Fleece/other bedding for c&c cages?

[iamsnape]

I've just read that guinea pigs eating and bedding areas can get a little smellier quicker on fleece than it does wood shavings. Could I get some tips on this please? Like, the best things to put on the bottom of your cage/in different areas, how often you clean them, etc. A couple of pictures for me to use as examples would be a huge help too. I'm upgrading to c&c when I get Elmo and I want to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible

I know to put a towel under the fleece and to scoop up any poo every couple of days to keep it clean for the piggies but that's all really..

Would you say in your experience fleece was better than using wood shavings and hay? (obviously they'll still get hay for eating just not so much for bedding cos I'll try and either make them, or buy them, some cuddle cups). I just figured using fleece, in the long run, would be cheaper for a big c&c than what I'm doing at the minute

[Catahoula]

I use fleece in the main area of my 3x5 cage. With 3 piggies, I spot clean everyday and do a whole cage cleaning once each week.

Along with the main fleece liner, I have smaller fleece pads. These I put in areas they like to sleep and spend the most time, so I can change them out more frequently when they get soiled (usually after 2 or 3 days).

My kitchen area is upstairs. In the attached picture I used kiln-dried pine shaving, but have since discovered my dog is allergic. Now I use an all natural cat litter called Yesterday's News. This stuff is awesome!! I'm very glad I made the switch.

[LitaRutherford]

Hay isnt good for bedding because it can get moldy from pee if its not cleaned very often from what I've read. So if you used it anywhere it might be more work. For my main cage I have as follows: puppy pads then a comforter blanket, towels, then fleece. I will be switching from the blanket to a few of those washable bed pads for people as my mom said they are super absorbant and would be easier to put down. They are like 9$ at my local drug store for a 30x35in pad. Might be something to look at.

I love fleece though i dont have any smell really and its quick to clean. Just sweep up the poo in the morning and at night. Or at least once a day, any longer and they build up poo piles that get really icky! My boys also have a hay box, just one of those small animal litter boxes with a little bit of carefreash on the bottom that they half use as a bathroom. I also add extra padding under waterbottles to help absorbe the dripping. My bottles dont leak much but if they bump them to often they can get a little soggy. Wish i could show a picture of mine. Its a little crazy right now though as I had to pull one of my boys out so its missing a water bottle and hidey. Thankfully my two that are still together dont mind shareing for a little while.

[tabikat55]

I do the same. Towel/Fleece on the main floor then a paper pellet for the kitchen. Since my "girls" are now over 2 yrs old, being neat is not their cup of tea. So I do put special made washclothes/fleece in the area they sleep or frequent.

I do switch out the little pads everyother day, pick up the stray poos daily and about every 10 days I switch out the main bedding.

The girls used to eat their hay only in the kitchen by way of the hay rack and then in the winter I'd lay a pile of it on the main floor for them to tunnel in for added warmth. But since I've switched to Orchard Grass and they won't eat that from the rack. That is on the floor in the corner of the main floor to which I change out daily and toss in the garden.

[RodentCuddles]

I have a 4x4 with a 2x2 C&C for three boy piggies, I have fleece in their 4x4 area the the 2x2 is like a kitchen area with kiln-dried pine shaving, I still have to do a spot clean once or twice a day, but I like using fleece a lot better, as it must feel better for the pigs to live on.

I then have my only girl in a 2x5 L shape with a 1x4 loft, I have the 2x4 and the 1x4 loft with fleece and the 1x2 on the side with kiln-dried pine shavings, she is such a good girl and uses the 1x2 part as her toilet so I just wrap up the newspaper under the pine shavings every 3 days or so and her fleece doesn't get very dirty at all apart from here hairs getting on it.

In both cages I prefer to put the hay and food in the area with the kiln-dried pine shavings as the hay makes a mess on the fleece and I'm a bit of a neat freak :P

In my boys cage I have 2 - 4 layers of towels under the fleece and in my girl's cage I have 1-2 layers of towels. I change the fleece once a week, or in my girls case sometimes I leave it longer as It doesn't get smelly.

