work out how they are supported underneath . Any answers appreciated.
 
I use waterproof bed pads under my fleece. I have even seen them together for my boys. My boys loved the fleece when I switched, so did my girls. The boys loved all of the space. My girls took a bit longer to adapt to the cage. They were in a Midwest cage and I built them a 3 by 5 c cage with a loft. Only the one female used the loft for the longest time. I redid the ramp making it longer and now they both go up. No stupid questions here! Good luck! If you have the space, go for it!
 
Chloe.123 said:
Thank you all for your advice. I ordered the cage yesterday evening :yahoo: I feel so weird getting excited about it!

I’ve found a problem already. The space I had planned for the cage isn’t big enough 😭 I had wanted a 2x5 but the space is only big enough for a 3x2. Soo I was going to make an L shape? 3x2 on one side and 3x2 the other side with a 2x2 loft. Will this be enough space for them? It’s for 2 girls.
Click to expand...
You can always add up if they will use a ramp!
 
Chloe.123 said:
Thank you all for your advice. I ordered the cage yesterday evening :yahoo: I feel so weird getting excited about it!

I’ve found a problem already. The space I had planned for the cage isn’t big enough 😭 I had wanted a 2x5 but the space is only big enough for a 3x2. Soo I was going to make an L shape? 3x2 on one side and 3x2 the other side with a 2x2 loft. Will this be enough space for them? It’s for 2 girls.
Click to expand...
We have an L-shaped C&C and its brilliant, ours is 5x5x2 with a 1x2 loft for 5 piggies. Go L-shaped! Then you can have different areas like a bedroom and a kitchen and a play area :)
 
Thought I’d pop in with my 2 pence. I use old towels and fleece from b n m. Clip the fleece to side of the cage as my pigs tend to go under it! Washed the fleece 3 times before use. Now wash everything every 2-3 days with no smell at all. Nightly poo clearing. Good to go. Recommend a wash bag for the fleece because of the hay. I like to brush the fleece outside first before putting in wash too.
 
jacquicarter said:
We are looking at changing to a C&C. Is a regular fleece blanket OK? Eg the one you might use on your couch or bed? Do all guinea pigs lose lots of hair and thus render you needing to use wash bag? Do you use the litter stuff in high pee/poo areas or just the fleece? Looking at a 2x3 with 1x2 or 1x1 loft, but can't work out how they are supported underneath.
Click to expand...

You need more than just fleece. They're actually fleece liners which most people use, so it's something like fleece>towel/mattress protector>fleece. I've bought mine from Ziggy's Piggies and highly recommend! Fleece needs to be washed first (without fabric conditioner to avoid waterproofing it) so it'll absorb the wee properly.

I'd definitely use a wash bag. It's not just hair, but hay too. You can buy them really cheaply on Amazon. Your washing machine will thank you for it! (By the way, check what the maximum load of your machine is. Fleece gets very heavy when wet!). I wash my liners every couple of days and don't use anything extra in areas of excessive toileting, although some people who have many piggies do to avoid washing the fleece all the time.

The lofts are usually supported with a metal bar which goes beneath the connected grids for extra support. :)
 
HeatherW said:
You need more than just fleece. They're actually fleece liners which most people use, so it's something like fleece>towel/mattress protector>fleece. I've bought mine from Ziggy's Piggies and highly recommend! Fleece needs to be washed first (without fabric conditioner to avoid waterproofing it) so it'll absorb the wee properly.

I'd definitely use a wash bag. It's not just hair, but hay too. You can buy them really cheaply on Amazon. Your washing machine will thank you for it! (By the way, check what the maximum load of your machine is. Fleece gets very heavy when wet!). I wash my liners every couple of days and don't use anything extra in areas of excessive toileting, although some people who have many piggies do to avoid washing the fleece all the time.

The lofts are usually supported with a metal bar which goes beneath the connected grids for extra support. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply! Question - wash bag - I understand how it saves the washing machine, but it confused me where the hair/hay then goes - does it just stay on the liner then? or is there some magic process?
Loft - ahhh that finally makes sense! I have seen those support bars, thought they were just for lids etc. Thanks!
 
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