Hi Nina,
Welcome aboard the piggy train! You have definitely come to the right place for great information about guinea pigs. Many members here have loads of experience with these lovely critters! So feel free to ask questions. That's what we are here for.
I am interested in this whole fleece liner thing with uhaul mats in the middle. So, they absorb all the urine? Do you put newspaper below these absorbant pads, I'd assume so, yes?
Are you talking about the Fleece Flippers? A flipper is a sleeve of fleece with 2 layers of U-Haul pads inside, wrapped around a coroplast plank. You don't have to add anything to it. No newspapers or any other material. The U-Haul pads are what absorb the urine. The fleece wicks the urine away from the surface so it (and the pigs) stay dry. The urine is wicked down to the absorbant U-Haul pad material where it stays until the pads are washed.
It is a very self-sufficient system. I use them myself. One of the great things about them is that because the flippers are individual pieces, if one gets especially soiled, you can just turn it over and you have a clean surface on the other side. You don't have to take out the entire sheet of fleece just because one portion is dirty.
If you are one who likes to color coordinate or appreciates a pretty cage, Fleece Flippers come in so many different designs. So you can do a lot of mix & match. They work really well and really brighten up a cage. They are a good combination of utility & aesthetics
I'm also checking out the C&C cages because they are awesome. My brain is already in thought process mode trying to decide where in my tiny 1 bedroom apartment a giant cage would go and what furniture needs to be ditched LOL. Fun times.
LOL I live in a tiny one-bedroom apartment too and have two cats and two 2X5 C&C cages. It does work, you just have to think a little outside the box with furniture placement
That's one of the good things about C&C cages. They are very versatile. If you need them to be an L to fit against a corner, you can do that. They might seem huge at first if you are used to seeing the old-fashioned pet-store cages but once you use them for a while, they start to feel like the norm and all the other cages seem tiny by comparison.
I am so happy you are going the adoption route! Looks like you are in WI. I am one of your neighbors to the south. So hello from an Illinois piggy person ::waving:: Do you have a rescue near you in mind? If not, have you ever used petfinder.com? It can help you locate shelters & rescues in your area. I adopted some of my pigs from The Critter Corral out in Steger.
Guinea pigs are social critters and thrive on company of their own kind so while looking for a furry friend to adopt, consider doubling your pleasure and adopting two
It's no more work and not much more expense. Your pig will be so much happier in the long run. Perhaps look for an already bonded pair. As long as your C&C cage is an appropriate size for two (males and females differ in how much space they need), you should be good to go.
Alright, I guess I've tossed enough information at you all at once. I hope I haven't overwhelmed you. Honestly, please ask any questions you have, even if you think it's a dumb question. Chances are, if you have that question, someone else does too. And we were all new at one time and made a lot of mistakes as we learned. I know I did. I made just about every rookie mistake someone could before I found this site.
Anyway, welcome again. Glad you are here
