Some fleece advice please.

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zez

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The girls are getting a new piggy palace in our insulated and heated shed. I am debating trying fleece and making some liners. I have lots of old fleece blankets I can use and have found a mattress protector in my airing cupboard. But I’m not sure if I can use it. You guys recommend 100% cotton, but my search for those gives me mattress protectors that are cotton topped but hollow fibre filled, which is what I have! Will it work? Or where do I get 100% cotton ones?
 
I would say the one with hollow fibre filling will help soak up the pee
 
The base is 160cm x 160cm with the corner cut off. Hubby has made a ramp with sides up to the nest box which I hope will be shallow enough! Fingers crossed!
 
Looks great, are you thinking of putting sides on the ramp, whoops you read my mind, he is. Wow that’s a fab space-
 
They currently live in a very old and tired shed so are used to shed life, but this is a real upgrade for them!
 
Sorry, I have just seen my fat fingers clicked on the wrong sub forum. Please feel to free to move it - I can’t work out how!
 
zez said:
The girls are getting a new piggy palace in our insulated and heated shed. I am debating trying fleece and making some liners. I have lots of old fleece blankets I can use and have found a mattress protector in my airing cupboard. But I’m not sure if I can use it. You guys recommend 100% cotton, but my search for those gives me mattress protectors that are cotton topped but hollow fibre filled, which is what I have! Will it work? Or where do I get 100% cotton ones?
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It depends on how absorbent the mattress protector is. You can trial it if you wish to but you may find that it is not enough.

Google for cheap cotton beach towels; there are currently quite a few bargains around because of very low demand.
 
I use the quilted mattress protectors as the inner for my liners (polyester cotton, the higher cotton to polyester ratio the better). I use a double layer in the pee pads I use for extra protection in the corners, single in the big liners for main cage. The mattress protector is stitched in, sandwiched between 2 layers of fleece. I found towels to be too heavy in the wash, take too long to dry, don't hold the pee and smell after 24 hours. It's an idea not to sew anything together and using your fleece blankets over anything you are thinking to use as an absorbent layer first as a trial before you spend time sewing it all together.
 
I found zorb to be the very best absorbent layer. Expensive though.
 
flowerfairy said:
I found zorb to be the very best absorbent layer. Expensive though.
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I agree on absorbency. I trialled it in some pee pads and it was very absorbent, unfortunately I forgot to pre wash it and it shrank at a much more than the fleece and pulled the lot out of shape and made them creased and bumpy. I couldn't justify the expense for cage liners for 3 cages though.
It's a really good idea to pre shrink fleece etc. before sewing!
 
Desperately trying to weigh up the pros and cons. Because it is such a large area, it will be expensive to cover no matter what I use. May have a go at using what I have and making some pads tomorrow evening to see if they will work. Then if they do, I can whip up a spare. Guinea move in day is Tuesday!
 

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I used a mattress protector for my piggies’ liners and it’s worked well for me. I do also use bath mats on top to make the fleece last a day or two longer.

If you do go with fleece, it would be an idea to maybe make two liners. A big one could be cumbersome for the washing machine.
 
Siikibam said:
I used a mattress protector for my piggies’ liners and it’s worked well for me. I do also use bath mats on top to make the fleece last a day or two longer.

If you do go with fleece, it would be an idea to maybe make two liners. A big one could be cumbersome for the washing machine.
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Good idea! I’d need to make it in two parts I think to go around the legs: a strip across the back and the front part. Easier to wash I hope! Will see what I can manage with the sewing machine tomorrow. I don’t want to go to work tomorrow - I want to sort out the piggy palace now
 
Just wanted to update and say the fleece liners with polyester mattress protectors are working brilliantly! So much easier to clean too. One very happy piggy mum.
 
I agree with you, I started using an old cot one I still had stashed away, very glad I did too, it works brilliantly, I might get another I think🤔.Glad you've found a solution that works for you.
 
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