Pet Stores Need new store to shop at

DroidGuineaPig said:

YOU CONVINCED ME!!!! I AM SWITCHING TO OXBOW!!! (didint know great choice was petsmart brand never going to buy THAT again . Anybody know any good aspen bedding you can find online.

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Most people here use Fleece bedding, occasionally paper bedding (although that's expensive). I'm not sure where you could find the best aspen bedding but if you haven't looked into fleece yet I would highly recommend it. The idea is that you put a layer of fleece over an absorbent layer. The fleece wicks the urine through into the absorbent layer so that the guinea pigs stay dry. It's a more affordable solution long term, less messy, and more comfortable for your pigs. For absorbent layers you can use wood pellets, uhaul blankets, or towels (although towels can get pretty smelly as they stay wet). The former two are most popular on these forums and you can find more information about them in the Fleece sections sticky posts. That said aspen bedding is perfectly fine too if you prefer that. Perhaps someone else can pitch in where to find a good option for that online.

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/forums/6-Fleece

Fay said:

Most people here use Fleece bedding, occasionally paper bedding (although that's expensive). I'm not sure where you could find the best aspen bedding but if you haven't looked into fleece yet I would highly recommend it. The idea is that you put a layer of fleece over an absorbent layer. The fleece wicks the urine through into the absorbent layer so that the guinea pigs stay dry. It's a more affordable solution long term, less messy, and more comfortable for your pigs. For absorbent layers you can use wood pellets, uhaul blankets, or towels (although towels can get pretty smelly as they stay wet). The former two are most popular on these forums and you can find more information about them in the Fleece sections sticky posts. That said aspen bedding is perfectly fine too if you prefer that. Perhaps someone else can pitch in where to find a good option for that online.

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/forums/6-Fleece

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Dear Fay, I have all ready tried flece. IT STINKS!! (litterly it smelled sooooooo bad) plus I don't have time to spot clean every day

DroidGuineaPig said:

Dear Fay, I have all ready tried flece. IT STINKS!! (litterly it smelled sooooooo bad) plus I don't have time to spot clean every day

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That's really odd... it shouldn't stink that badly? The only way I think of it stinking is if the cage is too small and/or you either used towels as the absorbent layer, no absorbent layer, your fleece didn't wick properly, or another non wood pellet/uhaul absorbent layer. Spot cleaning should literally take 5 to 10 minutes with a dustpan and brush.

It stank all right

DroidGuineaPig said:

It stank all right

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What absorbent layer did you use and how large is the cage?

The cage is a 4 by 2 and I used this canvas as a absorbent layer I'll put a picture its that green thing

Canvas isn't really an absorbent layer so I'm not surprised it stinked. Have a look and see if you can get wood pellets near you and then cover it with a single layer of fleece. It can stay smell free for weeks and is much more effective against smells than aspen. This thread discusses the bedding and how to obtain the wood pellets:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/107419-3-full-weeks-of-wood-pellets

Alternatively you can look at uhaul blankets, fleece flippers might just be your cup of tea since they're easy to clean.

https://www.guineapigmarket.com/fleece-flippers

I'm not sure whether these flippers will fit in a midwest cage since they're designed for C&C cages but I know other stores out there also make fleece flippers and you can also make them yourself. They use the uhaul blankets as absorbent layer.

You'll pay a lot for shipping shavings. If you have a feed store near you, you might check there for shavings. I buy the kiln-dried pine shavings in the horse size and save a ton of money. 3 cubic feet compressed (or 7.5 cubic feet uncompressed) costs me about $7. I can change the bedding for about 15-20 guinea pigs with a bag. I don't know if they have aspen shavings in the same type economical bag. I actually prefer the kiln-dried pine shavings to the aspen shavings. To me, it's got better odor control.

But, one thing I've noticed is that different people have different experiences with bedding. I might think one type stinks, while someone else thinks something else stinks.

