Tips on Alternative Beddings (Fleece, Vetbed etc.)

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If I had to guess I'd say the shavings would be your main problem, they get everywhere! I use short chopped hay in my litter tray, and it's positioned below the hayrack and it also holds the two veggie bowls as well. Sure some hay gets kicked out onto the fleece, but a lot less than with shavings.

I sweep up poos and debris twice a day and dump it in the litter tray and then change the litter tray every day or maybe two if its not stinky. It seems to be working ok so far. You also need to adjust your expectations though. At first I was all house proud and didn't want to see any mess on the lovely clean fleece - but of course piggies don't care squat about that, so as long as they're happy and comfortable, that's the main thing!
 
i must have very destructive piggies bcos all 8 attempt to eat any vetbedding or fleece . i use dust free shavings and hay in their hutches, and i could do with something so there not on shavings all the time but they eat everything. any1 else have this ?
 
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I've recently (Monday night) adopted 2 piggies, and have been keeping with what they know, wood shavings, hay etc... but after reading this, I'm thinking the towel and fleece option may be better, cheaper, and easier to clean up, I already have surplus towels and fleeces around the house....

But how would it affect the piggies if I do change how they live?
At the moment they are in an indoor cage I believe its 2ft by 4ft, but it doesn't seem quite big enough so I want to buy either a 2 tier cage/hutch or those C&C mesh cages, would doing this aswell as changing there bedding have any undesirable affects to the piggies?
 
I just thought I would add a bit to the use of fleece. I've just changed from wood shaving to fleece- the piggies didnt seem to bat an eye lid at the change but I'm happy with it, no wood shavings all over the place! but I've also been experimeenting with what to put underneath to draw the wetness through but found going on top is the answer! I put newspaper underneath to make it easier to pick up all the bits of straw but I noticed my boys always wee in the same two corners so now i put a piece of kitchen towel in the corner. Then I just whip out that piece and put a new one down when I notice they've been! Soooooo easy and the fleece lasts longer too as its not getting stained.
 
fleece convert

I think I have just been converted to fleece guinea pig bedding. I have been using newspaper with cat litter on top and hay in sleep areas. It gets pretty expensive buying cat litter all the time and it's not very gentle on little paws. I've just ordered 2 large pet fleeces (with paw print patterns). I already have one fleece that I wrap the piggies in so I'll start with that. Newspaper underneath (raided from from paper recycle bin for our block of flats). Lets see how it works out.rolleyes
 
I've been on fleece for a week. It's working out fab & so far I'd reccomend it whole-heartedly. The pigs seem to love lounging on it. I bought a few metres on ebay and cut it up! (And pinched a couple of my cats' spare fleeces (whuch my siamese noticed and wasn't happy about!).
 
I love using fleece for my piggies - it works really well and is easy to keep clean etc.

My best tip is to use (( Machine Washable Incontinence Pads )) underneath the fleece - they are really absorbent and so you don't need tons of layers - I just use the one layer of pads underneath the fleece. :) xx

I only use two pads for my piggies' 2x5 grid cage.
 
I've changed my mind. Back to newspaper and kitty litter. The fleece was in there for a total of 2 days and I could already smell pee. My sensitive nose couldn't stand it. The piggies didn't seem to mind either way. Didn't act differently. They lounge around on both. I do sprinkle hay all over the litter so that's comfy to lie on. Think I'll put the fleece blankets in their house for sleeping on still.
 
Great thread! I have a large hutch, and it seems to take an awful lot of sawdust to do a good covering,( I was putting a good layer under the haybed bit too for extra warmth) and one of the piggies seems to be sneezing more often than the other. I think I'll give the fleece a try and see if I can find the brwon Adsa one mentioned.

Thanks for the info, I'm getting some wonderful tips and advice!:)
 
Vikx993 said:
I just got a new cage for my boys and I have decided to try out some new bedding, the cage I have (when it arrives is) http://www.piggyparadise.co.uk/ourshop/prod_931501-2x6-Split-Cage-with-1x6-Split-Upper-Deck-amp-Ramps.html

and where would I get better sized pads to fit the cage? As by mistake (i read the inches and not the cm) :red I ordered some pads which are 75cm x 90cm!
Click to expand...


