Fleece Fleece Wrinkles

[snowball002]

Hi,
I have two guinea pigs and a 2x3 with a 1x2 on top. I have about 2 layers of newspaper and then the fleece on top. We didnt exactly cut the fleece correctly so there are some wrinkles and bare spots in the cage. I find that my pigs love to eat the newspaper and go do their buisiness there. The wrinkles in the fleece make everything lop-sided so some stuff doesnt lay flat. Is there anyway to keep the surface flat with no wrinkles? Also, what is the point of U-Haul pads? For floor time?? Thanks!

 

[Petlovr]

U haul pads made from recycled denim are ultra absobent, and cheap. Lay them under your fleece, then just wash them with the fleece every week. Less garbage, and the newspaper is messy and smells quicker than the pads. Prepare it the same way you do the fleece. Some people make a cover for the pads, since they look like compressed lint more than fabric, so they wash better and last longer. I haven't done that step yet, I just layer everything in the cage. People swear by them...

 

[bpatters]

To make fleece work properly (that is, to let the urine soak through so that the fleece stays dry), you need an absorbent layer underneath it. That's what the U-Haul pads (or towels, or mattress pads) are for. Newspaper is not a good choice, IMO, as it gets gross and smells bad very quickly.

The only way to keep them from burrowing underneath it is to hold it down with something (such as bricks or paving stones), clip it to the sides of the cage, or make it into a cover that will fit over the coroplast.

 

[Zuidy]

My fleece does the same thing..... It is annoying, isn't it? For the stuff being lopsided, I know what you mean. You just have to learn to deal with it. It would help to correctly cut the fleece, though.

A few notes:

Don't use newspaper. It can be recycled and help save the earth, plus you have to replace it often and it gets very yucky. This presents even more of a problem if your Guinea Pigs are eating the yucky parts. Use 2 layers of towels instead. You have to replace towels weekly, but they work the best in my honest opinion. Also, get more fleece to cover the bare spots, or a whole new set of fleece if you want to start over.



Good luck!

 

[snowball002]

So to get this straight, you put 1 layer of the UHaul pads down then the fleece on top? Would the pads have to be folded over? Or will they fit just right? Also, how many pads should I buy for my entire cage to last me a while?

 

[KD006]

So to get this straight, you put 1 layer of the UHaul pads down then the fleece on top? Would the pads have to be folded over? Or will they fit just right? Also, how many pads should I buy for my entire cage to last me a while?

U-haul pads are about 60" x 80" so would need to be cut to the cage dimensions (28 x 56" for a 2x4 grid) so you can get two single layer pads out of a u-haul pad plus enough for a 1x3 upper level times two. I used double layer of the pad and stiched two together about every 6 inches and around the edge so they will not bunch up in the wash. I chose to make a pillowcase of fleece and completly cover mine to contain the lint, as someone else pointed out it looks more like dryer lint processed into felt than recycled denim.