Going On Holiday-advice Needed Please :)

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Laura mason

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I am going away for 5 days and my mum is coming down to look after the pigs (she's 72).
The last time she came down she found fleece a little hard for her (I have two stacked 2x9 c&c cages) so this time I am bedding them on woodshaving for the 5 days I am away.
I have never used woodshavings with them so a little worried as they have always been on fleece since I have had them. I want to make it as easy for mum as possible but as nice for the pigs as I possibly can.
How deep do you need the wood shavings to be? Should I put a layer of hay on top? If I do will it smell bad after a day or so with the piggies peeing on it?
She finds it hard to get into the back corners which is where they tend to pee a lot so could she use fleece pee pads in these areas? I plan to put puppy pads and newspaper at the very bottom to save the correx from getting messy and to make it easier to clean after. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you :) x
 
I'll remember that for next time, thank you. It was all very last minute and didn't have time to order stuff. I actually tried to get Fitch but it wasn't going to be delivered until after we left :( so had to get something local....hence wood shavings X
 
Personally I find fleece much easier to clean so I'm not entirely sure how using bedding will help your mum but anyway.
Try using a dustpan to scoop out the bedding as it will need changing everyday and the bedding and hay will just get stuck to the fleece so that's probably not a good idea.
Perhaps see if you can find any of those corner litter trays in a pet store near you (wilkos do them) as they are useful to hard to reach areas
Hope I helped :)
 
I have just got home from 9 days away and we decided to leave our lot on fleece for this time.
The pet sitter had never used fleece before but was willing to give it a try.
Our cage set up is a lot smaller than yours (2 x 7 with a 1 x 2 loft) and our pet sitter is not elderly, but she did comment about how much easier she found the fleece than shavings.
She admitted she was a bit worried at first, but she couldn't believe how much quicker and less messy it was, and she asked for a couple of links so she could show them to another guinea pig customer she has!
So I would be tempted to leave them on fleece, and just put large, easy to pull out hay trays in the back corners.
This way you Mum shouldn't need to change the main fleece, just the hay trays and the smaller piddle pads.

But whatever you decide I hope it goes well.
It's such a big thing leaving them, but I am sure they will be fine.
 
Swissgreys said:
I have just got home from 9 days away and we decided to leave our lot on fleece for this time.
The pet sitter had never used fleece before but was willing to give it a try.
Our cage set up is a lot smaller than yours (2 x 7 with a 1 x 2 loft) and our pet sitter is not elderly, but she did comment about how much easier she found the fleece than shavings.
She admitted she was a bit worried at first, but she couldn't believe how much quicker and less messy it was, and she asked for a couple of links so she could show them to another guinea pig customer she has!
So I would be tempted to leave them on fleece, and just put large, easy to pull out hay trays in the back corners.
This way you Mum shouldn't need to change the main fleece, just the hay trays and the smaller piddle pads.

But whatever you decide I hope it goes well.
It's such a big thing leaving them, but I am sure they will be fine.
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We left them a couple of weeks ago with mum looking after them on fleece and she found it difficult getting up and down off the floor doing the bottom cage and trying to reach into the corner of the bottom cage as its L shaped and has a cage above it. Due to having 6 piggies in the bottom cage the liners need changed at least every 3 days so she would have to change it while I'm away. Then there is the washing she needs to do on top of that and then i come home from camping with all our washing and a full clean of both piggie cages needing done so about another 4 washes on top of ours at least.

My neighbour pops in to check she is ok so with the disposable bedding she could just scoop out any wet bits when she calls in, whereas with fleece my bottom cage needs spot cleaned 3 times a day so my mum has to do it.

Last time we went we had a little heatwave here (normal for the rest of the world but a heatwave to us lmao) and she said it took her an hour and 40mins in the morning to do the cages and she ended up having to take her clothes off as she was sweating like crazy! :(

I agree that I find fleece easier, but then I'm 34. I do think it's mainly the bottom cage tho. The top cage is a breeze and I have 3 very tidy boys on top.

