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Ramps Pigs using ramp as liter box, how to clean it?

PiggyGrandma15

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Our ramp is the one that came with the cage when we ordered it from the cage store. It is the coroplast with the "carpet" on the walking surface. I've suspected that they were using it as the bathroom as the majority of the mess was ending up at the bottom of the ramp, both poop and wetness from pee. To the point where I currently have 4 layers of towel between the uhaul and the fleece in that corner just to have a shot at keeping it dry.

I've been wiping out the entire cage worth of coroplast with the diluted white vinegar solution every week when I do the full change, because when I was doing the daily spot clean all I could smell was pee. Well, now I'm not smelling pee until I move or sweep the ramp down.

This morning, on her first run back down the ramp (they both go up there to check out the new fresh hay and to beg for pellets as soon as the ramp is replaced after the spot cleaning every morning) Callie stopped to pee. As she was finishing her ... call of nature, Hammie was on her way up the ramp and stopped nose to nose with her sister to join in answering nature's call.

The ramp, because of the carpeting, is the only thing that doesn't get a weekly scrub down (ok, let's be real, wipe down - it only got really scrubbed the first time). I am thinking that they have just decided to use that as the spot to go. Problem is ... how do I clean it properly? What do people do?
  • Should I make some sort of ramp fleece flipper? How do I keep it in place if I do?
  • Should I steam clean it with my bissel carpet steam cleaner with the furniture attachment thing? (not even sure it would fit in the ramp ... if I could find the attachment) Wouldn't that reduce the effectiveness of whatever they use to make it stay put?

Any thoughts on how to handle this problem would be appreciated. I do not really have the option to take the ramp and extend the main floor until after the basement is finished off, and our girls spend a lot of time up on the loft, so I don't really want to remove the loft all together -- but I would love to give them more space to run and fly on the main level.
 

Malynda Teeter

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Our ramp is the one that came with the cage when we ordered it from the cage store. It is the coroplast with the "carpet" on the walking surface. I've suspected that they were using it as the bathroom as the majority of the mess was ending up at the bottom of the ramp, both poop and wetness from pee. To the point where I currently have 4 layers of towel between the uhaul and the fleece in that corner just to have a shot at keeping it dry.

I've been wiping out the entire cage worth of coroplast with the diluted white vinegar solution every week when I do the full change, because when I was doing the daily spot clean all I could smell was pee. Well, now I'm not smelling pee until I move or sweep the ramp down.

This morning, on her first run back down the ramp (they both go up there to check out the new fresh hay and to beg for pellets as soon as the ramp is replaced after the spot cleaning every morning) Callie stopped to pee. As she was finishing her ... call of nature, Hammie was on her way up the ramp and stopped nose to nose with her sister to join in answering nature's call.

The ramp, because of the carpeting, is the only thing that doesn't get a weekly scrub down (ok, let's be real, wipe down - it only got really scrubbed the first time). I am thinking that they have just decided to use that as the spot to go. Problem is ... how do I clean it properly? What do people do?
  • Should I make some sort of ramp fleece flipper? How do I keep it in place if I do?
  • Should I steam clean it with my bissel carpet steam cleaner with the furniture attachment thing? (not even sure it would fit in the ramp ... if I could find the attachment) Wouldn't that reduce the effectiveness of whatever they use to make it stay put?

Any thoughts on how to handle this problem would be appreciated. I do not really have the option to take the ramp and extend the main floor until after the basement is finished off, and our girls spend a lot of time up on the loft, so I don't really want to remove the loft all together -- but I would love to give them more space to run and fly on the main level.
I have a lower lever that is 2x4 c&c, this level is really for zoomies or whatever else the girls do. I have 2 loft kitchens-1 is 2 grids and the other is 4, with 2 being a tip out and supported by 2 external grids. I also use one fleece blanket for each ramp. I eventually came up with a way to do it using clips, otherwise it was burrow city. I use 2 grids bent in a u shape for each ramp and they are in the center of the cage. I do have them zip tied at the top and to each other for stability.
If BJ and Frankie are irritated about their kitchen areas being untidy, they will deposit poo all over the lower level, and on their ramps to alert me to the situation...lol.
I ultimately decided to do fleece for ramps because it's washable. I take everything apart as far as ramps go every 2 weeks as long as there isn't a bad odor.
There are many options for ramps and people are really helpful on this forum. I am sure you will find a great solution to work for you as well as youe pigs.
 

