Pros and Cons of fleece bedding!!

[OMIPIGGIE]

Hey guys, just wondering what the pros/cons of fleece bedding is. Pine bedding is getting really expensive.. but anyways give lots of details about it.
Thanks!!!!

 

[kittymalone]

I LOVE fleece bedding! I mainly started using it because my son has weird allergies (not to animals, luckily) so I didn't want to risk "regular" bedding, not to mention bedding gets EVERYWHERE and I just didn't want to hassle with cleaning it up everyday.
Pros:
1. environmentally friendly (no waste, except for the poos but I shake it outside so instant fertilizer!)
2. fleece wicks urine and water away so the piggies stay dry and clean (use 2 layers of towel or two layers of uhaul blankets under to absorb wetness)
3. fleece is MUCH cheaper than bedding (I bought 2 uhaul blankets and 3 yards of fleece for about $25. I did use towels before, which I get for a few dollars a piece at goodwill). My cage is large so I need a lot more than some.
4. It takes me 20 minutes for an entire cage cleaning (pulling everything up, disenfecting coro, and laying down new)
5. the color/pattern possibilites are endless and can match any decor

Cons:
1. intial cost is more than typical bedding (but will cost less in the long run)
2. I've heard people complain of smelliness. I have not noticed anything as long as I scoop poos everyday. I do a complete change every 4 or 5 days
Honestly, that's all I can think of now...Hope it helps. I highly recommend fleece, it has made cleaning the cage easy, fast, and kind of enjoyable!

 

[Catahoula]

I completely agree with @kittymalone

I use fleece in my 3x5 cage and I absolutely love it. I only use one layer of u-haul padding, but that's all I need. Sewing them into liners makes your job so much easier.

Really I can't think of anything to point out that was posted above.

 

[kittymalone]

I completely agree with @kittymalone

I use fleece in my 3x5 cage and I absolutely love it. I only use one layer of u-haul padding, but that's all I need. Sewing them into liners makes your job so much easier.

Really I can't think of anything to point out that was posted above.

I was wondering if 1 layer of the uhaul banket would work. How often do you change it out completly?

 

[Kieri]

i LOVE fleece and i will never, ever go back to regular bedding.

pros:
-inexpensive (especially in the long run)
-easy to clean
-doesn't smell like regular bedding (my guinea pigs reek of urine with regular bedding)
-soft and comfy for pigs
-doesn't hurt their feet
-regular bedding is dusty, fleece is not
-regular bedding can get caught in eyes/mouth/nose, fleece won't
-fleece is easy to spot clean

cons:
-if you go TOO long without changing or cleaning it will smell
-hay sticks to the fleece, so you'll have to get it all off before washing

i layer towels then i place fleece on top. now that i have a larger cage, i'll only need to change it every 4-7 days.

 

[Catahoula]

I was wondering if 1 layer of the uhaul banket would work. How often do you change it out completly?

I have 3 pigs and I change the fleece liner out every seven days or so with no smell. Figure it's easier for me to do the laundry on the weekend, but I could probably go a few more days before urine would tinge the air. Just seems like good house keeping to only go a week, instead of pushing the u-haul pad to the max.

 

[OMIPIGGIE]

Thanks guys for the post, but where would you get fleece blankets at?

 

[katkat]

I use fleece as well.. Love it & the piggies seem to love it as well. They can snuggle and keep warmer during the winter months. Plus I just figure if it were me, I would much rather have my house & bed in fleece then wood shavings! LOL.. But that's just me! HA. I found a GREAT deal at my local drug store. They have those little fleece throw blankets during the holidays & right now they are 75% off and so it brought the price down to like 60 cents per blanket!! Woo hooo... U can get fleece pretty cheap actually. Like my local yardage store has a BIG bin full of fleece scraps they sell cheap. And they also have it on sale alot also. We are a fleece loving family. Ahahaa.. Good luck 2 u!

 

[LightningPig1]

You can find fleece at almost any fabric store, Walmart (Some Walmarts have stopped selling fleece), craft stores, etc. I got mine at Hancock Fabrics which has a good variety of colors and designs.

