Bedding Should i switch back to aspen?!?! Fleece is killing me!!!

[MyLittleGuinies]

So, I have, now, SEVEN guinea pigs (my GIRL who I thought was a BOY had babies or I would only have four.) with a three level 2X5 cage. Each level holds different sexes. Top and bottom each hold two boys and the middle three girls. They are covered in fleece. I have to vavcume each level everyday and I have to wash the fleece twice a week so it doesnt stink. (normally it stinks after three or four days. I am so tired of it taking 3 hours to wash and dry all the towels and fleece. It takes forever and stinks SO BAD after four days that your nose will sting just being in the room. Not only that but its clogging up my washer and dryer with hair. I dump all the poop out but the hair cloggs. I have been a fleece user for a year but before that I used Aspen, I can find it pretty cheap. Idk if I should switch back. It was different when I only had my three boys but then I adopted another "boy" and SHE had babbies and now I have a huge cage so its harder to clean. I think the shavings where earier, just dump them, wipe off the bottom with 1/2 vinagar 1/2 water and reload. The other thing is, is that two of my piggies are chewing the fleece, WITH HUGE HOLES!! And then they get under the fleece... and I wont know until I walk in there. Im afraid its going to trap them...like when you fall through thin ice. Im stumped on what to do.

 

[CrazyMom]

My first question is do you have a "kitchen" area in each cage? Putting litter boxes where they eat has made it so I can go almost a week and a half without changing the fleece with daily sweeping and changing out some fleece pads that I have in their sleeping area. For some reason one of my girls insists on peeing where she sleeps so I made little fleece covers towel pads that I can change daily. I think figuring out where they pee the most and changing those area helps a lot.

But if you think aspen is best for you then go for it. You have to make owning them enjoyable and not a chore.

 

[MyLittleGuinies]

I dont have a kitchen only because I cannot do a loft for each level because its already 3 levels high. I have tried the litter box thing....it doesnt seem to work considering they poop and pee ALL over the cage.From under thier pigglues to under thier hammocks to in thier food bowl. I have crazy guinea pigs. lol.