Fleece vs. bedding

[DaisyGP]

What do you use in your rattie cages? I've been using bedding but I want to switch to fleece. For those of you that have fleece in your rattie cages please tell me if it is working out for you and how you go about doing it. My rats I know would get underneath the fleece and poo on the floor. They would also thread the fleece. Is it such a good idea? I love the look of it though.

[suzilovespiggie]

My rats loved to cuddle in the fleece, but they also ate and shredded it.
Their tents, hammocks, and cuddle cups I had to replace every so often as they ate and shredded those also. They like to nest and build a cozy comfortable area they can burrow in. I used Critter Care for the bedding. My rats would not leave the fleece lying pretty on the floor of the cage.

[Ly&Pigs]

I have tried fleece and have tried rugs in my ratties cage and they chewed them up. I also use Critter Care for bedding. They have one hammock they won't chew up. I don't know why they chew the others up and leave that one alone but they do. I guess maybe it's their favorite one. PM had sent me two hanging tent things and I put one in their cage after I had received them. Within a week they had the ribbons chewed off of 2 of the connectors and part of the top fleece chewed off too. I am saving the other one she sent for when I am able to give them a larger environment.

I have been doing some experimentation with things in their cage and I took a bent grid and zip tied it to the back cage wall and then took an old placemat and folded it into thirds and layed in on the bent grid. The girls love it. I haven't found any chewed spots on the placemat and they hide inside it to sleep.

[DaisyGP]

I just did a rattie renivation to their cage today. I took all the bedding out and put a card board box in one corner with bedding and some of their poo. I hope they get the idea that the box is the place to go poo. So far it's not really working.

I also put a small outdoor plastic side table in there. I made little houses for them by cutting holes in cardboard boxes. I use old plastic kids beach buckets and left them on their sides so the ratties could sleep them. They also have a wheel and a hammock

[Ly&Pigs]

I tried a wheel with my girls and they just will not run in it. I had it in their cage for over a month and took it out the other day when I cleaned the cage. I have a shallow plastic container that I use for my girls litter pan and they tend to use it the majority of the time. They have pvc pipes to run through and play in and a ladder and other toys. They like it best when I let them run on my bed every night. That's the only place I can let them out to where they won't run and hide.

[Terekins]

Originally Posted by Ly&Pigs

I tried a wheel with my girls and they just will not run in it. I had it in their cage for over a month and took it out the other day when I cleaned the cage. I have a shallow plastic container that I use for my girls litter pan and they tend to use it the majority of the time. They have pvc pipes to run through and play in and a ladder and other toys. They like it best when I let them run on my bed every night. That's the only place I can let them out to where they won't run and hide.

That's a great idea. Maybe I can let my pigs run around on my bed; I have no where in the apartment that is safe for them to run outside the cage. I doubt that they would try to jump off the edge of the bed, but do you place anything there to keep them from falling off?
Thanks

[Ly&Pigs]

In this thread, the girls I am referring to are my rats. In addition to my 6 sows, I have 2 female rats. The pigs get floortime as often as possible.