[MrWhistles]

I use fleece all over my cage. I sweep up poos/soiled hay every morning. And I do a complete bedding change once a week(usually every Wednesday). I use 2 layers of uhual pads under the fleece AND 2 square uhuals under the hidys and his "kitchen sit"(where he sits and noms his hay).

I've never smelled any urine. Usually poo smell in the morning. But that is gone once everything is swiped up.

[iamsnape]

Thank-you for your help everyone I won't be building a second level right away so it will probably be fleece everywhere, as putting down other shavings might make a mess if they drag it over. Unless I can get some carefresh but not many places round here stock it! If not I will put extra towels down in toilet/bedding/drinking/eating areas - will it be okay if I put them over the fleece so I can easily switch them every couple of days or would it be better to buy extra fleece for that?

[iamsnape]

Also this isn't related to my thread title but when I make the c&c cage I'm going to put the grids on the inside of the coroplast because I keep their cage on top of a coffee table (it's long but not 4 foot long, maybe nearly 3)...will the overhang be okay? I know some people balance their on top of grids but I'm scared of it falling down!

[iamsnape]

Final question!! What size coroplast do you all recommend I buy for a 2 foot by 4 foot (or 3 and a half depending on what I can do with the grids)?

[MrWhistles]

Thank-you for your help everyone I won't be building a second level right away so it will probably be fleece everywhere, as putting down other shavings might make a mess if they drag it over. Unless I can get some carefresh but not many places round here stock it! If not I will put extra towels down in toilet/bedding/drinking/eating areas - will it be okay if I put them over the fleece so I can easily switch them every couple of days or would it be better to buy extra fleece for that?

If you fleece is going to attach to the sides(or even just lay on the bottom) you can put them directly under the fleece. The purpose of the fleece is the keep the piggy's bum dry and so they aren't sitting in their urine.

[iamsnape]

If you fleece is going to attach to the sides(or even just lay on the bottom) you can put them directly under the fleece. The purpose of the fleece is the keep the piggy's bum dry and so they aren't sitting in their urine.

Yeah mine will just be laying on the bottom Thank-you! Now just to work out what size coroplast to buy and I'm good to go! Unfortunately my d.i.y skills are awful so this could go horribly wrong

[MrWhistles]

Also this isn't related to my thread title but when I make the c&c cage I'm going to put the grids on the inside of the coroplast because I keep their cage on top of a coffee table (it's long but not 4 foot long, maybe nearly 3)...will the overhang be okay? I know some people balance their on top of grids but I'm scared of it falling down!

I've had Mr. Whistles on his stand for the LONGEST time. It is VERY sturdy.

And here is a layout view of the stand from above. My cage is 2X5. The last 2 grids(length wise) are used for a large storage space for bedding, cage supplies and hay. The middle grid is storage space for grain and vitamins. The blue lines are the storage dividers. The red lines are support grids to keep the cage from rocking back and forth. It is very sturdy. I myself have tested it out with my dog playing around in it(no piggy or bedding) and I have sat and moved about in it.

[MrWhistles]

Final question!! What size coroplast do you all recommend I buy for a 2 foot by 4 foot (or 3 and a half depending on what I can do with the grids)?

Most places will only sell you a 4ft x 8ft sheet.

[iamsnape]

I've had Mr. Whistles on his stand for the LONGEST time. It is VERY sturdy.

And here is a layout view of the stand from above. My cage is 2X5. The last 2 grids(length wise) are used for a large storage space for bedding, cage supplies and hay. The middle grid is storage space for grain and vitamins. The blue lines are the storage dividers. The red lines are support grids to keep the cage from rocking back and forth. It is very sturdy. I myself have tested it out with my dog playing around in it(no piggy or bedding) and I have sat and moved about in it.

Thank-you!! I'll do that then as it may be better than having it on the table, I should have enough grids left as I'm getting a 25 pack which is more than enough for a 2 foot by 4 foot (I think, anyway). And thanks for the pictures, very helpful!

