Cloth Diapers as bedding??? - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**beccapooka** · #1 07-12-04, 09:31 am

I have a question. We will have our C&C cage ready for our 2 GPs by the end of the week. We have decided, based on some trial and error in the smaller cage they've been living in for the last week and a half, to have newspaper (black print only) covered with carefresh bedding in one portion of the cage and use towels in the rest of the cage. If this gets to be too much, we'll just go back to newspaper/bedding in the entire cage, but we think that there may be some benefits to this, particularly financial. (Also, when they have floor time they will always pee where there is newspaper or hay, not on the sheet we lay down, so we are hoping that this trend will at least mostly continue in the cage.)

Unfortunately, I don't have extra towels! I have one extra flannel (flat) sheet, I think, but I got rid of my odl towels years ago. However, I do have 8 dozen (4 doz small and 4 doz large) cloth diapers in the attic. They are chinese prefolds and are flat. (no elastic, velcro, etc.) And they are definitely absorbant!

I'm wondering if using these would work. There are certainly enough to rotate as often as I would need to. Plus, I could spot clean easily by removing the one or two wet diapers and replacing just those without having to do a complete cage clean.

One other thing. One of my GPs chews on cloth. She nibbles the sheet at floor time and nibbles my clothes when I pet her. she has other things to chew, and of course there will be room for even more things to chew in the new cage, but she seems to like chewing on cloth. Does this make the towel/sheet/diaper idea better or worse?

Thanks!

Rebecca

**WildKingdom** · #2 07-12-04, 09:45 am

That is so funny that you asked that! I have been using my son's outgrown chinese prefolds to line the bottom of Porky's hidey house. He always pees in there and they do a really good job of soaking up the wetness. Plus they are so soft I figured they would make the perfect bed. I have a bunch so I change it every morning and throw them in a bucket and wash them about once a week.

**beccapooka** · #3 07-12-04, 09:47 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by WildKingdom

That is so funny that you asked that! I have been using my son's outgrown chinese prefolds to line the bottom of Porky's hidey house. He always pees in there and they do a really good job of soaking up the wetness. Plus they are so soft I figured they would make the perfect bed. I have a bunch so I change it every morning and throw them in a bucket and wash them about once a week.

Thanks a bunch! When I first thought of using them, it seemed like the perfect solution, and it sounds like you would agree.

Rebecca
knew those diapers would come in handy again!

**NoVeil** · #4 07-12-04, 07:40 pm

My little cloth diapering soul cringes at the thought of CPF sitting in an attic LOL You know there is a HUGE resale market for CPF?

Anyway, I think they would work well as bedding, as long as you changed them often. People use fleece and a prefold is much more absorbant.

**beccapooka** · #5 07-13-04, 07:15 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoVeil

My little cloth diapering soul cringes at the thought of CPF sitting in an attic LOL You know there is a HUGE resale market for CPF?

Anyway, I think they would work well as bedding, as long as you changed them often. People use fleece and a prefold is much more absorbant.

LOL I refuse to say 100% for sure that I'm not going to have more kids. So, the diapers are in the attic. I was going to loan them to a pregnant friend, but she decided to use disposables. I think they will be perfect for the GPs and I'll still have them should I need them.

Rebecca

**mncavylover** · #6 07-13-04, 04:40 pm

That sounds like a good idea! You'll have to change the cloth a few times a week, though, since they will get dirty faster than bedding usually does. Great idea, though! =)

**beccapooka** · #7 07-16-04, 05:50 am

Princess and Buttercup have been in their new cage for about 24 hours now. They LOVE IT! I only have the bottom level completed because they are still small and we felt better doubling up on the grids for right now. We don't have enough to couble the top, too, so we're going to hold off on the ramp until they grow a bit.

The bottom is a 2x4 C&C. 1/2 (2x1) has newspaper covered by a pretty thick layer of carefresh. The rest of the cage has cloth diapers. Where the diapers meet the bedding I have down 2 bricks (one on each side) as kind of a separater and because I've read the bricks will help with their nails. Right next to the brick on the front (on the diaper side) I have their hay rack.

This morning there was only one small bit of pee in a diaper corner. There is a LOT of poop under the hayrack, which doesn't surprise me, I guess. The rest of the pee and poop is all in their litter. YEAH!!! So, I have 1 diaper to change and some litter to fresh up a bit. I'll probably fully change the litter side every 3 or 4 days, depending, with spot cleans in between. If they keep peeing in the one corner without bedding, I'll probably stick an extra food dish filled with bedding there for them.

Rebecca

**mncavylover** · #8 07-17-04, 08:29 pm

Congrats on your new cage and happy piggies!!! =)

**Tfrog** · #9 07-20-04, 11:11 pm

I have been thinking about this for awhile now. My youngest son is heading towards being toilet trained and I suddenly thought......these are absorbant! I like the idea of having an area with newspaper too. Actually, I think I might steal your idea and use it it my cage

. Wonderful idea - thanks!!

**beccapooka** · #10 07-21-04, 05:54 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tfrog

I have been thinking about this for awhile now. My youngest son is heading towards being toilet trained and I suddenly thought......these are absorbant! I like the idea of having an area with newspaper too. Actually, I think I might steal your idea and use it it my cage

. Wonderful idea - thanks!!

Glad I could help.

It's working out really well.

Rebecca