Stinky Fleece!!!

I use fleece and the first time you wash it, it may shrink a tiny bit. The best thing to do is buy the fleece then wash it before cutting it to cage size. My cage doesn't stink at all and I have used fleece for months. Are you using one layer of fleece over paper or more than one layer? You also need to spot clean the poos at least once every day.

I would not use towels at all. They absorb the smell more than the paper,fleece,mattress pads or puppy pads. Eliminate towels completely.

I use one layer of fleece with newspaper. How thick is the layer of newspaper you use? Maybe I'm not using enough newspaper? I am going to get the matting today from walmart. I do spot clean the poos every day at night. thanks!!!

ChattyCoCo said:

I use fleece and the first time you wash it, it may shrink a tiny bit. The best thing to do is buy the fleece then wash it before cutting it to cage size. My cage doesn't stink at all and I have used fleece for months. Are you using one layer of fleece over paper or more than one layer? You also need to spot clean the poos at least once every day.

Click to expand...

When you launder your fleece, add baking soda to the wash cycle. Use 2 rinse cycles. Add vinegar to the 1st one. (Use a Downy ball; you won't hafta try to "catch" your washer at the rinse cycle start.) Just cold water for the 2nd rinse. I used this wash method for my kids' cloth-diapers. I *never* had problems with my dipes or covers still smelling after they came out of the laundry. I did use some fleece covers so I know this method works for fleece. As for the fleece smelling while in the cage, I defer to those who actually use it as a bedding. (Although, I am intrigued by the idea. I may try it. I still have TONS of cotton dipes that can go under the fleece/over the newspaper.)

Amelia

My husband and six year old son just made his two piggies a new cage. It has a small upper deck with a ramp. I was using pine shavings as that is all we have available really--our local Earl May uses the same stuff. I didn't like the shavings all over so after reading on this site, I now use fleece. The top layer is fleece, then I have a puppy pad (read about on here as well) and then I have 3-4 layers of newspaper on the bottom. I also have a litter box in the one corner under the deck (it's darkest there and I read that it needs to be in a darker area for privacy). In the litter box I have 3 sheets of newspaper and then threw on some pine shavings. This is only my second day of using all of this (minus the litter box, we've had that for about 5 days in hopes of potty training), but I can not stand the smell. I'm not sure what it is. Anytime I see them pee on the fleece I quickly sop it up in paper towels and dispose of it. I pick up their poos and toss them in the litter box. I have also vacummed them up about 3-4 times thus far today! Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong OR is it just the litter box. I cleaned it today too with vinegar/water but did actually see one pee in it afterwards. Is there urine smell that strong??

You really don't have to sop up the urine with a paper towel. Just let the fleece wick it away to the puppy pad underneath.

Sometimes the urine can get a strong smell if they eat certain foods. I can't remember for the life of me at this moment what those foods are.

Also, sometimes it may take quite awhile to get the pigs to pee in the litter box. I am still working with 3 of my girls and they are getting much better now. When I cleaned their cage out totally friday night, I had noticed there were only 2 small wet spots on the newspaper. Maybe when I change tomorrow, I hope not to see any. I think it helped a lot when I changed from the newspaper/hay combo I was using in the litter box to crittercare.