Piggies arriving on Thursday: busily making fleece liners!

[EmmaA24]

Hi!
So I’m getting two little girlies on Thursday. I’ve been cleaning and prepping the hutch ready for the big day!

I’ve been busily making fleece bedding for them- not professional qualify but should hopefully do the trick. I’ve already lined the hutch with vinyl too. It’s a double hutch so I’ve got my work cut out!

I really hope they’re comfy on the fleece.

 

[Merab]

How exciting- you will have to share pics when the arrive.
Congratulations.

 

[EmmaA24]

Thank you! I’m very excited! The only thing I need to get is fresh veggies.

Hubby thinks I’m mad getting the sewing machine out to make them their own special “blankets!”

 

[Flutterby]

That liner looks lovely! Exciting times, can't wait to see the two new little ones!

 

[flowerfairy]

Wonderful. I really enjoy making cage liners for my lot.

Look forward to lics tomorrow or whenever you get some.

 

[Lucyy82]

How lovely! Bet your so excited :-) I need to make fleece liners for my new house that’s coming, silly question but do you just hem fleece or are you mounting it on something?

 

[fanniephina]

Can't wait to see the new babies! The liner is really a beautiful job! I had no idea about all these things before I got my first little one but having much fun learning and adding. 6 Guinea pigs and 2.5 (the .5 is the one for our first headstrong guinea pig that has run of my daughters room and a permanently open cages) and I ended up ordering 21 yards of fleece and 7 uhaul pads and a new sewing kit. Your seams are professional compared to the ones I'm doing but you can't see them at least since I made it about a half an inch larger each way to tuck under (smile). Still sewing and learning but hubby says daily to get a sewing machine and now I'm signed up at JoAnn's fabrics to learn.

A big recommendation is pads. You can make them any way and other sized. I made quite a few of them in 14x14 sizes the same way as the large liner. These are literal lifesavers and keep everything nice in the corners I know the will use their potty area besides the kitchen. I added them under the houses and under the forests- I have so much easier time now and they stay very dry with a daily change.

I have a lap pad I made and I use it to even lift up, carry and put back the very skittesh baby or ones having a bad day with it. It helps a lot with trust (I have used cilantro and treats to get one of mine on easily. I sort of wrap the ends up a bit around the sides while holding to lower so they feel stable. You can make it any way you like.

 

[Lucyy82]

So you just change yours daily then and put in washing machine? I have purchased a c&c set up with a slope so need to fleece line the whole thing for grip too. What’s uhaul? Sorry to sound useless!

 

[EmmaA24]

Thank you! I’m so excited! I’ve just gone out and bought some lovely fresh veggies and herbs for them.

I’ll admit I’d never even heard of fleece bedding until this forum . My piggies when I was a child had straw, which I realise now is a big no-no. I wouldn’t have known any better if it wasn’t for all the information I’ve learned. I wish I’d had all this information years ago. A lot has changed in knowledge and animal welfare in the past 20 years.

I don’t mind them going in the washing machine as I’m used to all sorts having two toddlers at home and being a nurse, so a bit of guinea pig pee is nothing.

I love getting the sewing machine out and I’ve reallt enjoyed making them. I still have to make spare so I can replace them whilst the others are in the wash. I just won 4 metres of fleece on eBay for £6.09! I can see me getting a little obsessed

I’ve used fleece, then zorb fabric which is an absorbent later and then fleece on the bottom.

Pee pads and lap blankets are a great idea. They will be next on my list to make.

I’m going to make a hay bag too as I’m not too keen on my shop bought hay rack now I’ve had a proper look at it.

They’re going to be super spoilt at this rate!

 

[fanniephina]

So you just change yours daily then and put in washing machine? I have purchased a c&c set up with a slope so need to fleece line the whole thing for grip too. What’s uhaul? Sorry to sound useless!

I'm in the US; never certain the different supplies for the Uk but I think you can have something similar there in the UK. Uhaul is a moving truck rental place here. We just use the 85 by 63 inch pads here (conversion to your measurements-need to look that up) that can be used for packing or covering furniture. I found this-

Moving Blankets & Moving Pads | eBay

You may have cheaper ones or smaller quantities under a different name there-here they are around $8 each. It gives me two full cage liners and four pads each.

Yes, I pretty much wash them out each day. With 3 c&c's, it's easier to change out rather then the full liner and can get a wash load for all of it. The top loft gets one on each side a day per cage per side and it keeps it very nice over the normal 14x28 pads I change out twice a week with the smaller pads there. Also I can easily wash by hand in my bucket should the washer be used by my 20 year old and my husband (wouldn't have believed it but this past year my son usurps the laundry room a couple days a week :-)).

Here are two of the cages (one is my 17 year old daughter's for her boar)



not perfect and am learning more for the sewing but they really seem happy with them.

 

[Lucyy82]

This makes me even more excited to get mine! Looks amazing

 

[fanniephina]

This makes me even more excited to get mine! Looks amazing

Thank you so much-I'm still excited and adding.

Honestly, they get changed for the guinea pig moods. We added guinea pigs from one :-) and each add on got the 'group' to change preferences. I used to have igloos there but they liked the fleece forests way better. Still have straw edible huts with extra pads under the ramps and about 3 tunnels. They move this furniture by the group all the time lol. Most times under the ramp-they love that area to chill under. At night, I have some fleece huggies that I put down for each but they kept trying to pile up in one. So one would go in, the other would still be backside out and the third could just not fit so she simply jumped on top of the other two in the one huggie while ignoring the other two huggies completely. Then the guinea pig scatter lol.

Now at night I have one large huggie that is kind of like a sleeping bag for three made with double pad for some stiffness. During the day, this time of year, it stays out of the cage simply because it's too hot for them to all pile up in it and they always try. I live in the north so it's not so bad but I'm always afraid for it to get humid and they can still pile in there. Igloos come up completely for ventilation fears toward summer. Probably will add them again come November or so.

Have fun with your cage-everyone does it different and the babies are always giving you ideas to change or add. They are always really fun : Love these babies.

 

[EmmaA24]

@fanniephina that looks lovely! You have some very lucky piggies there!