PiggyGrandma15

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I would prefer to keep our current ramp, and just clean it well or, if that isn't possible, cover it with some sort of flipper (for a lack of a better way to put it). If I removed the carpet, I would be able to scrub it clean. But to replace the carpet every ..... 3 months or so will get expensive. Before I do that, I need to have a plan in place to cover it again, because I doubt the piggies would be able to climb up (nor would it be the best for their little feet) without the coroplast being covered. :/
 

Denise Mabie

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I think the flipper idea is great. It should fit in the ramp nice and snug.
 

pinky

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When I make cages with ramps, I sew fleece pads to fit the ramp. I make them with fleece on two sides and a single layer of uhaul padding in the middle. I sew a strip of velcro on the underside of the short edge of the fleece and use sticky velcro cut the same size that I attach to the top edge of the loft. I sew multiple sets so I can launder them and still have a clean one to put back on the ramp. It's soft to their feet, offers traction and is easy to remove and replace when it gets soiled.
 

PiggyGrandma15

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Yes. This is why I brought the question here, because this is such an amazing resource of already tried and true ideas. I am a firm believer in NOT recreating the wheel. I'd rather adapt a wheel that has already been tested. I appreciate the ideas and I'm hoping that something clicks in my brain as perfect. Pardon my stream of conscience response.
[MENTION=19714]spy9doc[/MENTION] that doesn't hurt their feet? With as much as our sows use the loft, I'd be afraid that it would be like walking on bars with the ridges and what not. :( Not that I mean that you would not have been sure before using them yourself, and perhaps I'm thinking of something different. Perhaps I am just not on the same page.
[MENTION=15081]pinky[/MENTION] do your pigs chew on the velcro? I would think if I had velcro on them, I wouldn't go double sided. :/

Trying to brainstorm over here, and I'm looking over at the cage hoping for some brilliant inspiration to jump out at me. While cleaning my office a few weeks ago I found a (broken link removed)thingy. On Saturday, when I did the full cleanout, I went to put the fleece forest back in place and about cried. I had a full grid with a whole lot of strands in it and it took forever to put in place the first time and I was glad that it lasted so long without having any need to take it down and wash, because it was a HUGE pain to put into place. Well inspiration hit and I cut the thing in half diagonally (now I have 2 right angle triangles) and used the kam button thing to insert 3 buttons on each corner of each half to attach it to the cage in the same corner where I used to wedge in the full grid. Time to "install"? About 3 seconds! WIN! So the reason for that tangent is me explaining a bit of my out loud thought process. What if I could somehow "snap" a flipper into place. The top would be easy, an extra strap to go around the connection flap, the bottom has me stumped at the moment though. Unless I strap fully along under the ramp on the back side .... hmmmmm.
 

pinky

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Yes. This is why I brought the question here, because this is such an amazing resource of already tried and true ideas. I am a firm believer in NOT recreating the wheel. I'd rather adapt a wheel that has already been tested. I appreciate the ideas and I'm hoping that something clicks in my brain as perfect. Pardon my stream of conscience response.
[MENTION=19714]spy9doc[/MENTION] that doesn't hurt their feet? With as much as our sows use the loft, I'd be afraid that it would be like walking on bars with the ridges and what not. :( Not that I mean that you would not have been sure before using them yourself, and perhaps I'm thinking of something different. Perhaps I am just not on the same page.
[MENTION=15081]pinky[/MENTION] do your pigs chew on the velcro? I would think if I had velcro on them, I wouldn't go double sided. :/

Trying to brainstorm over here, and I'm looking over at the cage hoping for some brilliant inspiration to jump out at me. While cleaning my office a few weeks ago I found a (broken link removed)thingy. On Saturday, when I did the full cleanout, I went to put the fleece forest back in place and about cried. I had a full grid with a whole lot of strands in it and it took forever to put in place the first time and I was glad that it lasted so long without having any need to take it down and wash, because it was a HUGE pain to put into place. Well inspiration hit and I cut the thing in half diagonally (now I have 2 right angle triangles) and used the kam button thing to insert 3 buttons on each corner of each half to attach it to the cage in the same corner where I used to wedge in the full grid. Time to "install"? About 3 seconds! WIN! So the reason for that tangent is me explaining a bit of my out loud thought process. What if I could somehow "snap" a flipper into place. The top would be easy, an extra strap to go around the connection flap, the bottom has me stumped at the moment though. Unless I strap fully along under the ramp on the back side .... hmmmmm.

