Using Cage Liner For First Time

[Cute_Guineapigs]

Hi

I'm currently using litter and meadow hay on the floor of the cage. This produces a lot of waste and its expensive. I'm looking into changing to cage liners.

How often do you change your liners?
What tips do you have for using liners?
What is the best way to wash them?
What are the disadvantages of using cage liners?
Do you use lap pads in areas the piggies toilet the most? Does this keep the liner cleaner and less smelly?

Thanks for any help.

 

[JenniferG]

Hi, I checked out this thread Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview plus there are lots of threads if you do a search, which have people saying how often they change the liner. I'm just changing over too...I've ordered a vet fleece and a horse bag for washing it in the machine. I've read that I can use towels underneath. May be a pain poop picking but I'll see how it goes.

 

[Flamestriker]

I have never used a cage liner but puppy pads underneath the substrate (at the moment Aubiose).

For the new C&C cage I'm having delivered on Thursday I will be using human incontinence pads for the bed, as they were cheaper than puppy pads.

After a week of Aubiose the puppy pads were saturated...now I have doubled those up. If that does not work I will be using a layer of Fitch between the pads and Aubiose.

I am looking in to fleece for the C&C cage but I dunno...

 

[Mackers]

I use liners from C&E Cosies (fleece lined with Zorb). I change the main liner once a week but I have piddle pads (also lined with Zorb) in all the high-use areas. I change those daily or every 2 days, depending on how grotty they get. I also have a hay box lined with Megazorb and topped with hay. The hay is changed daily and Megazorb spot cleaned daily/topped up as necessary.

I find the liners and piddle pads the best kind of bedding and I've tried LOADS. The liner never smells but you do need piddle pads of some description in the piddle-zones, otherwise you'd have to change the main liner every few days.

I use a wash bag to wash the liners and piddle pads in the washing machine at 60 degrees. No special treatment required and they dry very quickly.

So far, I have found no disadvantages to liners and piddle pads, just advantages! Plus they look pretty!

 

[madguinealady]

I have a longer in my boys cage and only have to change it every five days.I sweep it out daily.My herd is on a ground sheet then towels then fleece.The litter trays get changed every day as does the towel and fleece under them.The main fleece gets changed every five days.I sweep the herds fleece twice a day

 

[GPcrazy]

I have cage liners that I made myself. I change the cage liner once a week. I have smaller piddle pads that I put under each of their houses - those they poo on a fair bit, so I tip the poo off (into a small bin) twice a day. The piddle pads have fleece on both sides so on the second day I turn it over so the clean side is up. Then on the third day I replace it with a clean one. They also have a litter box. I put a piece of folded up towel in that, and then hay. They do most of their wees and poos in there (and poos in their houses). The litter tray I clean out every 1-2 days (should be daily but I just don't always manage daily).

I wash twice a week mainly because of the towels from the litter tray - they stink if left too long. If I was using a disposable medium in the litter tray id only wash onve a week. I usually wash at around 40C and sometimes I add a bit of vinegar to the softener draw.