OK well the cage need the canvas to work so what if I did canvas the 1 inch of wood pellets AND THEN the flece do u think that would work

One more thing do they sell wood pellets on Amazon and if so can I have the link

You definitely don't want to buy wood pellets from Amazon -- the shipping would be many times the cost of the pellets. Check at feed stores in your area for horse stall bedding, or at stores that sell pellet stoves. But stove pellets are a seasonal item, and they've long since been put away in the south. If you live near or in Canada, you might still find some.

I live in California

DroidGuineaPig said:

OK well the cage need the canvas to work so what if I did canvas the 1 inch of wood pellets AND THEN the flece do u think that would work

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That's the idea. The canvas is the cage bottom, then you have the absorbent layer and then the fleece to keep the pigs dry and comfortable. The urine will wick through to the absorbent layer and contain the smell.

You can get wood stove pellets at home depot, feed stores (especially if they supply to horse farms), and online but since they are so heavy the shipping would be pretty costly. Make sure they are made of hardwood or kiln-dried soft wood. Avoid the ones that smell strongly of pine. Also make sure they don't have added accelerants. Edit: bpatters beat me to it

If you really don't want to buy them at a physical store or don't feel like dealing with heavy wood pellets; uhaul will probably be the best option for you. The flippers are basically like smaller pieces of coroplast covered with a layer of uhaul blanket and a layer of fleece, basically like a two layered pillow case. You can pick up the individual pieces of coroplast and trash any droppings. Then clean any spilled droppings or hay with a dustpan and brush. Then you simply flip them around so you can use each flipper twice. Then to clean them you remove each fleece/uhaul sleeve, shake it off, brush them with a brush and put them into the washing machine to wash with white vinegar and a little bit of detergent (don't use softener or dryer sheets). Since you can flip the flippers over they will last longer than a normal fleece/uhaul bigger blanket setup and you can buy extras to replace specific flippers that the pigs like to go potty on most often.

I checked and they do make fleece flippers for Midwest cages:

https://www.guineapigmarket.com/fleece-flippers-midwest-cages#.VxBD8EcfSdw

So does the flece flipper include an absorbent layer? And how did u know I had a Midwest cage

Wait I went to the website again and 87 BUCKS!?!? MY PARENTS WILL NEVER ​BUY THAT!

DroidGuineaPig said:

So does the flece flipper include an absorbent layer? And how did u know I had a Midwest cage

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The cage in your picture is a Midwest cage. Anyone can tell from the pic.

DroidGuineaPig said:

Wait I went to the website again and 87 BUCKS!?!? MY PARENTS WILL NEVER ​BUY THAT!

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You can make your own. It's just a concept. You don't have to buy from the store. You just need uhaul blankets, fleece, and coroplast.
Uhaul blanket is $7.95 for a huge sheet.
https://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Protective-stuff/Furniture-Pad?id=2670

You can also try putting the uhaul blanket in the cage as an absorbent layer. You don't have to do the fleece flipper.
Make sure you wash fleece multiple times to prepare it to allow liquid to drain through to the absorbent layer underneath.

Ditto to what lissie said, I just recognized the cage type from your picture and yes you can make your own fleece flippers for fairly cheap. Maybe your parents have a sewing machine?

Yeah my mum does she used it to fit the flece to the cage when we first used flece also any links to a more detailed instructions fore flece flippers

You could either consider buying one flipper and copy that one or guess how it's made. My guess would be to just measure your cage and divide it into several flippers. Cut the coroplast with a little bit of room to spare to encompass the thickness of the uhaul and fleece. Then make a uhaul pillow-like sleeve and cover it with a fleece sleeve and insert the coroplast inside it. I don't own fleece flippers so I'm not sure about the details of how you would make them yourself. You can probably find pictures and videos for reference on Google.

Fay said:

You could either consider buying one flipper and copy that one or guess how it's made. My guess would be to just measure your cage and divide it into several flippers. Cut the coroplast with a little bit of room to spare to encompass the thickness of the uhaul and fleece. Then make a uhaul pillow-like sleeve and cover it with a fleece sleeve. I don't own fleece flippers so I'm not sure about the details of how you would make them yourself. You can probably find pictures and videos for reference on Google.

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Thanks Fay, what do you use for bedding?