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How Can I Help Prevent Mess And Smell?

Nicole1109

Junior Guinea Pig
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I've had my two boys for three months now. When I first bought them I had woodchips in the cage and I've been cleaning them out twice a week. I don't mind cleaning them out twice a week but I hate that the woodchips get everywhere! They're indoor piggies and they're kept in my room so I am CONSTANTLY hoovering.

I thought I'd try and switch to fleece which means my carpet doesn't get covered in woodchips but it starts to smell a lot quicker, plus Bailey's long haired and I've noticed with the fleece his belly keeps getting damp from where he's sat in pee and I know it's bad for them to bath them too often (Even though Bailey does love bath time, I'm trying to limit bathing them to once a month)

I thought the fleece may work better if they were toilet trained but they do not want to learn to use a litter tray either. When I first got them I waited to work out where they would pee and then when they regularly started peeing in the corner I put a litter tray there, they then decided to start peeing anywhere other than the litter tray. I've tried putting hay and soiled woodchips in the tray but they're still very hit and miss with it.

Basically what I am asking is, is there a middle ground? They don't smell half as bad with the woodchips but equally I don't want to be constantly hoovering. Any suggestions would be greatly welcomed!
 
I've had my two boys for three months now. When I first bought them I had woodchips in the cage and I've been cleaning them out twice a week. I don't mind cleaning them out twice a week but I hate that the woodchips get everywhere! They're indoor piggies and they're kept in my room so I am CONSTANTLY hoovering.

I thought I'd try and switch to fleece which means my carpet doesn't get covered in woodchips but it starts to smell a lot quicker, plus Bailey's long haired and I've noticed with the fleece his belly keeps getting damp from where he's sat in pee and I know it's bad for them to bath them too often (Even though Bailey does love bath time, I'm trying to limit bathing them to once a month)

I thought the fleece may work better if they were toilet trained but they do not want to learn to use a litter tray either. When I first got them I waited to work out where they would pee and then when they regularly started peeing in the corner I put a litter tray there, they then decided to start peeing anywhere other than the litter tray. I've tried putting hay and soiled woodchips in the tray but they're still very hit and miss with it.

Basically what I am asking is, is there a middle ground? They don't smell half as bad with the woodchips but equally I don't want to be constantly hoovering. Any suggestions would be greatly welcomed!
It doesn’t solve the problem completely but do you have hay trays? I find pigs do most of their toileting in hay trays and if they’re emptied and refilled daily then this helps although I still find poos around the cage lol
 
Welcome to the forum! How big is the cage and which one do you have? I would definitely put hay in a tray that will hopefully concentrate the wee and poo there as said above they poo and wee more where they eat :)) lazy little monkeys..... 120cm cages is often a two week clean and no way around it really, whatever we bedded our girls on it smelt mid week, we use fleece now but luckily have space for a large cage so it doesn't smell as much
 
When I first got my piggies I had them in my room too, they had fleece then. It stunk so bad that I put them in my laundry room and I switched their bedding to "healthy straw", that was a bad mistake. It stunk even worse and it was so hard to scoop out. So I switched them to woodchips. I am like a total neat freak and my little piggies are my lil babies so I really spoil them lol. I change their woodchips every other day. It may seem like a lot but it keeps the stench under control, and I get this air freshner at the dollar store which helps. From my experience and research Guinea Pigs cannot be litter trained. Hope this somehow helps I just signed up and I'm new at giving advice haha. Good luck!
 
Welcome to the forum! How big is the cage and which one do you have? I would definitely put hay in a tray that will hopefully concentrate the wee and poo there as said above they poo and wee more where they eat :)) lazy little monkeys..... 120cm cages is often a two week clean and no way around it really, whatever we bedded our girls on it smelt mid week, we use fleece now but luckily have space for a large cage so it doesn't smell as much
I don’t know what cage it is but it’s around 120cm and two storey with a ramp. They never pee upstairs, only downstairs. I don’t mind cleaning them out twice a week, it just bothers me that I end up with woodchips over my carpet everyday. Guinness is still very skittish and sometimes noises make him jump which just causes the woodchips to fly everywhere!
 
I don’t know what cage it is but it’s around 120cm and two storey with a ramp. They never pee upstairs, only downstairs. I don’t mind cleaning them out twice a week, it just bothers me that I end up with woodchips over my carpet everyday. Guinness is still very skittish and sometimes noises make him jump which just causes the woodchips to fly everywhere!
how do I post my own question? lol I'm new and I have a question but cant seem to be able to figure out how to post it.
 
