First cage clean for the girls and a new hay box 📦

CW2211

CW2211

Junior Guinea Pig
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Just finished cleaning out the girls cage for the first time and they seem to be enjoying it with their new hay box. Not sure how to go about washing the old fleece and towel they had as even though I had the hoover on it there’s still a bunch of hay that won’t come off! Think I’ll need to invest in one of the bags that they can go in to wash but until then any suggestions on how to make it easier on the washing machine? Thanks👍🏻7A2B6296-0B5B-4496-830F-DF1161ECF65A.webp653A2E8B-ECA3-44EC-8831-2EEB9A27A7FF.webp670B0D1E-FA3E-4DD7-8C9F-5C69873305E1.webp9F6ADBBD-2DFD-46A6-9207-8216ACAE1BAE.webp
 
Right little cuties! :love:
I use a yellow washing up glove/marigold and just brush off the hair and hay. A curry comb works even better. Any larger bits of hay left you can just pick off, and a thorough shake outside doesn't hurt either.
 
I brush mine off with a stiff brush outside. You could wash it in a duvet cover tie the top with string or an elastic band to save the machine.
 
cavylover2002 said:
They look very happy, make sure you REALLY load up the hay. :)
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I hope they are. And they have another hay box outside the cage filled with it as well as a grass bed I can fill up too but they haven’t yet climbed the bridge to get out into that area on their own and I’m hoping they will start to soon so that they know they can play out there and get most of the hay in that area as it is easier to clean and the fleece I’ve just taken out was a disaster! If they won’t come out using the bridge I will of course give them loads of hay inside the cage but just want to see if they can come out on their own so they aren’t stuck in the cage all the time🙂
 
CW2211 said:
I hope they are. And they have another hay box outside the cage filled with it as well as a grass bed I can fill up too but they haven’t yet climbed the bridge to get out into that area on their own and I’m hoping they will start to soon so that they know they can play out there and get most of the hay in that area as it is easier to clean and the fleece I’ve just taken out was a disaster! If they won’t come out using the bridge I will of course give them loads of hay inside the cage but just want to see if they can come out on their own so they aren’t stuck in the cage all the time🙂
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Of course :) that's a great idea! I do have a huge hay box loaded with hay and also a hay rack that leads to messes every morning because they toss hay around like confetti. Such silly animals they are haha
 
cavylover2002 said:
Of course :) that's a great idea! I do have a huge hay box loaded with hay and also a hay rack that leads to messes every morning because they toss hay around like confetti. Such silly animals they are haha
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Yes they are but we love them anyway haha. I did have a hay box in the cage that had one side cut open so they could easily get into it but it took up lots of space and didn’t really help with mess as they just trailed the hay out of it! I also gave them a paper bag filled with hay earlier in the week and they loved that and even popcorned around it but unfortunately they also ripped it apart and covered it in wee so that’s in the bin now and I will have to start collecting paper bags from somewhere since they loved it so much
 
I was cleaning out the old hay from the box outside their cage and Rosie decided to come see what all the fuss was so jumped out of her cage into the grass bed and explored all by herself! Now she’s enjoying the bed full of hay all alone since Snicky still can’t figure out how to get out the cage herself😩60A3711A-72C7-4C49-AFEA-C577F55037D3.webp519D853B-0EB9-46F2-8AEC-EEE4B8FDACDC.webp6136281D-FA72-438F-875D-48F429D7BA6B.webp36E164B8-304C-447C-B29B-DD5EDB1C9122.webp
 
Oh, gorgeous girlies x
As for fleece I use an old stiff hair brush first, I start vertically at the top and work down rolling it a I go. Shake outside then pull off any bits left. The put in an old pillow case and tie tightly with string. I don’t use fleece that much, only in the playpen. They have vetbed in their beds, now that takes some getting off!
 
Bill & Ted said:
Oh, gorgeous girlies x
As for fleece I use an old stiff hair brush first, I start vertically at the top and work down rolling it a I go. Shake outside then pull off any bits left. The put in an old pillow case and tie tightly with string. I don’t use fleece that much, only in the playpen. They have vetbed in their beds, now that takes some getting off!
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Thank you :) hopefully now I’m wiser about how messy they can be I can keep most of the hay in the area outside their cage and have a box full of it at all times in their cage that won’t make too much of a mess:D
 
They're so cute!

I did my first fleece wash a few days ago. My two love to scatter hay all over the place, so the fleece was covered in it (plus, they'd demolished a few hay cookies and made a complete mess). I found that using a rubber headed brush (Wonderbroom by JML) really worked to remove it. (I also use it to get dog hairs off the dogs' beds before I put them in the wash, and, if it can remove them, it can remove anything). And I also just stuck the fleece in an old duvet cover, tied the top with a hairband and had no problem. The fleece is lovely and clean, and the washing machine is hay free!
 