Great cage. Do you mean washable incontinence pads to go under fleece? I have a 3 x 4 cage and have used the same size pads you ordered. I takes 2 full pads and then I cut one into strips to fill the gap. I just folded some bias binding over the edge and sewed it by hand- it works fine.
Full pad
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Cut pad
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Sewn edge
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Small strip
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If you want something custom made I think Amy at cavy couture does cage liners
http://www.cavycouture.co.uk/
 
Re Vet Bed

The Vet Bed sounds great, have just gone onto Ebay and ordered some, I would never have thought of it myself. Can't wait to see the Boys all snuggled up:)
 
We have put vet bed at the end of Buzz and Woody's hayloft and they absolutely love it. Woody snuggles right into it. Have also put it in a corner of the living room for Johnny and the girls and they love it too, especially Gertie, Jess and Izzie. I would definitely recommend it.
 
I'm thinking of doing this for a few more of my boys, where do you buy the washable incontinance pads from?
 
Super helpful- I am going to move to fleece and this is everything I need to know!
 
I have been thinking of using a fleece type thing, there are waterproof types, then they wouldnt need anything underneath?! how often do you find you have to wash the incontinance pads?

I think I would change a fleece everyday which would mean a lot of washing, and i hope my piggie wouldnt be alergic to the washing powder, and what if a piggie got lice, would all fleeces have to be thrown out and replaced with new ones?

I am fed up with sawdust all over my flat! when i pick her up it gets everywhere.
 
I only wash my piggies' incontinence pads once a week and I have two boars.

I bought mine from (( Here )) - fast delivery and a good price. I couldn't find them cheaper anywhere else on the internet.

I use incontinence pads with 1 microfibre towel on top of those then fleece on top of both. I always 'prepare' my fleece though by washing and drying it three times without ever using fabric conditioner. This means that the wee from the piggies goes straight through the fleece to the absorbent layers below. This means the fleece stays dry so the piggies stay dry! I use white vinegar in my washer when washing piggy laundry which destroys any smells really quickly.
 
I LOVE FLEECE! And so do my guinea pigs. They always popcorn and zoom around the cage after I put freshly cleaned fleece down. I use one layer of newspaper, with two layers of towels and then one layer of fleece on top. I only need to wash it once a week, and even then, it doesn't smell.

Benefits:
- You only need to buy it once!
- It is soft on their feet.
- When a guinea pig pees on the fleece, the moisture will soak through and after a few minutes the top layer is dry again. This means that your pigs will always be warm, dry and comfortable.
- Poos can be easily swept up and thrown away.
- Guinea pigs LOVE it!


Tip #1: Put disposable hospital pads or puppy pads under pigloos/arches. Guinea pigs love to pee in dark places because they feel safe there. The pads mean that the urine doesn't penetrate the fleece, keeping it smelling nicer for longer. The pads may need to be changed every day or two, but by doing this I have found that my fleece will remain clean and fresh for well over a week!
Tip #2: Put all of their food/hay in one area. I put my pigs' pellet bowl inside a litter-box and hang their hayrack nearby so they have to enter the litterbox to eat from it. Fill the box with an absorbent, odour control litter. You will find that most of the poo/pee will end up in the litter-box because your guinea pigs will spend the majority of their time eating in there! Just clean out the litter-box every few days and your fleece cage will never smell!

Rating: 10/10
 
I LOVE FLEECE! And so do my guinea pigs. They always popcorn and zoom around the cage after I put freshly cleaned fleece down. I use one layer of newspaper, with two layers of towels and then one layer of fleece on top. I only need to wash it once a week, and even then, it doesn't smell.

Benefits:
- You only need to buy it once!
- It is soft on their feet.
- When a guinea pig pees on the fleece, the moisture will soak through and after a few minutes the top layer is dry again. This means that your pigs will always be warm, dry and comfortable.
- Poos can be easily swept up and thrown away.
- Guinea pigs LOVE it!

