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Bedding Fleece or wood shavings?

PennyLane94

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Ok so I’ve got 2 guinea pigs and I’m going to be building a larger cage for them so I can eventually add more pigs but right now the two I have are a Merino and a crested
fleece looks nicer except for all the poop and doesn’t get stuck in the merinos hair but Wood shavings seem to hide the poop and smell but get stuck in the curly hair I’ve also got care fresh I haven’t tryed yet but I have a feeling it will also get stuck
is it better to use the fleece or loose bedding? And are there any good cheap handheld vacuums that are good to clean up poops?
 

spy9doc

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And are there any good cheap handheld vacuums that are good to clean up poops?

The short answer is "no". When it comes to a handheld vac, you absolutely get what you pay for. The one I use isn't cheap, but it has all the requisite features for a vac that will last and that you will be happy with. I tried several different vacs before settling on the current model (details to follow).

No matter what vac you choose, be sure to pay attention to the type of connection from the vac to the charger. If it is flimsy, the vac will malfunction in no time. Also, you need to empty the vacuum after each use or it will smell badly in no time. When I do my weekly cage cleaning, I also wash all the parts of the vac that aren't directly involved with the base and the electrical activity.

I use a B&D Hand Vacuum that I purchased at BBB with a 20% off coupon.

BD 20v cordless vac.jpg
 

GraceWilson99

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is it better to use the fleece or loose bedding?

Hello!

My experience is that fleece, although it takes more effort to clean in certain aspects, promotes more outward displays of happiness in my pigs. I have an american long hair, crested, and an abyssinian, and while the abyssinian definitely does get a little dirtier due to the fact that there isn't quite anywhere for the mess to go aside from on top of the fleece, I find that it allows them to be far more comfortable in their cage. If you have wooden bedding you also have to be careful about sharp pieces that could cause injuries to piggie feet.

I have a 2X3 C&C and I put one layer of towels under a layer of fleece (2 towels and 2 fleece in total) and I change those out every other day. I shake the fleece out into a trash bag instead of vacuuming and I clean the cage itself with a dawn liquid soap and water mixture. I find that this keeps the odor away and keeps it from getting too trashy. Sometimes I'll clean it every day if they make a mess of their hay or decide to poop everywhere :p
 

Smileandnod

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I personally use fleece in the main part of the cage. I vaccum poops twice a day and change out small pads daily (sometimes twice a day) if they feel moist (particularly in area they use a lot...end of ramps, beds, corners)

In their kitchens I use either carefresh which lasts a few days or fleece pads I have to change daily.

I have bought some fleece cage liners and made a lot using blizzard fleece (I like that it keeps it's pile longer than antipill) and zorb (material used as absorbant layer) sewn in the middle. Just make sure the fleece is wicking properly.

I use a Black and Decker hand held vacuum that is rechargable. It is cheap (about $20 at Target or Amazon) but it works great. I also use a small handheld broom and dust pan for getting stubborn hay from the fleece. You don't want that going in your washer because it will clog it.

If you use fleece liners, have extras you can change out quickly for cage cleanings and be prepared for doing extra laundry.

What kind of wood shavings are you using?
 

PennyLane94

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I personally use fleece in the main part of the cage. I vaccum poops twice a day and change out small pads daily (sometimes twice a day) if they feel moist (particularly in area they use a lot...end of ramps, beds, corners)

In their kitchens I use either carefresh which lasts a few days or fleece pads I have to change daily.

I have bought some fleece cage liners and made a lot using blizzard fleece (I like that it keeps it's pile longer than antipill) and zorb (material used as absorbant layer) sewn in the middle. Just make sure the fleece is wicking properly.

I use a Black and Decker hand held vacuum that is rechargable. It is cheap (about $20 at Target or Amazon) but it works great. I also use a small handheld broom and dust pan for getting stubborn hay from the fleece. You don't want that going in your washer because it will clog it.

If you use fleece liners, have extras you can change out quickly for cage cleanings and be prepared for doing extra laundry.

What kind of wood shavings are you using?
Right now I’m using fleece cause they came with wood shavings that I have no clue what they are and I will probably just do the fleece liners and vacuum the poop up regularly cause I want my piggies to be happy and I don’t like the shavings getting stuck in Furbys hair
 

bpatters

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The thing that would make it easiest to manage Furby's problem is a good haircut.
 

LemonySnickers

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I use fleece also, and I honestly can't imagine switching back to paper bedding. I spot clean once a day, which keeps the cage looking very fresh and nice. It is way cheaper than paper or wood bedding also, since you can use the same fleece for years. I'm a huge fan of it and Snickers (my GP) gets excited when I clean his cage and every once in a while does zoomies.
 

PennyLane94

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The thing that would make it easiest to manage Furby's problem is a good haircut.

His hairs not super long it’s just really curly and coarse
 

sallyvh

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I have several long hair pigs of different breeds (Silkie, Peruvian, Texel, Lunkarya) and use fleece with all of my guys.

I use fleece liners (2 layers of uhaul sewn between fleece on either side), then 2 of my cages have kitchen inserts with aspen shavings while the others just have hay piles on top of a smaller liner. I sweep their cages once a day by vacuuming poops and using a hand held broom/dust pan. I use the same vacuum as [MENTION=19714]spy9doc[/MENTION] and have been very happy with it over the 2 years I've had it. Then do full cage cleans every 6-7 days. Plus I have smaller 1x1 and 1x2 liners in high traffic areas that I can clean out during the week as necessary.

I definitely prefer fleece for the long haired guys. It reduces how often I have to pick bits of stuff out of their coats. Plus, I think they prefer it. It's comfy and they have all kinds of beds and snuggly items. It's just important to put in the work to keep it clean, otherwise your pigs will constantly be standing in their filth.

Also, if you have a merino I would strongly suggest getting a pair of electric clippers and a good pair of hair trimming scissors. I don't often give my guys full body cuts, but every long haired pig gets a bum trim every 4-6 weeks. It helps keep them much cleaner and is more sanitary. His hair may not be super long yet, but it will get long!
 

PennyLane94

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I have several long hair pigs of different breeds (Silkie, Peruvian, Texel, Lunkarya) and use fleece with all of my guys.

I use fleece liners (2 layers of uhaul sewn between fleece on either side), then 2 of my cages have kitchen inserts with aspen shavings while the others just have hay piles on top of a smaller liner. I sweep their cages once a day by vacuuming poops and using a hand held broom/dust pan. I use the same vacuum as @spy9doc and have been very happy with it over the 2 years I've had it. Then do full cage cleans every 6-7 days. Plus I have smaller 1x1 and 1x2 liners in high traffic areas that I can clean out during the week as necessary.

I definitely prefer fleece for the long haired guys. It reduces how often I have to pick bits of stuff out of their coats. Plus, I think they prefer it. It's comfy and they have all kinds of beds and snuggly items. It's just important to put in the work to keep it clean, otherwise your pigs will constantly be standing in their filth.

Also, if you have a merino I would strongly suggest getting a pair of electric clippers and a good pair of hair trimming scissors. I don't often give my guys full body cuts, but every long haired pig gets a bum trim every 4-6 weeks. It helps keep them much cleaner and is more sanitary. His hair may not be super long yet, but it will get long!
Ok thanks it’ll definitely be a while before I’m comfortable going near him with scissors or clippers yet cause he’s so skittish but luckily I used to be a dog groomer so ive got clippers and scissors and yeah I’m gonna stick with the fleece and get a cheap hand vac plus it shouldn’t be so bad once they’re in their bigger cages
 
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