When I first got my piggies I had them in my room too, they had fleece then. It stunk so bad that I put them in my laundry room and I switched their bedding to "healthy straw", that was a bad mistake. It stunk even worse and it was so hard to scoop out. So I switched them to woodchips. I am like a total neat freak and my little piggies are my lil babies so I really spoil them lol. I change their woodchips every other day. It may seem like a lot but it keeps the stench under control, and I get this air freshner at the dollar store which helps. From my experience and research Guinea Pigs cannot be litter trained. Hope this somehow helps I just signed up and I'm new at giving advice haha. Good luck!
I think by the sounds of it I’ll have to just stick to the woodchips and hoovering constantly. They don’t smell bad with the woodchips I clean them out twice a week but the fleece stank after a day and poor Bailey’s bum was soaked where he’d been sitting down.
how do I post my own question? lol I'm new and I have a question but cant seem to be able to figure out how to post it.
i found it difficult to work out to. You have to go into forums and then the category your question comes under, then there’s an option for a new post down the side
 
I think by the sounds of it

i found it difficult to work out to. You have to go into forums and then the category your question comes under, then there’s an option for a new post down the side
ok thank u I will try to figure it out
 
I don’t know what cage it is but it’s around 120cm and two storey with a ramp. They never pee upstairs, only downstairs. I don’t mind cleaning them out twice a week, it just bothers me that I end up with woodchips over my carpet everyday. Guinness is still very skittish and sometimes noises make him jump which just causes the woodchips to fly everywhere!
I understand. We used to used woodchips they do get out of the cage when the piggies run around. We still Hoover everyday with fleece with hay strands.
 
I use back to nature (there is a cheaper kitten litter I use that is exactly the same) and I have had 0 smell and it doesn't come out like saw dust. I have a mixture of this and fleece.
I only put the back to nature where they wee alot as it's expensive and hard. Now this has become a manageable toilet area.
However our newest guy is testing this to the limits as he wee's so much everywhere so I might add puppy pads to the mix in the next day or so.:doh:
 
Just a thought are your piggies male? Could you be cleaning them too often meaning they keep rescenting the cage?

Do You have a hay tray? I find this really helps keep odours at bay
 
I use back to nature (there is a cheaper kitten litter I use that is exactly the same) and I have had 0 smell and it doesn't come out like saw dust. I have a mixture of this and fleece.
I only put the back to nature where they wee alot as it's expensive and hard. Now this has become a manageable toilet area.
However our newest guy is testing this to the limits as he wee's so much everywhere so I might add puppy pads to the mix in the next day or so.:doh:
Hi Jess what does the back to nature look like? Have you got a picture? That sounds like an option, my only concern is they pee in the same corner where they sleep and I don’t want them to be uncomfortable
 
Just a thought are your piggies male? Could you be cleaning them too often meaning they keep rescenting the cage?

Do You have a hay tray? I find this really helps keep odours at bay

How often should I be cleaning them? I clean them twice a week currently. I do have a hay tray but I’m not sure it made much of a difference.
 
What is the absorbent layer underneath your fleece?

In my experience, some materials absorb better than others. Other members swear by puppy pads and towels, but in my experience, nothing beats human incontinence pads and zorb.

My pigs mostly toilet in the corners and in their hay trays. Hay trays get changed daily or twice daily, and I place additional absorbent pads in the corners, which I change daily. The whole cage gets cleaned weekly, but in all honesty, it's unnecessary. The main floor fleece and pads are completely dry and pee-free. I do wash them every 7 days, as they may stain from their veggies and get somewhat dusty from the hay, etc. Their cage smells rarely, if ever.
 
Having recently bought a large C&C cage I looked into getting fleece rather than wood shavings but decided to see how it went.
A few weeks on I’ve decided to stick with the wood shavings for all the same reasons you mentioned.
Now, of course, I need to decide whether to switch to a new bag less vacuum cleaner.
 
I found my piggy smells more recently. I don't know if it's because i have the heating on because that's all that has changed. Bedding is the same, diet the same, nothing new. Quite annoying as she's in the living room now and she often pongs!
 
Sorry it took a while to respond. I have just cleaned Bruno out and took some pictures. This works for well for him to just have the back to nature under his bed area but with paper and hay on top for comfort. He only wees in his bed so it's a good absorbing layer. I have tried lots of bedding ideas from starting with wood shavings, then carefresh then I did have back to nature as the main floor but he only wees in one corner so he can enjoy comfy fleece everywhere else now. The smell is so much better. Our newest addition Harold wees soon much and every where I'm still trying to work out his toilet arrangements. I think Bruno would like him toilet trained before they become roomies :nod:

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in my 120cm cage with a neutered boar and one sow.i use aubiose bedding and change once a week.if i use vetbed,i put puppy pads under the vetbed and use back to naure in a portion of the cage with a hay pile.back to nature seems to not track onto the vetbed.
 
Sorry it took a while to respond. I have just cleaned Bruno out and took some pictures. This works for well for him to just have the back to nature under his bed area but with paper and hay on top for comfort. He only wees in his bed so it's a good absorbing layer. I have tried lots of bedding ideas from starting with wood shavings, then carefresh then I did have back to nature as the main floor but he only wees in one corner so he can enjoy comfy fleece everywhere else now. The smell is so much better. Our newest addition Harold wees soon much and every where I'm still trying to work out his toilet arrangements. I think Bruno would like him toilet trained before they become roomies :nod:

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Thanks for sharing this! I’m so jealous if that’s the only area he pees in mine would literally go all over the fleece!
 
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