Oxbow Pure Comfort Small Animal Bedding Review

We've gone over fleece bedding at length on this blog. And as far as alternative bedding options go, the system works great - as long as you're willing to put in the time needed to keep your guinea pig's living environment tidy.

A Guinea Pig Christmas

Feliz Navidad! Wishing you a happy, food-filled holiday season from all of us here at Cali Cavy.

The girls have been busy spreading holiday cheer (and piggy beans) from their festively decorated cage. Poinsettia fleece, embroidered stockings, themed cozies, a fleece sleigh, lights, and tinsel garlands - the whole shebang.

Ask Alice: Fleece, Flannel, or Felt for Guinea Pig Bedding?

Answering your guinea pig care questions.

"Can I use flannel or felt instead of fleece as bedding for my guinea pig?"

I've gotten this question several times after writing the Guinea Pig 101: Fleece Bedding guide.

To many people, the fabrics seem interchangeable enough - after all, they are located near each other in fabric stores. But to put it simply, the answer is no. Here are the reasons why.

Makeshift Tent

Like other prey animals, guinea pigs appreciate being given places to hide. Poof made good use of this makeshift tent by camping out behind the flap, eyeing other pigs as they approached her hiding spot. You could see her projecting, "Back off, this is alpha pig territory!"

Guinea Pig 101: Fleece Bedding

If you're a guinea pig owner ("piggy slave" to those in the know) curious about the fleece that you keep seeing around then you've come to the right place.

When I first started looking into fleece as a bedding alternative, information on the topic was difficult to come by. Eight pigs, many years, and countless loads of laundry later, I can safely say that I have more than enough experience with the stuff. You only need to look at the closet that my pigs have commandeered to see the proof.

9 Simple Solutions to Stop Fleece Burrowing

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

Your pig has vanished. The only clue: a telltale gap at the edge of the fleece. Could it be aliens? A pignapping? The IRS? Seconds later, a moving, squeaking lump makes its presence known in a corner of the cage. "Darn it," you think, "not again!"

An unexpected drawback to fleece bedding is burrowing - a common source of annoyance to more than a few guinea pig owners. Our very own Belka was a habitual burrower, pulling her disappearing act every chance she got. Aside from eating, her favorite recreational pastime was diving under the fleece to conduct reconnaissance. This proved to be both aggravating and amusing, especially when she'd run into aboveground obstacles (such as pigloos and other pigs).

11 Tips to Spotless Fleece Bedding for Your Guinea Pig

Article 6 of 7 from Guinea Pig 101: Fleece Bedding Guide.

One of the first questions that guinea pig owners ask upon encountering fleece bedding is, "How do you clean all this?"

At first glance, the resulting mess looks daunting. Hay, uneaten scraps of food, and a haphazard scattering of beans are strewn across the floor. The contented culprits are fast asleep, tucked into cozy nooks and hideaways. But don't let the evidence of piggy mayhem intimidate you - keeping a clean cage is easier than you'd think!

8 Absorbent Liners to Use Underneath Fleece Bedding

Article 5 of 7 from Guinea Pig 101: Fleece Bedding Guide.

Now that you've got your fleece in hand, it's time to decide which absorbent liners to use!

As you may recall from our earlier article, fleece needs to be paired with an absorbent material to function effectively as guinea pig bedding. Remember, fleece is only meant to wick away liquids - it's the layer underneath that is essential to keeping your guinea pig dry. Several popular options are listed below.

4 Easy Steps to Preparing Fleece for Your Guinea Pig

Article 4 of 7 from Guinea Pig 101: Fleece Bedding Guide.

Fleece requires a small amount of preparation before it can be used as bedding in your guinea pig's cage. Here's why:

New fleece has a protective barrier that causes liquid to pool on the surface. The prewashing process breaks down that barrier, allowing moisture to pass through. However, certain treatments such as fabric softener can restore that barrier.

How to Choose and Buy the Right Fleece

Article 3 of 7 from Guinea Pig 101: Fleece Bedding Guide.

So you've decided to give fleece bedding a try. Hooray!

But wait - what kind do you need and where do you find it? Not all types of fleece will work as guinea pig bedding. Some varieties won't wick moisture away, leaving your wheekers with wet rumps. Sad panda.

Here's what you need to know before heading to the store.

The Pros and Cons of Fleece Bedding

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

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.

How Fleece Bedding Works

Article 1 of 7 from Guinea Pig 101: Fleece Bedding Guide.

Many guinea pig owners are curious when they come across fleece bedding for the first time. As a longtime piggy slave, I receive quite a few questions:

"Are you using blankets instead of bedding? How does that work? Is it a chore to clean?"

Guinea Pig C&C Fleece Cage Tour

It's been a while since our last C&C cage tour. Here's a look at our current spring themed guinea pig cage setup. Can you spot the cavies going about their piggy business?

Guinea Pig Bedding: Using Fleece and U-haul Furniture Pads

You would think that the words "cavy" and "U-haul" don't belong in the same sentence. Lately we've been trying out washable U-haul furniture pads with our usual fleece bedding arrangement and have been quite pleased with the results. When used as a cage liner underneath the fleece and towels, this unexpected material helps to reduce odor while extending the length of time between changings.

Deck the cage!

Now that the cage has finally been decorated, all the piggies are officially ready for Christmas! We cordially invite you to take a tour of the holiday cage.

Vertical hay rack in action

Here's a clip showing the piggies vertical hay rack setup. Poof and Truffle can be seen yanking out strands of hay from the ground level while Belka climbs to reach choice strands higher up. After investigating the camera, Peaches joins in on the munching.

Baby Belka & Peaches popcorning

In this short clip you can see baby Peaches and Belka's reactions to their first ever C&C cage. They were about three months old and absolutely thrilled to be given a larger space to live in. So much room for piggy shenanigans! Incidentally, this was also our humans first foray into using fleece bedding and building a C&C cage. In those days Belka, Peaches and Truffle shared a 2x3 with a 2x2 loft upstairs.

Piggy camping

Have an extra piece of fleece lying around? Drape it over your guinea pigs cage. Instant piggy camping! Pigs also appreciate the canopy effect during out of cage time. Add in tunnels, boxes and paper bags filled with hay for a quick and easy obstacle course.

Guinea pig DIY: Acrylic backed C&C grid cage

Truffle and Poof gaze at each other from opposite sides of the acrylic

Many guinea pig owners are undoubtedly familiar with finding all sorts of things outside the confines of their cavies cage. Hay, poop, bedding and pellets are the most common culprits. Occasionally stray bits of fruit or vegetables make their way across the room, no doubt launched by a pig in an energetic moment.

Current C&C cage setup for 6 guinea pigs

Revy and Abby-Roo's quarters

Our humans decided to remodel our cage after Abby-Roo came to live with Revy. At the moment they reside in a 2x4 C&C grid living area while the rest of us guinea pigs (Belka, Truffle, Peaches and Poof) share a 3x5 grid area with a 2x1 second floor loft.