Fleece Without Litter Pan

[MommyOfTwo]

I'm just curious how many of you guys out there use fleece without a kitchen/litter pan area. I am thinking of just eliminating my "kitchen with litter" and just going 100% all fleece. Splitting it up with pans uses up more space, IMO.

If you don't use litter pans:
1- Do you just double up on towels/mattress pads under high traffic areas?
2- How much messier does it get?

Thanks!

[Toadies]

I don't use litter pans, I just keep the hay, water and food at one end of the cage. I use smaller towels under that section of fleece (seperate from the towels that I use under the rest of the cage) which makes it easier to just pull up the wet towels in that area and relace with dry ones. It does save the rest of the cage somewhat. I just sweep up the poops in the evening. My boys were not very cooperative with litter training efforts.

[Janelle]

I use a pan under my hay rack, but it's more to catch the hay than their potties.

[Nelli]

I recently eliminated the carefresh kitchen area and am now 100% fleece. I use towels underneath the fleece in the kitchen area. I change that part out every day or two depending on my piggies' usage. I mostly have to worry about the hay sticking to the fleece.

[crazywiggy]

As far as pig poops and pee are concerned I don't see anything wrong with not having a kitchen / litter area.

For me the big problem is hay. It doesn't seem to sweep or hoover - and it blocks the hoover if you do manage to suck it up! I personally wouldn't want the extra hassle of having all my pigs hay loose on the fleece.

I just built a coroplast box (like an enclosed litter tray) where I put their hay, and use newspaper on the floor. The paper is changed at least daily so it doesn't get too damp, but the hay stay mainly inside the box.

[MommyOfTwo]

I actually stuff toys with hay all the time, so I'm pretty much use to dealing with it all over the fleece. I was more concerned with the pee...but since they pee all over where they sleep anyway, I'm guessing it won't be much different in the kitchen using all fleece.

Thanks, guys. I think I am going to try going 100% fleece. Litter pans just take too up too much of the floor space, and its driving me crazy.

[Paula]

I've recently switched to 100% fleece after several failed attempts previously. I have to pick off the hay from underneath the hay rack, but I just do that before I vacuum poo, so it's no big deal. It's saving me a bag of carefresh a week (~$20), so it's well worth the minimal extra effort. I also discovered that about an inch of extra towels/pads under that end of the cage makes all the difference.

[starshine123102]

I don't have a kitchen area. Since my towel is about a foot longer than the cage I fold it over in the area where she does her stuff. I have to search for poos a bit but it's nothing major. The hay does get all over the place but it's not overly difficult to pick it up, just a bit annoying.

[MommyOfTwo]

Thanks all! I am so excited about switching to all fleece. I'm going to rebuild my cage, (and am waiting for new corolplast and grids) so it will be awhile, but I'm glad to know that others have tried it and had it work out. I'm extremely frustrated with my current set up and how much floor space the "kitchen litter pans" take up. Looking forward to giving my little darlings more room to run.

[AnimalHouse36]

I have an old petstore bottom in my cage. Then I just put they're hay and pellet bowl in it with a water bottle near by and a towel tent.

They still poopy on the fleece but not as much. Usual they pee in the kitchen area.

Edited to add: Since I didn't want to take away to much space I added a little 2x1 nook for it so they stilll have plenty of room too run around in if your worried about space.

Hope this helps!

[Lorie.J.Call]

I also discovered that about an inch of extra towels/pads under that end of the cage makes all the difference.

Paula: Are you changing out the top (wet) layer of extra towels in between cage cleanings? Thanks.