The velcro isn't exposed. It's on the underside of the fleece liner which sticks to the velcro on the loft so it's hidden.
 

pinky

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Here are examples although these are single layer fleece. Later on, I made fleece pad liners. My personal cages no longer have ramps.

https://s738.photobucket.com/user/kavykeeper/media/cage044_zps4b298efa.jpg.html (<script class="js-extraPhrases" type="application/json"> { "lightbox_close": "Close", "lightbox_next": "Next", "lightbox_previous": "Previous", "lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.", "lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow", "lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow", "lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen", "lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails", "lightbox_download": "Download", "lightbox_share": "Share", "lightbox_zoom": "Zoom", "lightbox_new_window": "New window", "lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar" } </script> <div class="bbImageWrapper js-lbImage" title="th_cage044_zps4b298efa.jpg" data-src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi738.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx28%2Fkavykeeper%2Fth_cage044_zps4b298efa.jpg&amp;hash=24481ef27a833d3ecf95d93e2aef42e5" data-lb-sidebar-href="" data-lb-caption-extra-html="" data-single-image="1"> <img src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi738.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx28%2Fkavykeeper%2Fth_cage044_zps4b298efa.jpg&amp;hash=24481ef27a833d3ecf95d93e2aef42e5" data-url="https://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx28/kavykeeper/th_cage044_zps4b298efa.jpg" class="bbImage" data-zoom-target="1" style="" alt="th_cage044_zps4b298efa.jpg" title="" width="" height="" loading="lazy" /> </div>)
https://s738.photobucket.com/user/kavykeeper/media/IMG_9351_zps00599914.jpg.html (<div class="bbImageWrapper js-lbImage" title="th_IMG_9351_zps00599914.jpg" data-src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi738.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx28%2Fkavykeeper%2Fth_IMG_9351_zps00599914.jpg&amp;hash=149d54f37d1dc715fbd8d18bce1e6179" data-lb-sidebar-href="" data-lb-caption-extra-html="" data-single-image="1"> <img src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi738.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx28%2Fkavykeeper%2Fth_IMG_9351_zps00599914.jpg&amp;hash=149d54f37d1dc715fbd8d18bce1e6179" data-url="https://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx28/kavykeeper/th_IMG_9351_zps00599914.jpg" class="bbImage" data-zoom-target="1" style="" alt="th_IMG_9351_zps00599914.jpg" title="" width="" height="" loading="lazy" /> </div>)
https://s738.photobucket.com/user/kavykeeper/media/IMG_0692_zps174a5165.jpg.html (<div class="bbImageWrapper js-lbImage" title="th_IMG_0692_zps174a5165.jpg" data-src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi738.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx28%2Fkavykeeper%2Fth_IMG_0692_zps174a5165.jpg&amp;hash=98b55bd96ab65f787cbd98b949397b8a" data-lb-sidebar-href="" data-lb-caption-extra-html="" data-single-image="1"> <img src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi738.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx28%2Fkavykeeper%2Fth_IMG_0692_zps174a5165.jpg&amp;hash=98b55bd96ab65f787cbd98b949397b8a" data-url="https://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx28/kavykeeper/th_IMG_0692_zps174a5165.jpg" class="bbImage" data-zoom-target="1" style="" alt="th_IMG_0692_zps174a5165.jpg" title="" width="" height="" loading="lazy" /> </div>)
 

Saylavi

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To help clean the carpet part of the ramp you can use a blade to separate the carpet from the ramp and hand wash it like you would laundry. Then use either silicone or a quick dry resin to adhere it back to the Coro, just don't let your piggies on it while the adhesive dries
 

PiggyGrandma15

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@pinky, ok, sorry I didn't follow initially I was thinking the velcro attached to the ramp not the loft.
 

PiggyGrandma15

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I will have to go tomorrow and do some fondling. I hate that store though. To many hours being dragged by my husband
 

PiggyGrandma15

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Finally got the stuff. Took me a while, disgusting nasty virus ran through my whole house and I just couldn't get there and then I forgot, and then the smell got to me and well, the carpet has been tossed and sanitation has already taken it away.

Now our girls have to get used to the new feel of the ramp. They seem much more hesitant now, not refusing, but certainly more hesitant.
 
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