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advantages and disadvantage of using fleece blankets in a guinea pig cage

avengedsoph

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Nov 10, 2011
Messages
141
i use saw dust and hay at the moment but im thinking about changing to using fleece blankets but what are the ups and down to using them or am i better off staying with saw dust and hay?
 
Are you really using sawdust or wood shavings? Sawdust is way too dusty for them. Fleece is great as long as you have the time to clean up the droppings and launder the bedding. If I worked full time, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle it but since I only work 3 days, it's worth the extra maintenance. It's a lot less dusty and more comfortable for the guinea pigs. They don't get bedding stuck in their fur like they did with regular bedding.
 
This might make it a little easier.
I think its alot easier to use fleece, plus the piggies like it alot more. I first started off using carefresh (recycled paper), but i noticed it was a pain to spot clean, and its pretty expensive (around 25$ a bag). Then i saw these forums and decided to go with fleece.
Fleece is pretty inexpensive (i got mine for 5$ each at wal-mart), and ive noticed they like it ALOT more. my piggies popcorn like crazy, and my bigger pig actually likes sleeping in the corner on top of the fleece over the hidey house. Its alot eaiser to spot clean since you can easily see the poop, and it just requires laundry like once a week. I will say this, make sure u remember to put a towel / some sort of absorbant material under the fleech which i originally forgot. It helps ALOT more when you spend 20$ for a handheld vacuum. spot cleaning is a breeze for me now =)
 
Avengedsoph, you're better off using almost anything other than sawdust and hay. Sawdust is too dusty for them and they're living on a wet surface, and hay doesn't absorb moisture.

The biggest disadvantage to fleece is the cost of getting started with it. If you're not sure you want to use it, and are considering other things, I'd suggest doing them first. You don't have to make commitment of money to buy a bag of shavings or pellets or Yesterday's News. If you don't like them, then you can try the fleece.
 
I would think too that it depends on how many piggies you have, and how much time you have to wash the fleece. Right now I used kiln dried pine and it works. though I'm thinking of putting fleece in just part of the cage, just to try it out. If you watch Joann Fabrics, they have the fleece sometimes halfoff...and if you get a remanent piece, its even cheaper.
 
Fleece is very helpful. My piggies love laying and relaxing among the soft fabric. Also super easy to clean rather than the bits of wood shavings. It just all depends on what choice you prefer better. With the fleece you can just sweep up the droppings real quick also in general the cage seems much cleaner. Just have to pick up the droppings daily so it wont get overboard. Also when time to wash just sweep the fleece and pop into the washer. If you have tile then wood shavings isn't to bad but with the carpet it can get stuck and you will have to vacuum often. Both with tile and carpet for fleece honestly no complaints.


Sewlittle is correct! Always look for the deals at Joann Fabrics! :)
 
i'm not using fleece and personally i do not like it. i am using wood shavings or paper pellets at the moment.
fleece is good for keeping your pig's feet safe and warm but there is also a very big job to do. you have to clean up the poo at least twice a day and you have to wash it every week. if you have long hair gps their hair will stick all over the fleece and their hair will "fly" everywhere. If you are living with parents and they are not willing to wash the fleece in the laundry you will have to hand wash it. also, piggies might craw under the fleece it the fleece is not is the correct size.
apparently for wood shavings and paper pellets you cannot clean it up everyday, but they are easier to clean for a once-a-week use. simply throwing everything away and wipe the cage and all's done. i usually put a thick layer or wood shavings and they love it too! they sleep on it under the sun and i know that they enjoy it. i found paper pellets in pet stores around me for ~$20 for 12pounds.
anyway, this is just my opinion and it's all up to you. but hope you find it useful :)
 
I've been using fleece over Uhaul felt for about a year now, & am very happy with it. I launder it every 5 days, after brushing it with a little whisk broom, & frankly, I get more hair in the wash from my dog than from the piggies. And, I do have long haired piggies. I've used shavings/hay with other critters, & shavings track all over like you wouldn't believe, besides being very dusty - not something I like in my house. Also, I pick bits of hay out of my guys when grooming them all the time, & I can't imagine how shavings would likely stick in their fur.
 
I vote for fleece! I put extra pads(fleece sewed to cotten fabric) down in the high traffic area. I just pick them up daily and shake the poos into the trashcan. I change them out every other day but then main fleece floor I only change out once a week. I use the bottom of the cage that Huey came in for their kittchen area and that keeps the hay they pull from the hay rack from getting all over. They mostly do their toileting in the kitchen area and fleece forest and it's quick to get any stray poos out of their cage. I have heard that it depends on the size of your cage, the larger the cage the easier/cheaper it is to use fleece.
 
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