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Bedding How do you put your fleece in your cage?

electrocret

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I've been looking into changing some of my cage over to fleece, but have had a small question. How do you put the fleece in your cage where the piggies can't get under it? from what I've read most people use clips, and clip it to the perimeter of the cage, but that seems sloppy and time consuming to me. I'm looking into another way to put it in the cage, and was wondering what you all thought. My thought is to make the fleece into like a pillow case that's the shape of the cage, and building some sort of frame that's the shape of the inside of the cage. I'd somehow hang towels/absorbent material in the frame, then put the frame into the fleece pillow case. (on the loose end of the pillow case I'd fold it under the frame.)

I'm also thinking to hold it down better is to glue magnets to the bottom of the frame, and magnets to the bottom of the coroplast.

for trickier sections of the cage I'd section it out into seperated frames that'd be attracted together by magnets.
 

Gracespigs

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You can have someone sew the corners so it is fitted or you can do it if you can sew. I actually bought them from a lady who makes them. They are pricey, but work really well. Then they just fit over your pan or coroplast. We have coroplast.
 

2sCompany

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Clipping the fleece, is not sloppy nor time consuming, i have 7 cages to change, and this is how i do it. I have solid runs of 2 Yards x 3+ Yards in length, i simply lay it in, push it down in the the cage, and use those black paper clips to secure the edges, i can change 7 cages this way in less than one hour.
 

brindyzoeycandy

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What your saying actually sounds REALLY time consuming, but if you want to, it probably would be worth it!

Actually, clipping fleece is not time consuming at all. What I do is lay out puppy pads (I personally don't use towels, as I find they get heavy from the urine and they start to smell soon; then again, that's just me) and then put the fleece over it (I have a couple of inches over so I can clip it), and then just use about five to six binder clips on the long ends, four to five on the shorter ends. Just make sure no parts of the puppy pads are visible so the piggies don't chew on them, as it would be dangerous :)

EDIT: Also, there is something called Piggy Bedspreads that you can order online. I believe they are a special material and fleece sewn together, and I THINK you don't have to clip them, but I may be wrong.
 

dmppiggies

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My fleece overlaps on the front and back sides of the cage, which I clip, and then the ends I just fold under the puppy pads so they cant chew the ends, but keeps everything tucked in. It takes me about 15 minutes to take apart, sanitize, put new pads in, and re-clip, and most nights its only 10 minutes to clean (vacuum), change kitchen bedding, and feed my girls (and I have a 2x4).
 

Duffinvt

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I have four females and they do not burrow. I have never clipped at all. I put the fleece down on the towels and smooth it down and that's it. If it is a bit bigger than the inside I might fold the edges under and leave a lip of an inch or so up the sides of the coroplast.
 

pinky

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I have two fleece pads that slightly overlap in the cage. I put their pigloos on the edges to hold them down. I took the pigloos out when I cleaned their cage today and forgot to put them back in. One little stinker burrowed right under one piece. I laughed because they usually don't do that.
 

pinky

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Clipping the fleece, is not sloppy nor time consuming, i have 7 cages to change, and this is how i do it. I have solid runs of 2 Yards x 3+ Yards in length, i simply lay it in, push it down in the the cage, and use those black paper clips to secure the edges, i can change 7 cages this way in less than one hour.

Are all your guinea pigs yours or do you foster them?
 

Pigjes

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If you are lucky, they won't crawl under the fleece. In all these years, I had only one poo miner, who got into mining under the fleece, lol. I used large cloth pins as long as she lived, the pins you use to hang your laundry on a line outdoors, to keep the fleece in place.
 

alroberts

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I was thinking about using velcro but I do not know if anyone has had problems with the piggies pulling at the fleece. I was going to try it out at least. Just putting velcro on the bottom of the coroplast then sewing or sticking velcro on the bottom of the fleece. I thought about a fleece pillow case as well and stuffing it with pine or carefresh to absorb more. If velcro does now work I will think of something else though!
 

alroberts

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Oops I meant aspen not pine!
 

Green Beans

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I use narrow, rectangular ceramic tiles in each corner. I'm guessing here but they are maybe 2-1/2" x 8". I have two male piggies and they never burrow under the fleece or try to lift it up.
 

electrocret

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Thank you all for your replies. your input was helpful in making my decision.
I've decided that while it is elaborate, and time consuming in my case it'd be beneficial. the area where I'm putting the fleece is on the top level, which if you look in my photo's is rather high, and is precarious for me to be putting clips on. I had a heck of a time just building that part of the cage. I've scratched the idea about the magnets, my frame fits so snuggly that my piggies won't be able to move it. as far as not securing the fleece is out of the picture since one of my boys has such a strong kick that I need 10 inch walls to prevent flying bedding.

The Piggies Love it and thanks for your help! :)
 

Tdchewy

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I built my cage a bit differently than most folks. In my cage, The coroplast is on the outside of the grids. The grids sit inside of the coroplast. No clips necessary to hold in the fleece and the piggies cant get underneath because the edges are out of their reach. I have a seam in the middle of the cage (it's 2x10) that gets covered over by a couple patio blocks that also help to wear down the nails. good luck!
 

GPGuy

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I built my cage a bit differently than most folks. In my cage, The coroplast is on the outside of the grids. The grids sit inside of the coroplast. No clips necessary to hold in the fleece and the piggies cant get underneath because the edges are out of their reach. I have a seam in the middle of the cage (it's 2x10) that gets covered over by a couple patio blocks that also help to wear down the nails. good luck!

I do it the same way. I tried the grids outside and used the clips, but found it to be a bigger hassle. The only issue I've had this way is from 'stuff' sticking to the grids from time to time, so when I remove the grids, I give them a good wipe. Recently to help combat that problem, I've placed corner litter pans and keep hideys and such on the perimeter.
 

Shauna&Kerri

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I built my cage a bit differently than most folks. In my cage, The coroplast is on the outside of the grids. The grids sit inside of the coroplast. No clips necessary to hold in the fleece and the piggies cant get underneath because the edges are out of their reach. I have a seam in the middle of the cage (it's 2x10) that gets covered over by a couple patio blocks that also help to wear down the nails. good luck!

I really like the idea of the grids on the inside. I might have to try that when I feel the need to revamp our piggies cage! Right now I am using clips. It takes me about 10 minutes to clip the blanket around the entire perimeter (3 x 7 grids) and that includes working around the hay container that is hooked to the side, and the upper level (3 x 1 grid). Our cage is so big that I actually climb into it to clip it.
 
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