easy ways to keep cage clean?!

[Andrea]

Does anyone else use Fitch in their cage, it was recommended to me by the lady I bought my girls from. It's supposed to be better for the gp's health. It seems to take ages to do the daily poo collection! I was wondering if anyone knows of a speedy way to get them all out?
I am thinking about using a fleece instead and leaving the front of the cage open all the time so they can use the corner toilet I have on their room floor, or would they just wee & poo on the fleece?
I'm quite new to all this, I know I've got a lot to learn!

 

[AbiS]

I have just moved from fleece to fitch (am on day 5 now) and I love it so far.

I still use fitch an hay in the areas they pee the most (bedroom and hidey) as it is so easy just to roll it up and throw it out. I do that every other day. I just changed the fleece yesterday after 4 days. I do daily poo pick up. They have peed on it a bit - not as much as when there was fitch throughout. If you wash your fleece without fabric conditioner, and do this 2-3 times before it's first use, then the wee just soaks through (wicks) the fleece into the layer of towel and newspaper that you need to have below the fleece. The fleece is then dry - it is really clever. I haven't washed the first lot of fleece yet so I'm not sure how that will work out but to far so good. Much easier to clean out and not so much mess.

I bought fleece from Ikea - £1.60 each and they are a good size. I used 1.5 fleece to line a 5' double layer hutch twice.

 

[Andrea]

Thanks Abis, I've been looking at vetbed too, it sounds easy to clean and the poops can be vacuumed up!

 

[AbiS]

That would be good. I don't think you could hoover fleece. It is quite thin so it would probably just disappear up the nozzle. I looked at vetbed but it is much more expensive and I didn't want to shell out for that until I decided if I could deal with the washing.

 

[Andrea]

Thanks Abis, I'll look into the vetbed a bit more before I buy it, I don't want to make an expensive mistake!

 

[sharonS]

I think vetbed is a personal choice, some like it others don't.
I use it in my c+c cages and for indoor use it is great, no sawdust etc around the house. I do have a seperate hay box too that they use.
I use a single duvet cover to wash it in, to keep any bits from clogging the washer, and the green backed vet bed dries in no time at all.

 

[madguinealady]

I have litter trays and fleece with towels and extra fleece where they pea and poo.Most wees in litter trays.I have c&c cages so have fleece clipped to the top as this encourages them to use litter trays. I have pupoy pads under the fleece to soak up urine

 

[Andrea]

How about hoovering the vetbed before putting in washer, would that stop washer clogging?

I think vetbed is apersonal choice, some like it others don't.
I use it in my c+c cages and for indoor use it is great, no sawdust etc around the house. I do have a seperate hay box too that they use.
I use a single duvet cover to wash it in, to keep any bits from clogging the washer, and the green backed vet bed dries in no time at all.

 

[suem]

I have now moved my girls from the back bedroom, where the sawdust and hay was a bit of a problem. Now Bertie has gone they are in the downstairs utility room, and are easier to clean. Just woodshavings and hay is what I use. I clean the two toilet corners every day...

 

[kayelljay]

I use fleece and Ive found the best thing is my little hand held hoover. its not as loud as a normal big hoover so doesnt scare my piggies too much but it hoovers up the poops
I havent had any problems using my handheld hoover to spot clean the cage, and it takes like 5mins max to do, I do it every morning before they get their veggies