Fleece? Liners? I'm So Confused

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CheeseMommy

CheeseMommy

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We just ordered a new cage for Queso! :D It turned out to be way cheaper to buy a big cage than make one for us. Now we're trying to figure out fleece bedding. We really want to get him in the big cage ASAP (it arrives on Friday).

I'm trying to figure out how we can use fleece without breaking our budget. The only washable water-proof and absorbent liner we've found costs $60 just for one. I've read in some places that we just need fleece fabric and to put an "absorbent material" under it. What exactly counts as "absorbent material" and what is the cleanest way we can do this?
 
It is confusing at first - we should write a definitive guide and make a sticky out of it.
Anyway here is a good thread that is currently ongoing on how to make and use your own fleece liners.
Making My Own Fleece Liners
But basically you want fleece on top (this sucks the pee away and gives your piggie something dry to sit on) and an absorbent layer underneath (fleece doesn't hold liquid, just allows it to pass through quickly).

For the absorbent layer you can use towels, a mattress protector with a cotton top, or any otehr fabric that absorbs a lot of liquid (e.g. zorb).

Underneath that you can put another layer of fleece, a sheet of something waterproof (a shower curtain or PUL) or puppy pads or a mattress protector.
The third layer is optional though, and some people also just use newspapers, or indeed nothing at all.

I think it is probably trial and error to see what works best for you.
 
Does this smell more or less than the bedding? I want to have clean piggies, we're in a very small apartment right now.
 
my fleece only smells a little bit when its clean out day. I change it fully on a Saturday and a Tuesday.. if i don't do it those days, i get a whiff of wee but not a bad one - i use large liners and some smaller ones so if they pee a lot in one place i can whip the smaller one out !
 
CheeseMommy said:
Does this smell more or less than the bedding? I want to have clean piggies, we're in a very small apartment right now.
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We are not using fleece (yet!), but I have to say that even with traditional bedding there is always the possibility of smells if you don't clean regularly and also air.
Our pigs cage is by a large window which we keep cracked open most of the time. Plus we spot clean every day or so, and do a full cage clean once a week.

I will be switching to fleece when the new cage arrives, and I have to say I am SO looking forward to not have bits of bedding all over the house all of the time!
 
You'll certainly be able to make your own for way less than that. I have seen threads elsewhere (I did sign up to an American site but I live here now cos, well, you know, I like it better ;) ) but they did talk on there about different places to buy fleece and the prices they gave were really low. It sounds like Walmart and another store (it had a female name, Joanne's? or something like that) sells fleece for a couple of $ per metre. U-haul pads seem to be the go-to for the absorbant layer in the US, they don't exist here, but they are some sort of shredded denim made into some sort of blanket, intended for protection when you move house i think but people seem to pick those up for very little cost and cut them down.

You don't even need to sew them. I made some sewn ones and have stopped using them as my piggies kept digging underneath. I just lay my absorbant layer direct on the correx, lay out the fleece and then bulldog clip the fleece to the correx on the sides. It works better for us that way. I didn't do it cheaply because of lack of Walmart and U-haul pads but it still cost me less than £25 to do two that I rotate, one on, one in the wash. I change about every 4 days and there is no smell.
 
Why does it say "you-haul"?? I typed it with the letter "u" and when I go in to edit the letter "u" is there but when I look at the post it has the word "you". Weird!
 
Swissgreys said:
It's fab for a first attempt @mshappy89 !
Getting all of that material cut out and under the machine isn't easy, and yours looks great.
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Thank you :) luckily I used the pre made ones I ordered as a template. Wasn't sure my sewing machine would manage but it did. I've got some frozen fleece coming!
 
What have u stitched under the fleece? I find the whole fleece situation confusing too, i use vet bed with puppy pads underneath, works great x
 
I use layers of cloth diapers under my fleece, the nice thing is I can double some areas as needed or swap out only the disgusting bits. I have some uhaul pads as well, I love my zorb pads but I would have to change the entire liner regularly and my pigs don't pee everywhere all the time
 
Shame we can't get uhaul here in England
 
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Adelle said:
What have you stitched under the fleece? I find the whole fleece situation confusing too, i use vet bed with puppy pads underneath, works great x
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i have used incontinence pads - proper bed ones - and also towels.. stitched together with fleece to make a liner. both work well altho the towels take longer to dry in my opinion..
 
CheeseMommy said:
Thanks y'all! This has helped me a lot! Mshappy, your first attempt looks great! :D We get the cage in today! Will shop for fleece tonight, can't wait to get him some space. I'll post a thread w/ pics! :)
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Thank you made another and have a few to make over the weekend :) can't wait :)

Day 2 using it today and it's certainly not wet!
 
Brilliant. Glad it is going so well.
Your liners look wonderful.
I have ordered liners, and plan to use those as a template, but they haven't arrived yet.
Having said that nor has the c&C so I guess I have time!
 
CheeseMommy said:
We just ordered a new cage for Queso! :D It turned out to be way cheaper to buy a big cage than make one for us. Now we're trying to figure out fleece bedding. We really want to get him in the big cage ASAP (it arrives on Friday).
I buy $3 fleece blankets at Walmart and put them over puppy pads, it works wonders.

I'm trying to figure out how we can use fleece without breaking our budget. The only washable water-proof and absorbent liner we've found costs $60 just for one. I've read in some places that we just need fleece fabric and to put an "absorbent material" under it. What exactly counts as "absorbent material" and what is the cleanest way we can do this?
Click to expand...
 
If I am using zorb to make liners how many layers should I have of the Zorb in the middle. Is one enough?
 
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