Need Help With Cage!

J

Jennfier

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Hello!

I am not sure what to do anymore. I have a very large cage (two of the midwestern brand ones that you can attach to each other) that take up a lot of room in my very small apartment. I have been trying to maintain using fleece as bedding... but with my two guinea pigs, it seems like the fleece is so gross after just a day with how much they go to the bathroom. So today I decided to fill the cage with shavings, not really realizing how much they would stick to my long haired guinea. When I have both shavings and fleece, the shavings stick to the fleece too much and I have no where to shake it out and my apartment is already coated in shavings and feels unclean! I don’t know what to do. Does anyone have advice?
 
I tried fleece with my piggies and didn’t like it, as felt it got too sodden and I was constantly washing and drying fleece. I now just use a layer of newspaper and lots of hay on top. The piggies love playing in the hay and I’m a lot happier too.
 
There is a good thread here with an overview of bedding types:
Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview

Fleece usually works well, so maybe you just need to make a few adjustments and give it another try?
Had you washed the top layer of fleece multiple times without any fabric conditioner?
What were you using as the absorbent layer underneath the fleece?

If we have a few more details I am sure we can help you come up with a solution.

The otehr thing to consider would be Auboise.
I found this to be less 'sticky' to everything than shavings, so that might be a good choice for you.
 
Fleece has always worked for me. I find it convient and cheap in the long run. My pigs used a litter box for about a year but I got tired of cleaning it out every few days so now they're just on the fleece. It does get pretty dirty looking but I sweep like four times a day because I need stuff to be clean or I'll get anxious. If I need to use bedding I'll put down newpapers and use paper chip which is recycled paper made into pellet form (like some kitty litters). Good Luck!
 
From what I gather, and I’m only going on from what I’ve been told and seen in videos as I currently don’t use fleece as I still live at home and the family aren’t happy with me using the washing machine for it, but it’s all about layers.

I find that people who use a liner for the bottom of the cage and then smaller pee pads to go under houses and high toilet area seem to cope with fleece better. It means the pee pads can be switched out daily if needed, but the whole cage only needs a full clean once a week.

I’m dying to use fleece again as I’ve got a long haired girl too and the bedding in her hair is literally driving me insane. :rant:
 
Cuddles With Cavies said:
From what I gather, and I’m only going on from what I’ve been told and seen in videos as I currently don’t use fleece as I still live at home and the family aren’t happy with me using the washing machine for it, but it’s all about layers.

I find that people who use a liner for the bottom of the cage and then smaller pee pads to go under houses and high toilet area seem to cope with fleece better. It means the pee pads can be switched out daily if needed, but the whole cage only needs a full clean once a week.

I’m dying to use fleece again as I’ve got a long haired girl too and the bedding in her hair is literally driving me insane. :rant:
Click to expand...

That is what I do. I put pads in places the frequently and under their water bottle. It keeps it from smelling too bad.
 
I used fleece at the start and found it way too smelly but made some small adjustments and now it doesn't smell at all and I only clean my guys out once a week. I used to just pile hay on the fleece but the fleece was wet through after like 2 days.

If you use a hay tray with some newspaper and then shavings or something absorbant, then put the hay in it really helps. I then change the hay trays daily to avoid the smell. I find my girls do most of their wee's in the tray so it keeps the cage fresher. I also have puppy pads and then 2/3 layers of towels and then the fleece on top. I have found towels the best way and best thing to be absorbent.

As other's have said a lot of people have success using potty pads (absorbent fleece pads) or puppy pads in the most used areas. They then change these daily to avoid smells.
Might be worth trying a few adjustments to see if you can make the fleece work for you.
 
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