Keeping a cage "tidy" to please the parents--Need advice!

[rachieanne99]

Well, I have now graduated from college, and at the end of the month, I am moving back with my parents (hopefully short-term) until I find a decent job. Anyway, although they are fabulous parents, they are not what I'd call "pet people," and they are super neat freaks. But, since they know how much I adore my girls, they have agreed to let me keep them there as long as it is kept very clean.

My main concerns are hay and washing the fleece. My current hay racks leak hay all over the floor and are pretty much a disaster. I have found ideas for better hay racks in the gallery that I am hoping will work.

As for the fleece--my mom isn't too crazy about me throwing a bunch of hay covered fleece in her washer. No matter what I do beforehand, it always seems that some hay stays stuck. As it is now, I have a house and hay rack in the loft and another house and hay rack on the bottom. Each floor has a litter pan (which the girls refuse to use). I was thinking that I could make the loft a "kitchen," with the entire area filled with carefresh. I would keep all hay and food up there. Then, I would keep the housing and fleece downstairs. I would get rid of the actual corner litter pans, since I think the girls purposely avoid using them. I know a lot of people use this "kitchen" idea, so I was wondering if this tends to keep the mess of hay away from the fleece. Or, do the piggies seem to drag it everywhere no matter what?

Any tips on keeping an extra tidy cage would be much appreciated, as I am hoping my parents will learn to LOVE my pigs, rather than think they are just, well, messy pigs. THANKS!

[rachieanne99]

Sorry! I just realized this was probably put in the wrong discussion--could a mod please move it to its proper home? Thanks!

[jdomans]

I have two suggestions that if you aren't already doing them, will help. I have 1 hay area and it is in the loft. Under my two hay racks is a huge litter pan. It is actually the bottom of my Super Pet large cage. I litterally have no bedding issues being tracked around on the fleece and very if any hay. It is all left in the pan. You can go to Wal-Mart or whereever and get the big basic litter pan in the cat section. The pigs can hop over the sides but I also have two bricks on the outside of the pan for them to use to get in and out with if they choose.
The second trick is if you have some extra coroplast, to put it between your hay racks and grids to make a solid wall. I have poked holes in the coro and zip tied my hay racks to the grids that way.

[WEAVER]

Jdomans hayrack idea is how I have mine as well. I have enclosed my hayrack with extra coroplast on the sides and the backs so no hay falls out with the exception of the front.

I also am a bit "freakish" about keeping the cage looking spotless. I have tried many different things and have finailly come up with a way to keep the hay, food and shavings in the hayloft. Without a doubt a kitchen area is your best bet. I have a seperate piece of coroplast that I made to slide out of the cage so it can be dumped. For the pigs to walk in and out of that area they walk over a fiddlestick bridge and than onto a cheap kitchen throw rug that I got for a $1. at Walmart (got that idea from JennG). the woodchips that do manage to come out of the kitchen either fall off the pig as they are walking over the bridge or get stuck ontot the rug. The rug easily shakes off and becomes clean again.

Here is what I am trying to explain and I have a lot more pictures in my gallery, feel free to take a look.

[WEAVER]

I was not sure how many pigs you currently have so decided to leave you this picture as well. This hayloft idea accomidates two pigs very well and is easier to upkeep, less shavings to buy etc than a 2 x 2. This was my 1 x 2 hayloft when I only had two pigs housed in the cage. . .




Notice the notch taken out of the coroplast. I have done that with both of the cages to hold the bridge in place and help contain the wood chips in the kitchen area. Also this shows a better picture of the hayloft with the coroplast on the sides and the back of the hayrack. The hayrack is hung with eyehooks so it can be taken out of the kitchen to be refilled so hay does not get everywhere trying to fill the rack while it is stuck in the cage. Hope this is helpful

[PinkGrass]

A bit off topic, but Weaver, that cage is so pretty and clean. ;D

Hay lofts are good ideas. I also use fleece and have a little litter/hay loft area. It really cuts down on mess and smells.

[fairysari]

The hay always makes a huge mess on my fleece, too. I usually soak the fleece in a bucket of hot water with some vinegar for a few days before I put it in the machine. I change the water everyday, usually dump it out in the toilet. Most of the fleece comes off this way, and whats left is so soft that it probably just disintergrates in the washer.

All those suggestions will probably keep the fleece pretty clean though. When my boys move in together, I'm probably going to make a one or two grid hayloft like Weaver's. And my favourite part is the coro sides on the hayrack! I think that would solve my hayrack climbing problems.

[Piggiemum]

I let my boys make a nice little mess with hay, even sprinkle some on their heads and have a hay box rather than a rack so they can safely dive into it, because they love it so much.

I keep 4 fleeces (use two each week, then rotate) and every other week put them in a coin-op washer and dryer with detergent and vinager.

So... maybe, using a laundry mat washer could be a good compromise, it's only a couple of dollars and would give your parents and their washer peace of mind.

[rubyjr]

I use a cardboard box turned on it's side and filled with hay in the girls kitchen area, I change the hay daily and throw the box away daily, it's usually filled with poo & pee by the end of the day. I use different fleece in the kitchen and change the towels and fleece every 2-3 days. I do a full cage change 1 time a week. I spot clean twice a day. I also am neurotic about the cleanliness of the girls cage. It may take trying a few different ways, but you will find what works best for your situation.

[NewToPiggies]

I found my hayracks at Kmart. They are little baskets that you can find around the silverware things that go into your kitchen dwarers. It doesnt seem to make a ig mess and the piggies love to play in it hehe.

[PiggieMamaKelly]

I was going to suggest the Laundrey Mat too. Your parents would probably be very impressed with the gesture of consideration. And it wouldn't cost you too much and doesn't take much time either.

And on a more off-topic note: WEAVER, whenever you post pics I always admire your fleece, you have the cutest patterns, where do you get it from?

[WEAVER]

Thanks PiggieMamaKelly. I have bought all my fleece from Hancock Fabrics. They always have sales on their fleece or coupons in the newspaper and have a wonderful selection.

Lately I have been buying 1 yard more than I need for the cage and my sister has been making the pigs cozies to match whatever fleece is in their cage. So my piggies have a change of decor everytime I clean the cage---lucky pigs

[PiggieMamaKelly]

I'll have to see if there is a Hancock Fabrics in my neighborhood, or maybe it isn't a chain at all. I like to get extra fleece too. My pigs also have a few matching furniture, but certainly not for every cage change. Lately I've been really into the fleece "scraps" they have at JoAnn's. It's usually not enough to fit a whole cage but I have been making some pretty cheap little stuff lately, especially when you go to a petstore and see how much you WOULD be paying for a cuddle cup, fleece house etc, YIKES! My greatest find this week was a cute pink and purple striped piece that was big enough for one of the 2x3's, and it was only $2.50!!! What a steal!

[WEAVER]

$2.50, that is a good deal. I am so weird, I try to get cordinating fleece so that my two cages are simaliar. Between both levels of my cage in have to buy six yards of fleece. I usually can do a whole cage change for about $30.00 if I wait for the fleece to go on sale or have a coupon. That still is not real bad when you think about how much it would cost if I used shavings. You are right to make your own beds, it is SOOOOO much cheaper. I have to mail my fabric to my sister becasue she lives 1200 miles from me and she makes the beds and mails them back and even with shipping it still saves me a fortune with having 7 pigs that need beds.

By the way Hancock is a chain, but I do not know about California. Happy fleece hunting