Cant get on with Fleece!

[Pepsipuff]

Ive tried a few times to use fleece bedding instead of wood shavings (seem like EVERYONE is using it) but I just cant get on with it at all. They pee ends up going down the sides so ends up under the fleece, it gets covered in hay within minutes, it feels like way more work than wood shavings. And it smells a really funny smell after a couple of hours. Is it just me that doesnt use fleece? Its pretty un-hygenic picking up fleece covered in urine and putting it in your washing machine

 

[Bill & Ted]

I do use fleece for Bill and Ted’s playpen which they use when the weather is bad and they can’t get out outside onto the grass. I think it’s a faf getting all the hay off. It seems to pong a bit after a couple of days too. Put newspaper or puppy pads to soak up. Not that keen but useful for holidays.
They are bedded on hay, for inside cage and outside hutch etc, we buy it for £4 per bail and keep it in a garden storage box in our summerhouse. I much prefer it, wee and poos drop down into bottom which has a layer of newspaper. Very easy to clean and doesn’t smell at all (I could be nose blind!)

 

[PigglePuggle]

We have half fleece with washable puppy mats underneath, half disposable bedding with newspaper underneath and hay on top.
I can never really decide whether this is the best of both worlds, or the worst of both!
Probably depends on cage size and cage clean frequency, our cage is rather large now so I like both bedding types but sometimes I use more fleece and some weeks more disposable stuff depending on whether I have more time for laundry or piggy daddy has more time to take the disposable stuff to the waste recycling place... we never notice much smell though unless one of the ladies is having a strong season and peeing on everything!

 

[Lady Kelly]

I tried fleece and didn't really get on with it either. There are plenty of people who don't use fleece on here, it's just working out what works best for you and your piggies. I use aubiose now

 

[Tigermoth]

Ive tried a few times to use fleece bedding instead of wood shavings (seem like EVERYONE is using it) but I just cant get on with it at all. They pee ends up going down the sides so ends up under the fleece, it gets covered in hay within minutes, it feels like way more work than wood shavings. And it smells a really funny smell after a couple of hours. Is it just me that doesnt use fleece? Its pretty un-hygenic picking up fleece covered in urine and putting it in your washing machine

I happily use fleece but in terms of hygiene, I used washable nappies, so a bit of piggy pee is nothing to the machine when it has faced down what a human toddler produces...

 

[Merab]

I tried fleece too but didn’t get on with it.
I reverted to wood shavings after a while.
Fleece doesn’t suit everyone so use what works best for you and your piggies.

 

[Seven7]

Ive tried a few times to use fleece bedding instead of wood shavings (seem like EVERYONE is using it) but I just cant get on with it at all. They pee ends up going down the sides so ends up under the fleece, it gets covered in hay within minutes, it feels like way more work than wood shavings. And it smells a really funny smell after a couple of hours. Is it just me that doesnt use fleece? Its pretty un-hygenic picking up fleece covered in urine and putting it in your washing machine

I use fleece bedding and it works well. This is because my piggies use their hay tray as their bathrooms. Cleaning is a breeze and once their hay trays or bathrooms are cleaned often, there is very little smell. My Finn and Lara are indoor piggies, but fleece beddings work out well for us.
I want to add picking up poop on fleece bedding is much easier too.

 

[HeatherW]

Fleece absorbency can be improved by pre-washing the fleece before using it. Also, you shouldn't use fabric conditioner when washing as that makes it more waterproof.

I wash my fleece every 2 days max and put the hay in a hayrack to save wastage (which also reduces mess). I also brush it down which gets rid of the worst bits, and use a horse wash bag when washing so bits don't escape in the machine and it can be emptied afterwards.

I found fleece less hassle than shavings where spot cleaning and full clean-outs take a lot longer, and Jasmine was always a bit snuffly/sneezy on shavings.

 

[dannif_piggies]

I have this pee-down-the-sides problem with my waterproof backed liners. I prefer using a layer of puppy pads, then my at home liners are just towel and fleece combination. I then have pee-pad fleece squares, which are little cage liners, that I place in the most high traffic areas. I do poop-scoop rounds each morning, and my hay is in a cat-little tray, which I use shavings in the bottom and place handfuls of hay on top. I find this keeps the majority of the hay in the tray rather than across the cage

 

[Allie0078]

I use fleece - I watched youtube videos by “squeak dreams” - a lady who has lots of videos on there. She’s great. I stole a few of her hints and it worked for me.

I use pee-pads on top of the fleece - under hidies and in corners they tend to wee and poo. I change them out every 1-2 days. I sweep the whole cage out daily.

I’ve also used an under bed storage box with a hole cut out as a “hay room”. Because they eat in there (and often sleep in there too) - they do most of their wee and poo in there. I top the hay up in the morning and change it all for fresh in the evening. I line the box with newspapers so it’s easy just to fold up the newspaper and hay and put it in the bin. Quick pet friendly squirt and wipe. New paper and hay - and bingo.

It sounds a lot but I’ve got a routine and it takes like 10 minutes. I have a fleece canopy over their “hay room” so they feel secure in there. I also have a pad at the “door” of the room - so the over spilled hay can be picked up and swept back into the box easily. I don’t get much hay in the rest of the cage.

It doesn’t smell - they are in my living room so I’m obsessed. It’s more daily work - but then the full cage clean is much easier. I use a pet laundry bag to wash their stuff - but because most of their wee is put in the bin with the hay; it’s never that smelly.

But you’ve got to use what works for you personally.

I’ll try to attach pictures - I’ve just swept up this morning. Haven’t done a full cage clean for over a week - and they don’t smell (unless I’ve gone “nose blind”!)