10.18.2013

The Pros and Cons of Fleece Bedding

Article 2 of 7 from Guinea Pig 101: Fleece Bedding Guide.

Fleece bedding pros and cons

DOES FLEECE FIT YOUR LIFESTYLE?

As with any type of guinea pig bedding, there are advantages and disadvantages to using fleece.

One example is the daily maintenance required to remove poop and other debris. Some people don't mind setting aside time each day to sweep and vacuum for a clean, cavy-friendly living environment. Others prefer being able to simply empty out a cage filled with disposable bedding.

To help you decide, read over our list of pros and cons when considering if fleece is right for you.


PROS
  • Safe to use. Fleece won't irritate sensitive cavy eyes, skin, or respiratory system.
  • Gentle on piggy feet.
  • Reusable. Fleece can be washed and reused over and over again. The same goes for certain absorbent materials used underneath, such as towels or furniture pads.
  • Can be decorated. With so many colors and fun prints available you can personalize your pig's cage to your liking.
  • Saves money long term. Costs less than continuing to repurchase disposable bedding. 
  • Surface stays dry. When prepared properly fleece wicks moisture away from the surface down to the absorbent material below, effectively keeping piggy bottoms dry!
  • Easily sized to fit your cage.

CONS
  • Must be prepared correctly prior to use.
  • Must be paired with an absorbent material. For the surface to remain dry, an additional layer is required underneath to absorb liquid.
  • Requires daily cleaning. Droppings, discarded hay, and uneaten food accumulate quickly. These must be vacuumed or swept regularly, lest you find your pigs sitting amidst mountainous piles of poo!
  • Extra steps may be needed to remove hay or fur.
  • Requires regular washer/dryer access.
  • Initial cost of purchasing bedding sets.

Have any more to add? Share with us below!

7 comments:

  1. Another pro is the unused hay and poop is easy to compost ... and the wild bunnies in our neighborhood really enjoy the hay we end up throwing out

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  2. Pros: easy to keep visually clean. The poops are all the the surface and easily removed unlike with some beddings where you can't get all the poop out until you discard the lot. Cons: may not be quite as hygienic as it seems. I'm not keen on the damp towels underneath especially in a warm house - I use newspaper which dries out except in the most used spots. We get these from neighbours so it costs us nothing. Do bacteria breed in the fleece even when the urine has wicked through? I don't know. We now wash on the highest temperature setting as a precaution and the fleece we have stands up to that OK. And to help prevent damage to the washing machine we hoover the fleeces before laundering them.

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  3. Fleece definitely requires a correctly sized cage; it will not work in a conventional store-bought cage. Store bought cages do not have the square footage that allows the fleece to air out.

    Preparing fleece for washing is time consuming (I'm meticulous about getting the hair out since I suspect our last washer died from a clogged filter). However, I don't mind the trade-off of a bit more work for less waste.

    The pigs love the traction fleece provides, and they can really take off around the cage!

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  4. Nice series of posts! I'd say it's more hygienic to clean the poos out each day rather than letting them build up for a week, so I like that about using fleece bedding. You can use 50% off coupons when you buy the fleece, so that keeps the cost down. I bought the towels I put underneath the fleece at a thrift store that charges by the pound, so they were very inexpensive. I have two sets of everything, so I can clean my piggy's pen and have him back in it within 30 minutes. xo Jennifer

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  5. Hi Mindy,

    Thanks for sharing the pigture of your girls! Lucy and Callie are such cuties. Preparing fleece for guinea pig bedding is pretty easy - I wrote an article outlining the steps here:
    http://www.calicavycollective.com/2013/11/4-steps-prepare-fleece-for-guinea-pig.html

    That should take care of the pooling urine issue. The absorbent liner you're using underneath may also contribute, you can find out more in the guide here:
    http://www.calicavycollective.com/2014/03/guinea-pig-101-fleece-bedding-guide.html

    Hope that helps!

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  6. I have two cute piggies (Lucy and Callie) and I'm sick of cleaning out their stinky bedding several times a week! We want to start doing the Fleece bedding but I keep hearing "Prepared Correctly" How do you prepare it? We're doing a trial run right now with just standard fleece but it doesn't seem to be absorbing, it takes awhile and in the mean time my pigs have tromped on it and it's coated their underbellies with urine! How do we prevent this from happening? What steps do I need to take to make sure it's prepared correctly?

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  7. I have two baby guinea pigs, well they are a little over four months, and my smallest was having a bad reaction to the paper bedding. Her right eye was leaking discharge and closing up. I switched the bedding to fleece and with in a day her eye was so much better. My vet tech friend said she could be allergic to the brand I got. The fleece works amazing, even if it is a little bit more work. I would rather spot clean their cage three times a day and wash the fleece after three to four days later than change the paper bedding every day (With my Amara being allergic I would have had to switched to something else anyway and I hate the other bedding options). Fleece all the way! :)

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