[iamsnape]

Most places will only sell you a 4ft x 8ft sheet.

The places I've looked are very expensive :/ I might ask a local estate agents if they will donate any coroplast signs, they won't be large but if I get enough I can tape them together and make one from there, should be just as good and I saw it suggested on another thread. That's if they stay at this stupid price anyway I'll cover the edges with fleece when I line the cage so it doesn't look yucky

[NarwhalsRock]

I had my grids inside the cage for a long time. But just yesterday, I moved it out. If your cage is on a stand, with grids inside the Coro, it's super hard to clean. But if you have a top AND the Coro on the outside, it makes it literally almost impossible for 1 person to clean. The overhang should be fine. It'll be like hanging your arm over a ravine, with the rest of your body anchored to a pole. The distributed weight of the grids will make it nearly impossible for the cage to move off unless somebody pushed it. I would use the grids as a base. It'll be nearly impossible to tip over!

Just remember: Measure twice, cut once!

[iamsnape]

I had my grids inside the cage for a long time. But just yesterday, I moved it out. If your cage is on a stand, with grids inside the Coro, it's super hard to clean. But if you have a top AND the Coro on the outside, it makes it literally almost impossible for 1 person to clean. The overhang should be fine. It'll be like hanging your arm over a ravine, with the rest of your body anchored to a pole. The distributed weight of the grids will make it nearly impossible for the cage to move off unless somebody pushed it. I would use the grids as a base. It'll be nearly impossible to tip over!

Just remember: Measure twice, cut once!

I would probably just pick up the grids and take them out for a bit whilst cleaning the coroplast. Unless I used the grids as a base too - would I then put coroplast inside it? Or just fleece etc? I don't want them burrowing inside all the towels and things where they shouldn't be
And thanks for your advice about the overhang

[MrWhistles]

The places I've looked are very expensive :/ I might ask a local estate agents if they will donate any coroplast signs, they won't be large but if I get enough I can tape them together and make one from there, should be just as good and I saw it suggested on another thread. That's if they stay at this stupid price anyway I'll cover the edges with fleece when I line the cage so it doesn't look yucky

Check out these folks. I got my colored sheets for $15 each
SABIC Polymershapes Home Page

I would probably just pick up the grids and take them out for a bit whilst cleaning the coroplast. Unless I used the grids as a base too - would I then put coroplast inside it? Or just fleece etc? I don't want them burrowing inside all the towels and things where they shouldn't be
And thanks for your advice about the overhang

If you keep the grids on the inside of the coroplast it would be difficult for you to securely attach the grid stand to the cage. I suggest placing the coroplast on the inside of the grids.

[MrWhistles]

Just remember: Measure twice, cut once!

Ditto!!!!
My coroplast is HORRIBLY cut xD
Then again I was tired, impatient and cutting with dull scissors.
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...80379622_n.jpg

[NarwhalsRock]

Always happy to help!

It's pretty easy if they're on the floor, but with a stand, it's a bit harder... With the Coro on the inside, you just pick up the fleece, which has literally cut my cleaning time in half!

You still want Coro, because it'll hold the towels/U Haul pad in place, and if any wetness goes through or misses the absorbent layer (rare), it'll catch it. The fleece can also go through the grid bars on the bottom (if you make it so the bars are the bottom). If it's on a table where it doesn't overhang, you can use a shower curtain instead of Coro. Bottom line, there needs to be fleece with a towel or U Haul pad with something that doesn't absorb water/urine or let it pass through.

PM me, if that's not a good enough explanation...


@MrWhistles : I Exactoed it after measuring each side, and marking a line with a Sharpie. With my cage, there's always hay strewn about, and poo everywhere, no matter how often I clean! I really have to get around to making a kitchen area that's either 2x1 or 2x2 from the existing 2x5 I have. I just don't want to lose a chunk of the cage... Having a loft isn't an option, since my kitten would be annoying, at it would involve an enormous amount of grids to cat proof.