New cage....bedding questions

[*kbru*]

Hi!

After 3 years in the old 5x1.5 C&C, it was time for a renovation. My dad and I took almost 2 whole days gathering materials and doing construction on a new cage. It looks gorgeous, and I'm in love with my bright orange coroplast. It is a full 5x2 now, we had to add pieces of wood onto the huge table it rests on in order to gain the few inches needed.

Anyway, onto the relevent topic....I decided I wanted to use fleece, and I have read all the many threads about it in researching my decision. I choose to splurge on a washable reusable bed pad (meant for incontinents (sp?)) I'm positive that the bed pad is absorbant enough, but since it's white, I don't want it just on its own. However, the piece of fleece I have now doesn't seem to wick down the moisture down onto the pad like it should.

How does one determine 'good' fleece from 'bad' fleece? Is it a certain difference in material? What I have is just off the rack at Wal-Mart.

If I can't find the correct fleece, or it just doesn't work for me, would it be bad to simply have the bed pad as bedding? It is big enough to cover the entire cage, so I don't have to worry about overlapping or digging.

Thanks! Any and all opinions are welcome. I will try to take pictures of it tomorrow!

[Aertyn]

Have you washed the fleece, and if yes, how did you wash it?

Also, how many layers of it do you have over the pad?

From what we could gather, most people use proper Fleece, which is expensive over here. So we bought some Polyester Fleece Blankets from a discount store, and it works brilliantly, and it was only $6 for a 1.6x1.2 piece.

[vtramel]

Some times the fleece comes water proof. So you have to wash it several times before you use it.

[*kbru*]

Thanks for the replies!

I was fairly certain it has been washed, but now that you mention it, maybe not. I will definitely do that!

I only have one single layer of fleece.

What a great idea to use blankets! I'm assuming blankets definitely come with the waterproofing, so you just have to wash them until it diminishes?

[PiggieMom]

Yeah you just have to wash it several times and don't use fabric softener.

[jdomans]

kbru I think I know exactly what your problem is. You need to put 1 better 2 layers of towel under the fleece. The pee can't wick onto a waterproof surface such as the incontinent mattress pad! Try that and see what happens.
Bottom: incontinent pad
middle: towels
top: fleece

[*kbru*]

Thanks Piggiemom, I definitely will. I never use fabric softner anyway!

As for towels, I hate them. Tried it before, and they got really gross and smelly after not even a day. The incontinent pad is designed to hold as much pee as a human can produce, I'm sure it can handle the pigs. Only the bottom of the pad is waterproof (in order to keep the bed dry), but the top is for catching all the liquid(kinda like a big diaper). My problem was that the liquid wasn't going through the layer of fleece. But thanks anyway! I honestly don't know how anyone can stand the smell of newspaper or towels, but to each his own!