Where to buy it?
- Fabric stores (you can buy it by the metre)
- Homewares stores (look for 100% polyester fleece blankets/throws)
- Pet stores (you can sometimes buy blankets for dogs/cats that are made of fleece)
- Ebay

How to prepare the fleece:
When fleece is prepared properly, it will "wick" the urine away from the surface and allow it to soak through to the absorbent layers below. As a result, the fleece will remain dry on top (and therefore be very comfortable for your pigs!). When you first buy your fleece it will not wick. You must wash your fleece at least 3 times to initiate the wicking properties. You may need to wash it more or less times, depending on your individual fleece. DO NOT use fabric softener when washing as this will create a "barrier" on the surface of the fleece and will prevent urine from soaking through. It is also recommended that you DO NOT use any scented detergents as these can cause respiratory problems for your piggies.

Wash the fleece 3 times on a warm water cycle with unscented detergent. If your washing machine does not have a warm water option, you can wash your fleece on a cold cycle 2 times and then hand wash it in a bucket of hot water (massaging the fleece vigorously usually works!). After each wash put your fleece in the dryer on a warm-hot setting until it is fully dry. DO NOT use any dryer sheets as these will prevent the wicking properties.

After each wash and dry you can test if your fleece is wicking by laying it on top of a towel and pouring a small puddle of water onto it. If it is wicking, you should notice the water disappearing immediately and the fleece will be dry within a few minutes. If the water does not disappear after a few minutes and just sits on top, you will need to repeat the wash/dry cycle until it passes the test!

Tip #1: Fleece MUST be 100% polyester fleece. Polar and anti-pill types are best.
Tip #2: Put disposable hospital pads or puppy pads under pigloos/arch tunnels. Guinea pigs love to pee in dark places because they feel safe there. The pads prevent any urine from penetrating the fleece, keeping it smelling nicer for longer. The pads may need to be changed every day or two, but by doing this I have found that my fleece will remain clean and fresh for well over a week!
Tip #3: Put all of their food/hay in one area. I put my pigs' pellet bowl inside a litter-box and hang their hayrack nearby so they have to enter the litterbox to eat from it. Fill the box with an absorbent, odour control litter. You will find that most of the poo/pee will end up in the litter-box because your guinea pigs will spend the majority of their time eating in there! Just clean out the litter-box every few days and your fleece cage will never smell!

Rating: 10/10!
 
Have only just joined this forum so can I first say Hello everyone. I've found this thread in particular so interesting as very soon our two girls, Coco and Mocha, are going to move into their new indoor cage which we've ordered today and we've been wondering about bedding and whether we should change from the newspaper/ shavings/ hay we've used in their outdoor hutch. We've certainly learned a lot from all the postings ---- thanks everyone.
 
yes we will soon have our two girls in our own home.. we are both so much looking forward to them being apart of our lives.. and as one family..
 
Thanks for this i am currently using wood shavings but after my pigs got mites from using a different brand i am going to try newspaper then towels and fleece blanket for the top i clean there cage every 2 days with shavings so dont think it willl be much different
 
This is a great thread. I've just washed several times one of my kids old leech blankets (too cool for Spiderman now don't you know) and I've bought some dry nights pads, so m ready to try it out.

With Vetbed, do you find it hard to sweep out poo daily as it seems to have quite a deep pile?
 
I really hate that "it's not natural" objection. What's natural about a cage, water bottle, food in bowls, food in man-made pellet form? As for bedding the only natural thing is grass since "natural" cavies live in the grasslands of the lower slopes of the Andes. Even hay is not a natural food source for them - grass is. Hay is man-made. "Natural" cavies don't eat all those fruits & vegies we give them either - grass is their total food source. The truth is every domesticated animal, be it dog or farm cattle, is not living naturally. Every pet humans keep from cats to fish in tanks is not living naturally. So, let's forget the stupid "natural" argument and stick to what is best for the animals we force to live with us. For me that means piggy bedding that is healthy for them, comfortable for them and that they actually enjoy.
 
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