 

[OMIPIGGIE]

And two more questions, what are u-haul pads? If I did get fleece, would those throw away puppy training pads work to line the cage?

 

[LightningPig1]

Here is a link all about them. I use u-haul blankets and fleece and they work amazingly well. Yes, you don't need puppy training pads at all. Sometimes I don't change the cage out for two weeks and everything is still dry and smelling' good.

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/bedding/58123-review-uhaul-blanket.html

 

[Zuidy]

The main pro of Fleece for bedding is that it will save you money and your piggies will love it. Often times, my piggies popcorn when the Fleece is cleaned! Other pros include: The easiness to clean, saves time, hassle, and other forces that are present with other types of bedding. I would choose Fleece over regular paper/wood based bedding(s) any day.

The only main cons that I can think of would have to be: When you clean, it can get pretty nasty if you aren't careful. For instance, when cleaning the Fleece and towels, you have to take it outside and shake it. If you aren't careful, the poops and whatever else will get everywhere. I recommend simply rolling up the fleece and towels, and putting them into a garbage bag to take them outside. The leftover poops that are in the Coroplast are very easy to clean with a hand vacuum. It also can get nasty because often times, looking at the towels when you pick it up can get overwhelming: Often times, they are stained brown with the piggie's pee.

.......

Yes, I know I extended the cons paragraph far more than the pros. However, you have to try Fleece before making any assumptions or having an opinion because all beddings really are opinion based. We need to think about what the piggies want. Which, in this case, it doesn't really matter to them which bedding(s) we use. As long as they seem happy and content, we should be too.

 

[arionat799]

Yes, puppy pads would work, but are much more expensive than a uhaul pad and smell quicker. You can have a Uhaul pad shipped to your house and they only cost about $8. You only have to buy one once because they are re-usuable and you can fold it to make 2 layers. (Depending on the size of your cage)

My fleece is very easy to manage, I have a litter box that catches most of Ginger's "waste" but when she pees on the fleece it wicks it to the Uhaul pad so she can sleep on it b/c it stays dry, and it's softer, and keeps her a bit warmer. When she drops feces however I have a mini broom and pan that I use to quickly scoop them up, or if I don't have much time, I have a hand-vac that I also use. Fleece is also much cheaper than other beddings because this too is reusable. I got mine from JoAnn's. It also looks better than wood shavings/carefresh/wood pellets. Fleece makes your cage look like a designer cage! Hope this helps!

 

[kittymalone]

Don't forget, also, before using any fleece wash and dry it at least 4 times FIRST. I washed my uhaul blankets 3 times too but only because I want to eventually sew the fleece to it. I found lots of fleece throws at our local thrift shop for $2. Walmart is resonably priced, too. If you can't get the uhaul blankets right away, 2 layers of old towels (thrift stores sell them too) work well.

 

[jacqueline]

well, i used bedding only one time and then switched to fleece. i agree with all that's already been said, both pro and con. i have only one thing to add. the biggest CON for me about fleece is THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY CUTE FLEECE FABRICS!! i can hardly stop myself from making hideys, pillows, fleece forests, liners. . . is there a fleece anonymous group out there?! :crazy:

 

[OMIPIGGIE]

Haha thanks guys!

 

[Gandalf]

This is all new to me. Do you just wash the fleece in the washing machine? Do you need to use any specific detergent (or not use certain ones)?
Then do you have two sets so you have something to put down while the other is being washed?

 

[arionat799]

Yes, the easiest way to wash it is in the washing machine. (You should shake it first though, and if you can, vaccum it too) I don't think there is a certain laundry detergent that you can/can't use. Just your regular detergent. Just make sure that you don't use fabric softener. (This builds the water barrier again)

 

[arionat799]

And yes, having multiple sets is very useful for the exact reason that you described. (Hit the nail right on the head!)

 

[BeNotNobody]

I also love fleece bedding!

Joann's has these great (broken link removed) sets that I use. It's two 54x72" cuts of fleece in coordinating colours which is perfect for a 2x5 cage (either cut each sheet in half or fold for a really thick liner). I cheat and use no-sew iron adhesive to make my liners. Easy peasy and the clean up when paired with a uhaul blanket is great.