I'll try the woodshavings this time with her and if she finds it no easier then I'll use fleece next year....or maybe need to find a younger pig sitter lol.

Thank you for your input X
 
PiggieNinja said:
Personally I find fleece much easier to clean so I'm not entirely sure how using bedding will help your mum but anyway.
Try using a dustpan to scoop out the bedding as it will need changing everyday and the bedding and hay will just get stuck to the fleece so that's probably not a good idea.
Perhaps see if you can find any of those corner litter trays in a pet store near you (wilkos do them) as they are useful to hard to reach areas
Hope I helped :)
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What do you mean the bedding will need changed every day? Do u just mean the corners etc where they pee loads? If so that's why we were thinking the fleece pee pads. It would save the corners and she could just pull them out and brush off the fleece sitting on a chair or something instead of breaking her back trying to get in under the cage. Are shavings really hard to get off fleece?

They have their main hay box and I have another couple of small cat litter trays i don't use but I could use these for the corners while I'm away, thank you.

I've attached a pic of my cage below so you can see what I mean about the bottom being awkward for her. I usually have the cage open so they can run about the floor, but she's too scared of stepping on them so will be closed off for the 5 days I'm away.

Thank you for your reply X

image.webp
 
Laura mason said:
What do you mean the bedding will need changed every day? Do you just mean the corners etc where they pee loads? If so that's why we were thinking the fleece pee pads. It would save the corners and she could just pull them out and brush off the fleece sitting on a chair or something instead of breaking her back trying to get in under the cage. Are shavings really hard to get off fleece?

They have their main hay box and I have another couple of small cat litter trays i don't use but I could use these for the corners while I'm away, thank you.

I've attached a pic of my cage below so you can see what I mean about the bottom being awkward for her. I usually have the cage open so they can run about the floor, but she's too scared of stepping on them so will be closed off for the 5 days I'm away.

Thank you for your reply X

View attachment 50265
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Oh wow great cage!
I mean it would need spot cleaning everyday and seeing as woodshaving get quite soggy at would need to remove quite a lot but no, not all of it.
Litter trays are a good idea and although wood chips are hard to get off fleece you could always give it a try to prevent the soggy patches.
Have you ever tried vacuuming their hutch? It depends how noisy your vacuum is but if it is relatively quiet it makes everything much easier when you can just sick up all the pools. (On fleece obviously)
 
PiggieNinja said:
Oh wow great cage!
I mean it would need spot cleaning everyday and seeing as woodshaving get quite soggy at would need to remove quite a lot but no, not all of it.
Litter trays are a good idea and although wood chips are hard to get off fleece you could always give it a try to prevent the soggy patches.
Have you ever tried vacuuming their hutch? It depends how noisy your vacuum is but if it is relatively quiet it makes everything much easier when you can just sick up all the pools. (On fleece obviously)
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Yeah I have a handheld vacuum that I use for the fleece. Now I'm getting worried about the woodshavings! :(. I've seen loads online of people saying they change over to woodshavings for going on hols to make it easier for the piggie sitters....but if your having to scoop loads of the woodshavings out daily I don't really see how it's easier? I've decided to keep the top cage on fleece. It's really easy as she doesn't need to bend and they are very tidy pigs and their liner won't need changed while I'm away.
I'll try the bottom cage on woodshavings and see how she goes. Do u think I should put hay on top of the woodshavings or would this mean more scooping out than if there was no hay on top? X
 
Good idea with half and half - I assume people mean if they are going away for longer periods of time in which you would have to do a full cage clean (for which wood shavings is easier)
You could fill the litter trays with hay and newspaper which is what I do as the pigs ADORE sitting in hay which also seems to concentrate the area that they pee and poop in . I would not suggest covering the whole cage in hay as it kinda wastes it espacially covering such a large area. it alsp makes it harder to see where the dirty patches are and thus making it unhygenic.
 
