Fleece

[Cappuccino]

Hi! So when we move and make Cappuccino a new cage, I am considering getting fleece as bedding, for a couple reasons. First of all, bedding gets stuck in his fur, which I pick out, which then gets on my clothes, which then gets everywhere. Also, it's a pain to clean.

How exactly does fleece work as bedding? How do you clean it? How do your pigs like it? I would really appreciate any answers. Thankssss!

 

[Nicholle]

Good choice with fleece Every guinea pig i have ever met in my life has loved fleece. They popcorn and chirp when its being cleaned and love to tunnel through it (which gets annoying when you have to fix it) Its so easy to. All you do is put down a couple layers of newpaper and a fleece blanket. When its time to rid the blanket of poop you just pull up each of the sides slowly so the poop rolls to the center. Then you grab two sides of the blankey and tip it so all the poop falls into the garbage (thats the easiest way i find to get it all) Also just once a week or so take out the fleece you have and switch it with last weeks. then you wash the fleece with main wash (no fabric softner) then just fold it up and wait till the next washing.
You dont have to worry about bedding but i find that your guinea pig is used to peeing and pooping in bedding so it would be easy for you to litter train them. Just put some bedding in a tray of some sort in a corner by the spot they poop the most( most of my guinea pigs do there buisness in there kitchen area)
I hope this helps

 

[Crystalkate]

Fleece is great!! I have 2 layers of towels under my fleece. I am a neat freak, so I change it out every three days ...so I wouldn't know how long you could let it go without it smelling. Carlee loves it much better than bedding. It's comfy, doesn't get stuck in her hair (like you said), and in the end it's a lot cheaper.
Some don't like it though, I guess it depends on the person. It's worth a try though!
I clean mine by itself in my washer on warm with All Free and Clear to prevent allergies from the cleaner. All of my layers are cut to fit in my cage perfectly, it made a hug difference. It's so easy to clean. My pig uses one corner to pee and poo more than anywhere else in the cage. I set a small square of newspaper in that corner and change it out every morning and night.

 

[HannibalLecter]

No newspaper, it's not nearly absorbent enough which defeats the wicking ability of the fleece. It would get soggy quickly, stick to the fleece & get smelly. For the urine to wick through the fleece, you need a good absorbent layer underneath like towels or u-haul blankets.

You will need 100% polyester fleece, preferably higher quality from fabric stores like anti-pill polar fleece. To prepare it & gain ultimate wicking ability, you wash & dry it 3-5 times before use. Preferably with vinegar, no fabric softener or dryer sheets.

To avoid our washer getting clogged, I throughly sweep & shake the fleece first, and then roll it with a lint roller before washing it. A kitchen area with disposable bedding really is the way to go to avoid all hay sticking to the fleece. You need to sweep it a few times daily, but with a large enough cage you only need to do a full cleaning once a week.

Unlike shavings, fleece doesn't dry out their skin, isn't dusty & is much better for pigs prone to bumblefoot.

 

[Crystalkate]

I never ever have a problem with newspaper in one corner (the size of a grate). It has made my clean up of her poo area a 100% easier, and I can do it as many times a day as I want.

 

[Nicholle]

I actually think the newspaper is better. If you think it gets smelly then just take out the newspaper. The newspaper is easy for me to get and i stock piled so much newpaper that im sure ill probably never run out. But this is just my opinion. While looking around i found this site and thought of you haha so here you go
Using Fleece For Bedding in Your Guinea Pig Cage

 

[Cavalicious]

Check out the page under Bedding:

The Fleece Project

 

[Emissa]

I love my fleece. I made my guinea a C&C Cage and I change out to a new washed fleece once a week. Plus they are complete opposite colors, so everytime I change it she thinks it's a whole new place and starts popcorning everywhere

 

[CanadianComforts]

I love fleece and have been using it for years.

I started out with fleece and puppy pads, but that cost way to much for my liking. So I switched to Fleece and towels, which I used for many years. In August I switched out to Fleece and Uhaul pads. I LOVE them. There is little to no smell and they soak up the pee very well.

Some things you should know about using fleece with guinea pigs. You will have to sweep their poops daily or more. I clean mine two times a day, once in the morning and once at night. Washing Fleece bedding can be a pain, you do have to make sure there is nothing on the fleece, no poops or hay. These can clog your washer, though I have never personally had this issue. A good brushing can get rid of this issue.

Another thing you should know is depending on the size of the cage you may have to clean out the cage 1-3 times a week. This is a complete cage. My cages are 2x5 housing 2 guinea pigs each. I clean 2-3 times a week. I do this not only for my pigs but for my kids as well, flung guinea pig poop sitting on the floor is very tempting for a toddler. But the good thing about cleaning so often is its all washable! Just wash and dry and your done. I have two sets for both my cages, this means I can wash one set and use the other.

All in all fleece is great, it gives them a soft area to walk on, helping and preventing bumblefoot and other health issues. It also allows you to see any urinary issues, like bladder slug which can cause stones. If they get a UTI, you can see the blood much more easily, even more so if you use white towels or light colored fleece.