Fleece Logistics And Suitability

[Rindholwen]

Ok so to start with I have inherited from a friend a two male piggles they are about three year old and currently live in an outdoor hutch which has one of the trays that pull out at the bottom for cleaning (bought at pets at home I belive). They currently have sawdust and hay as cage lining and bedding. So I am thinking of moving them from this on to fleece but first some logistical questions I can not seem to find the answer for .....

Is fleece suitable for an outdoor cage (it has a thermal weather protector cover so stays dry inside)?

Do people just use fleece - what do you put underneath it to absorb the wee?

How do you secure the fleece? Do you just lay it on the cage floor or do you need to secure the edges to stop piggles adventures?

One of my piggles is definitely a wood nibbler looking at the cage - is fleece safe to use for those that nibble? Has anyone had any experience with this?

I have seen the made to measure fleece cage liners that are fleece absorbant layer then fleece again -iI was hoping to make things like this as I am very crafty - what are the absorbant layers? Are they like a duvet or toweling Etc.

Also with it being a through cage in terms of bedroom and rest of cage would you get fleece for the whole floor or separate for the bedroom part?

I was also thinking of making them some hide hole beds to sleep in do people put any absorbant layers in the bottom of these? Or just fleece inners with cotton on the outside? Also what do people use to keep the opening open slightly?

Thank you for any help you can give me

 

[Chief Guinea Pig]

Fleece is suitable for an outside cage yes. But this weather is definitely not right for a hutch outdoors?
You need an absorbent layer under the fleece. I use towels. Other members use puppy pads.
You need to lay it on the floor if it's a hutch. But a hutch would be very tricky to secure it to the sides. C&c cages are much easier to secure fleece with pegs so they don't burrow.
All piggies like to nibble wood, you would need to monitor if they would chew the fleece, otherwise it is not safe to use.

The fleece needs to be spot cleaned on the surface at least once a day, washed every three to four days, and before first use it needs to be washed and dried at least three times to remove the water barrier. When you wash the fleece you should use a non bio detergent, and no fabric softener, and some white vinegar to remove stains. It should be washed at 60 degrees. Towels must be washed separately too, I wash them separately anyway.

 

[Flutterby]

I use fleece with towelling underneath if that helps. I have also used it with puppy pads to the same effect.

 

[Maddykins]

I use fleece with puppy pads underneath. My pigs are both nibblers - one of them will literally sit and eat the puppy pads for ages if he gets the chance so I have to be very vigilant in making sure it's practically impossible for him to get under the fleece. The other boy will nibble thread from fleece if there are any open seams so I have to make sure there's no thread pulled out and that it's all folded in a way that he can't pull it out. So you do have to kind of monitor them with whatever bedding you choose to see what your individual pigs are like with nibbling but you can almost always work around them so that it can be made safe. I have a c+c cage so I can secure fleece with pegs where necessary.

I don't put anything absorbent in/under the snuggle sacks I have. They are surprisingly absorbent actually, but I check them periodically to make sure to remove them if they get wet. I don't know what they are made of but I bought them from @gus+walter so she can help on that front. Also they tend to stay a little open naturally and after the pigs realise they can go in them and they're comfy etc they're quite clever about managing to move them about so they get inside them properly and things, although I only have the double size ones because I figured it would be easier for them to get used to because of the extra space.

 

[gus+walter]

I use fleece with puppy pads underneath. My pigs are both nibblers - one of them will literally sit and eat the puppy pads for ages if he gets the chance so I have to be very vigilant in making sure it's practically impossible for him to get under the fleece. The other boy will nibble thread from fleece if there are any open seams so I have to make sure there's no thread pulled out and that it's all folded in a way that he can't pull it out. So you do have to kind of monitor them with whatever bedding you choose to see what your individual pigs are like with nibbling but you can almost always work around them so that it can be made safe. I have a c+c cage so I can secure fleece with pegs where necessary.

I don't put anything absorbent in/under the snuggle sacks I have. They are surprisingly absorbent actually, but I check them periodically to make sure to remove them if they get wet. I don't know what they are made of but I bought them from @gus+walter so she can help on that front. Also they tend to stay a little open naturally and after the pigs realise they can go in them and they're comfy etc they're quite clever about managing to move them about so they get inside them properly and things, although I only have the double size ones because I figured it would be easier for them to get used to because of the extra space.

The snuggle sacks are made with cotton fabric and anti-pil fleece so it doesn't bobble when washed. The openings are reinforced with upholstery foam so they stay open without risk of boning popping out after multiple washes