PiggieNinja said:
Good idea with half and half - I assume people mean if they are going away for longer periods of time in which you would have to do a full cage clean (for which wood shavings is easier)
You could fill the litter trays with hay and newspaper which is what I do as the pigs ADORE sitting in hay which also seems to concentrate the area that they pee and poop in . I would not suggest covering the whole cage in hay as it kinda wastes it espacially covering such a large area. it alsp makes it harder to see where the dirty patches are and thus making it unhygenic.
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People find doing a complete change on woodshavings is easier than fleece? That's my worst nightmare lol. Although I guess there is no washing to do! For some reason I absolutely hate changing and cleaning a cage on woodshavings whereas I'm quite happy to do it with fleece.....Maybe it's all the pretty colours lol.
My thinking is woodshavings will be easier as she can do things more at her leisure. When u go into the piggie room in the morning it looks like a bomb hit the bottom cage lol, so u need to do it, you can't really do bits and pieces, it all needs done at once if you know what I mean, then just a quick Hoover a couple more times through the day which is easy. In the mornings it's taking out pee pads and beds, changing hay boxes, getting all the hay off the cage floor that they have trailed out of their hay racks, hoovering, washing dishes and bottles and refilling etc (as you know) and doing that on both cages, and with the bottom cage you are up and down like a yoyo. I'm hoping with the wooshavings in the morning she could just do the hay boxes, food, and water. Then whenever she feels up to it later she could do the scooping out etc as unlike fleece the floor won't be covered with poops getting stood on and looking gross lol. I'm trying to convince myself aren't I! Lmao X
 
We use wood shavings but we only have two piggies (although I am planning to give fleece a go soon as the shavings go everywhere!) I use a little scoop to take out the really wet shaving and also poo pick, once or twice a day. I think it should be easier for your mum as she just has to do the worst areas? And you can do it as as when rather than all at once?
 
P.s I wouldn't put hay over the top as that gets really messy and it all looks dirty when it isn't. Just a thought but a children's spade (like you get for the beach) might work for her to scoop out any wet shavings from the back / corners?
 
Dorothy&Coco said:
P.s I wouldn't put hay over the top as that gets really messy and it all looks dirty when it isn't. Just a thought but a children's spade (like you get for the beach) might work for her to scoop out any wet shavings from the back / corners?
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That's actually a really good idea! Thank you. I'm sure we have one somewhere! That's what I was thinking about the shavings. With fleece u really can't leave it or they would be squishing poop into the fleece and sleeping directly ontop of it. With the shavings it would kind of sink into them, so she can do things as and when suits her. I'm a bit worried the piggies are doing to hate the shavings as they are so used to fleece, but you never know....they may actually like a wee change lol. Thank you for your help X
 
Laura mason said:
That's actually a really good idea! Thank you. I'm sure we have one somewhere! That's what I was thinking about the shavings. With fleece you really can't leave it or they would be squishing poop into the fleece and sleeping directly ontop of it. With the shavings it would kind of sink into them, so she can do things as and when suits her. I'm a bit worried the piggies are doing to hate the shavings as they are so used to fleece, but you never know....they may actually like a wee change lol. Thank you for your help X
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You're welcome. If put a fairly deep layer of shavings then your mum can also turn it so the fresh stuff comes to the top. Hope it all works out Ok!
 
You could use a base of newspaper, and cover with a good layer of hay? If your mum can reach the corners, she could spot clean any well-used patches every day, but if she can't then as you will only be gone for 5 days, I'm sure just adding a layer of fresh hay over the top daily will be fine? My dad looked after my two piggies for a long weekend once, and he just chucked loads of fresh stuff on top. Probably the same goes for sawdust, but personally I find this too dusty.

I think okay for just a temporary solution?
 
Blobfish said:
You could use a base of newspaper, and cover with a good layer of hay? If your mum can reach the corners, she could spot clean any well-used patches every day, but if she can't then as you will only be gone for 5 days, I'm sure just adding a layer of fresh hay over the top daily will be fine? My dad looked after my two piggies for a long weekend once, and he just chucked loads of fresh stuff on top. Probably the same goes for sawdust, but personally I find this too dusty.

I think okay for just a temporary solution?
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Thank you. I'm away and all and ended up using snowflake woodshavings. All seems well so far :) x
 
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