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Hello I am new to this site and have a few questions

animalmadlover

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Hello everyone
I have always enjoyed reading the posts in here and am delighted to finally have an account. I have been a lucky guinea pig owner for almost 10 years now and am still guinea pig crazy like everyone here. I Just recently brought the only c&c grids that were available in NewZealand and used a shower curtain to build a cage for my girls, which I have always wanted since I found out about them here. Expensive but worth it!

I have two boys called Tigger and Charlie and two girls called Molly-Ann and Jess. I have a couple of questions.
My problem is this...

I have always had to put up with my mum nagging my about the hutches and playpens which clutter up her perfect lawn, (don't worry I keep my guinea pigs inside mainly) or the dirty hay and newspapers which clog up the garden. I have tried towels and fleece which is much cleaner but my mum is now nagging me about the power usage of the washing machine. She also says that I do not have any place to dry the washing in winter. I am so sick and tired of her nagging so what should I do to keep her happy?
What could I do with the newspapers and hay in the garden that would look tidy? How can I wash all the towels and fleece and save power and money? How can I dry them in winter?
I would appreciate any answers.
Have attached a picture of Molly-Ann and Jess:)
 

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Starthecavy123

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Hi and welcome to the forum.

I air dry my fleece, I've heard some people use a bath tub so maybe you can try that.

Such cute little girlies :)
 

Artista

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Maybe you could tell her you could give her something for the power usage if not money, do more chores or something. Or you could just get a set that you can switch out and go to the laundry mat in the winter.
 

bpatters

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You can use the hay and newspapers as mulch in the garden around the plants. Put the newspaper down first, then the hay over the top.

Fleece dries very quickly, and will easily air dry. Do you have a basement in your house where you could hang a clothes line to dry the towels? Or put a clothes line outside?
 

animalmadlover

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No thats the problem. I virtually don't have anywhere that I can dry the towels in winter. The fleece does seem to dry very quickly so that helps the situation, but the towels take a long time to dry properly. Mum uses the fire railing and the hot water cupboard to dry her washing which she won't let me use. We do have an outdoor washing line which I use on sunny days but I cannot hang the towels outside very often in the winter because it rains so much.
I have been using newspaper and hay around the garden which mum hates because its built up quite a lot over the years and the part of the garden that we use is pretty much saturated with hay. I am considering using hay and news paper during the winter and fleece and towels over the summer.
The problem is that Molly-Ann loves to eat newspaper, so using towels and fleece solved that problem.
 

Starthecavy123

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Do you have access to a laundry mat. That's what I have to use because I live in a apartment.
 

Princess_Piggie

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I wouldn't use hay and newspaper as bedding, that's extremely unsanitary since neither are very absorbent. The pigs would be sitting in their own urine constantly as the bedding would always be wet.

Have you considered just throwing the dirty hay and newspaper away? You could put the hay in to a plant recycling bin and the newspaper in to the regular recycling bin. As for drying the fleece, ask your mum for a washing maiden, it's how I dry my fleece and towels. (broken link removed) I use this one, but you can probably find them for cheaper elsewhere, and it can just go in your bedroom so it's not taking up your mum's space.
 

Pipandpoppy

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We have a compost bin a home maybe invest in one and when it's full just mix it up and put it over you plants.
I find my fleece in nearly dry by the time I take it out if the washer.
 

animalmadlover

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I would use a washing maiden but my mum won't let me use one because it takes up room and apparently looks awful to her. She is being so stubborn, according to her there is no way to dry the towels and I have to go back to news paper and hay. She won't even let me have one in my room! I think that you are right about the hay and newspaper being unsanitary but my mum doesn't see that. If she had her way my guinea pigs would all be sitting in tiny cages with nothing to do and no toys. So you can see why I am annoyed.
 

MrsGuineaPig

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but my mum doesn't see that. If she had her way my guinea pigs would all be sitting in tiny cages with nothing to do and no toys. So you can see why I am annoyed.
Same way with my mom but I didn't listen to her and did it my way and when I did, she realized it was way better than she imagined.
 

MrsGuineaPig

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I'm not saying don't listen to your mom; but my mom was like oh how are you going to clean the fleece, how are you going to keep the kitchen area clean if you use it as a bathroom. So when I did do those things she realized that I wasn't wrong about what I was saying. Try to negotiate with her!
 

Princess_Piggie

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It sounds like you've got a very stubborn, belligerent parent, which I can totally relate to. You can buy tiny washing maidens that hang off radiators, might she let you use one of those in your room?

I feel like maybe backing up what you're telling her with facts and figures might help. She clearly thinks you're making it up and 'spoiling' your pigs, so make a presentation, a short one with bullet points and places of reference for example "The leading site in guinea pig medical and health care says that suitable bedding options are shavings, fleece, and wood pellets. See guinealynx.com to find out more". Or, have her come on here and see what everyone else is saying about it. She could even make an account and post her concerns, if seeing it all first hand might help her.
 

maddy harper

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hello and welcome to the forums. so sorry your having issues with your family. over your pigs.
hopefully things will blow over soon. fingers crossed for ya.
 

animalmadlover

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I went ahead and brought a bigger c&c cage off trademe, build it four stories, two for the girls and two for the boys. I filled it with towels, fleece and toys and my guinea pigs were sooo happy. Charlie was racing up and down the ramp popcorning and bouncing around. I did all this without telling my mum, she gave me a mean look when she gave me the cage parcels. Then I simply showed her how happy my guinea pigs were and then she finally understood what I had meant. I have been giving them so much time and attention, showing my mum how wonderful they are. I think that she finally understands, at least there's been no more mention of sellng them.
As for the fleece and towels, I have been drying them in my room with no problems:)
So relieved that this has finally worked out.
 

MrCavyMadness

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Congratulations!
 

Rywen

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That's great news!
 

maddy harper

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hello and welcome
 
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