General Anyone else have this problem with fleece?!

[Mrs_Ames]

I have 2 male piggies in a 2x4 c&c cage. I used Aspen bedding and decided to switch to fleece. I was spot cleaning constantly, several times a day. My piggies kept stepping on the poops and getting them stuck to there feet! It was so gross! I switched back to aspen bedding and it doesn't happen anymore. Anyone else have this issue? I was cleaning the cage like 5 times a day trying to keep it clean, drove me crazy! I like the look of fleece better but not sure if its really worth the hassle!

 

[iblastbigrocks]

Sounds like you have heavy "doodie" poopers! I have 2 boys in a 2x4 cage as well and I understand your issue; i like the look, feel and re-usability (is that a word?) of fleece better too, but it is more work. Once in a while they do smoosh a poopie into the fleece but my problem is usually the peeing which in turn leads to some smell issues. Did you have the problem with smell too? How many times did you wash/dry your fleece before you used it? I'm sorry i couldn't help you more...

 

[lovemyoreo]

I sprinkle banking soda under the fleece on top of my towels it helps so much with the pee smell

 

[FuryanGoddess]

We've tried fleece and hated it. The Aspen gets everywhere, but the fleece is impossible to keep clean. Always looks like poop everywhere and hay never sweeps up well... nope, don't like it... not at all

 

[KiwiCavyAdorer]

I use fleece and don't have the issue you mention as Maximus von Lichtenwalder's poops are firm, but he is a single pig in a 2 x 4 bottom with an upstairs 2 x 3 effective equivalent so it might be the bigger space per pig per poop ratio that works in my and his favour. He came to me with kiln dried pine bedding and it was used until finished. I tried the fleece option because the skin on his wee toes was always too red and had a little skin peeling around the edges, from the abrasion factor?, when I put him on fabric the redness abated, the skin stopped the little peel bits. So I figured while the pine might work for me it didn't work for the skin on his feet. Then I tried puppy training pads, I'm now using puppy pads in his kitchen section, which he pee's in the most, and I change every 4 days so there is never any odour. From all I have read fleece can be tricky depending on the kind of fleece, and how it is prepared, what soaps you use in the washing and the most important factor I have read about fleece is that it Must be washed as hot as possible to eliminate odour. I wash my fleeces at 90 degrees C. Though I have read that 60 degrees C would be adequate. 40 degrees C is not hot enough to kill the bacteria's that thrive in urine rich conditions.
Everyone seems to work out what is best for their own pigs and situations.

 

[Kieri]

i rarely have this happen. i sweep my pigs' cage out once or twice a day. it's definitely a hassle sometimes, but i haven't had any problems regarding sticky poops. :3 good luck!

 

[Pretty Piggies]

That's how I was as first! Now I just try to clean it about once or twice. You may want to have a corner litterbox. They won't always go in there, but it should help.

 

[zaylea]

I haven't had problems with sticky poo. I have a 2x2 loft with a coroplast litter box. I put Yesterday's News cat litter in there, just enough to cover the bottom. Their hay, pellets, veggies, etc stay contained to this area so 90% of their poop ends up in there. In the base, it's lined with fleece and I have tidy pads in any of the corners they like to poop in. No hay or anything gets trailed down there. I just shake the poop off the tidy pads and out of their hideys into the trash once or twice a day. Any stray poops I scoop up with a ladle. Seems pretty low maintenance to me. I wouldn't be able to deal with wood shavings of any kind, too much of a neat freak.

 

[Mrs_Ames]

I don't have a problem with odor, just the darn poops sticking to there feet!! I guess that one of my piggies just has like extra sticky poops! haha

 

[Mrs_Ames]

I think that I may try a corner litter box of some sort. I also have considered making a loft. I cleaned the fleece like 4 times daily! The poop just drove me crazy! When I would pick them up it would be stuck to there feet. I think that one of my piggies just must have sticky poop. Maybe it will pass! I think I will try fleece again in the future...I am no quitter! Thanks everyone for the replies!

 

[zaylea]

Maybe it's something they eat that's making their poo sticky? Some veggie doesn't sit with them well, or maybe the brand of pellets you use?

 

[Mrs_Ames]

It might be! I am going to have to do some investigating. They eat lettuce, carrots, bell pepper, celery and sometimes cucumber. Maybe I am giving too much veggies a day or something.

 

[bpatters]

Try cutting out the cucumber -- that's the most likely thing to be making their poop soft.

Also, soft poop can be a sign of not enough hay. Is it possible they're not eating enough hay because they're getting too many veggies?

 

[kacie]

Litterbox... That's my advice to you. I use 1 layer of fleece and two layers of towels and I only have to clean the cage out once a week. I always have huge amounts of hay so I put some in the litter box to eat and they always seem to go potty in there. I change out the hay in the cage everyday so it's not covered in their waste and I sweep up around their litter box (Daphne seems to think it's funny to tip the box over- I don't know how she does it - she's a tough piggy!) but other than that, they're pretty low maintenance...

 

[Mrs_Ames]

They have plenty of hay and I see them eating it often. I will try cutting down on the veggies see if that makes a difference!

 

[Mrs_Ames]

I think I am going to have to try a litterbox. I will try anything! Thanks!

 

[guinealora]

When we first got our girls, their previous owners had NEVER had their nails clipped and poop got stuck in their nails and to their feet all the time. We got their nails clipped and it stopped happening until recently their nails started getting long again (right before their nail appointment). But we haven't had the problem since, and our girls are BIG poopers haha.

 

[Japonica26]

That's how I was as first! Now I just try to clean it about once or twice. You may want to have a corner litterbox. They won't always go in there, but it should help.

I totally agree with this. I have a 4x2 with two litter trays in the "kitchen" and a corner toilet in the hidey. Makes cleaning so much easier. I would be bonkers scooping poop off all that fleece otherwise.

They won't be consistent all the time, but if you put the trays/toilets in the areas they "use" the most, then they'll get the hang of it. Mine do about 90% of their poops in the litter trays. During clean up this morning, there were maybe five droppings that were not in the trays.

I also agree about watching veggie intake and making sure there's adequate hay.

Oh and here's a link to the corner toilets. This one's an Aussie site, but most pet stores should have them elsewhere in the world:

(broken link removed)

 

[zaylea]

These are the corner litter pans I use (in the US):

Petco Small Animal High Corner Litter Pans at PETCO

Cheapest ones I've been able to find, but sturdy plastic.