Cavies dig fleece... literally DIG...

[cutemomome]

Hello all wise cavy parents,
I am a new cavy owner, and I'm still in the experimenting stage with both the cage and my piggie. I started out with a 2*3 cage, then, the night before I'm supposed to go and get my rescue piggie, I remodeled it into a 2*4, and now its a 2 level 2*4...
My question is with Fleece. So far, I have tried only carefresh and fleece, but I love the convenience and "cheapness" of fleece, the initial investemnt of fleece + batting was steep, but I amortized (see, i'm an accountant) the cost over the usage eriod, and it was about $0.0002 to 4 bags of carefresh per week.
However, my piggies DIG fleece, I mean literally. They will go digging around the corners where the fabric folds, and I usually wake up to find two AWOL piggies under the fleece. It is rather frustrating to chase after my piggies first thing in the morning, and it defeats the purpose of bedding.. I provide 2 hide house, 2 bottles and 2 fleece tent, but they still hide?
I went looking at you all's gallery, and you all dont seem to have an issue with flecce staying in place. I now hold my fleece in place with LOTS of clothspins, and it looks like a Piggie Wahs & Hang!
Please help, tired of the 2 level Piggie Laundromat look!!!
Thank you all!

 

[Slap Maxwell]

The only advice I can offer is to maybe put bricks in the corner. Or switch to kiln dried pine or aspen, which is MUCH cheaper ( 1/2 of cost, four times as much) and see how that works. I personally don't use fleece because it smells with five pigs.

 

[dagwellismypigy]

Try putting the hidey houses around the edges, or try using velcro to hold the fleece down.

 

[A4PigHome]

I've used the little velcro circles with some luck (but you have to sew them on), but the best way for me was to put something in each corner. Where I didn't have anything to put in the corner, I cut the fleece long enough then attached the end of the fleece to the top of the coroplast with clothes pins. Works like a charm!

 

[Sabriel]

I use velcro strips all along the edge for my loft and I put the grids on the inside of the coro for the ground floor. My little boar who loves to push and pull at things and burrow under hay hasn't ripped it up yet and my cranky pig who loves to rip at cloth can't rip it up under the weight of the cage.

Sure sewing the velcro onto each peice of fleece for the loft is a bit of a pain, but once you have your stock of fleece you never have to do it again. Between our sewing machine, my husbands sewing skills and my role as helper (I get to put all the pins in and take all the pins out. Fun fun ) we get the job done pretty quick. It's so convient that I'm thinking of getting seasonal prints when they are in stock and changing the fleece to match the holidays. I'm also keepeing my eye out for Carebear, My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake fleece at a good price.

 

[cutemomome]

Thank you, thanl you all for your suggestions, however....
a. I put a 2 hiey houses, and a littler pan, and a Hay rack in each of the four corners, and they PUSH them aside, and.... yes, you guessed it, DIG.
b. Since I used fleece/batting combo, i am afraid that after a few spins the velcro will lose stickiness.... I am not sure, but will they?
c. The brick sounds like a Good idea, but they are only 2 months old, if they go digging the bricks, would it scrtch their gentle pads?

I am so sorry for my questions, its just that I am a new cavy mommy, and it was by accident too, (friend bought piggy for daughter's birthday, piggy bite daughter, daughter got mad, in the laundary room the poor piggy go, I can't stand the idea, came home, on my knees, begged liked a puppy,..... got cubes, got cloroplast, not enough cubes, drove back for more, then came piggy. Fell in love, got to get her a friends, and to cavyspirit we go.)
I am thinkong about the bricks, I think it sounds freasible, let me drive to home depot first!!!
On that note, you think a smooth surfaced HEAVY tile will work? Anything but clothspins!!!
Momo

 

[guineagurl]

I'd just put up with it, I think it will grow out of it to some extent.
Mine use to move the towelling all over the place but they don't now.

 

[Slap Maxwell]

Just letting them go at it would be a bad idea. They will pee and poop on the coroplast. Bricks will wear down their toenails, I don't think that it will hurt them.

 

[guineagurl]

But is that what they are doing? peeing where they move the bedding or just re arranging? You could allways just get some doublesided tape...

 

[cutemomome]

This proud mommy would love to show off her precious girl.
This is meimei in her Piggie Wash & Dry.
And Meimei, dazed by my poopoopatrol (handyvac).
Isnt she precious, and now she's got a new frined to DIG FLEECE with...
SIGH,.....

 

[Slap Maxwell]

She is adorable.