I use actual cat litter box as a hay box and been covering it up with fleece to make it easier for young ones to jump in and out but not that they're older and it really became a stinky litter box I'm changing the fleece to softwood shavings to minimise moisture and smell
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Leo is separated from the girls for now and litterbox has one side that is lower so it's easy to go in and out and it's not high, easier to clean too, I scoop it up then wash it with a pressured water from a hose, then done. Hope this helps!
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Girls have the old litterbox setting here
 
The fleece looks lovely and cosy is it a pain to get poop off? mine poop every other step ha :) cute piggies
 
ladymuck83 said:
The fleece looks lovely and cosy is it a pain to get poop off? mine poop every other step ha :) cute piggies
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It is a lovely fleece I’d like one for myself! And the poo isn’t that bad it easily sweeps up with a brush and pan it’s the hay that gets everywhere and is hard to sweep off. And thank you I saw the picture of yours on your thread they are adorable😊
 
CW2211 said:
It is a lovely fleece I’d like one for myself! And the poo isn’t that bad it easily sweeps up with a brush and pan it’s the hay that gets everywhere and is hard to sweep off. And thank you I saw the picture of yours on your thread they are adorable😊
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Aw thanks - they settling in well to their new 'extension' to the house which seems to be warmer than my own living room now!

I think i need to look into this fleece liner business :)
 
ladymuck83 said:
Aw thanks - they settling in well to their new 'extension' to the house which seems to be warmer than my own living room now!

I think i need to look into this fleece liner business :)
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Aw glad they are settling in, yes piggies do get spoilt!
And I agree - these are my first two guinea pigs so I’ve only ever used fleece as bedding but I believe it is the cheaper, easier to handle/clean and overall best option🙂
Let us know if you change over to fleece and post some pictures of the new set up of their hutch if you can👍🏻
 
CW2211 said:
Aw glad they are settling in, yes piggies do get spoilt!
And I agree - these are my first two guinea pigs so I’ve only ever used fleece as bedding but I believe it is the cheaper, easier to handle/clean and overall best option🙂
Let us know if you change over to fleece and post some pictures of the new set up of their hutch if you can👍🏻
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Yes will do - I have spent so much money on them but its so much fun doing them a little set up. They are such lovely animals I just want to keep making it bigger and comfier for them. Ill post some pics of their set up right now tomorrow but really thinking of the fleece liners they just look super comfy!

Did you make it or buy it?
 
ladymuck83 said:
Yes will do - I have spent so much money on them but its so much fun doing them a little set up. They are such lovely animals I just want to keep making it bigger and comfier for them. Ill post some pics of their set up right now tomorrow but really thinking of the fleece liners they just look super comfy!

Did you make it or buy it?
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I know how you feel I really wish I had the money and space to do a C&C cage for my two girls but for now they seem happy enough with what they have.
I’ve saw fleece liners that you can buy but they aren’t cheap (at least not for me at the moment) so I just bought some towels and fleece blankets from our local supermarket, placed a towel in the middle of the blanket so it’s essentially a fleece liner just my own store bought/homemade version! Hope that helps you, if you do have the money though I would say just buy an already made one if you can find a size that fits your set up as it would be more convenient having it all in one instead of individual materials when it comes to washing😊
 
CW2211 said:
I know how you feel I really wish I had the money and space to do a C&C cage for my two girls but for now they seem happy enough with what they have.
I’ve saw fleece liners that you can buy but they aren’t cheap (at least not for me at the moment) so I just bought some towels and fleece blankets from our local supermarket, placed a towel in the middle of the blanket so it’s essentially a fleece liner just my own store bought/homemade version! Hope that helps you, if you do have the money though I would say just buy an already made one if you can find a size that fits your set up as it would be more convenient having it all in one instead of individual materials when it comes to washing😊
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Thanks that info has been great - I've just found one from Atlas on eBay looking at about £12 - £17 need to measure up

You have def inspired me to get one tonight :)
 
ladymuck83 said:
Thanks that info has been great - I've just found one from Atlas on eBay looking at about £12 - £17 need to measure up

You have def inspired me to get one tonight :)
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Ah that’s great, glad I could help!
Two lucky piggies you have they’ll be giving you cuddles in no time I bet and enjoying their cosy fleece once it’s all done😊
 
ladymuck83 said:
Thanks that info has been great - I've just found one from Atlas on eBay looking at about £12 - £17 need to measure up

You have def inspired me to get one tonight :)
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Ziggy's Piggies does made to measure liners that are good and quite reasonable cost wise. I have recently bought 4 from her. She answers emails quickly and last time I enquired I went from the initial enquiry to ordered in about half an hour. They exactly fit the spaces I have in my hutch. Just google Ziggy's Piggies. A lot of members use her.
 
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