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Post by allegro646 on Mar 24, 2010 2:51:36 GMT
So far we have been using Carefresh, and from everything I read that sounds like one of the better choices for bedding. However, it gets really expensive! I like to completely change the bedding every 3 or 4 days (I know I can let it go for a week, but I like them to have a clean cage!), and with their big cage we really go through the bedding fast.
Are there cheaper alternatives that are just as good? Or somewhere that I can buy it in bulk? I want them to have the best stuff, but I also don't want to completely break the bank buying it. And I definitely don't want to change it less often just because of cost.
What would you recommend? Is Carefresh the best option?
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Post by Pigjes on Mar 24, 2010 7:38:29 GMT
I use pure cotton towels, double layer, with fleece on top, for 5 years now. Nothing comes cheaper, but you need a washer to clean it approximately weekly.
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Post by pickles on Mar 24, 2010 13:31:29 GMT
I used to use that fancy bedding and I was spending $10-$15 a week because I clean his cage daily. I switched to fleece and saved a ton of money!!! Bottom layer corn cob second layer is a thick layer of newspaper and the top layer is soft fleece. Piggy LOVES IT!!!
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Post by paintboxdougal on Mar 24, 2010 13:47:55 GMT
Forgive me for asking a probably daft question, when you say cotton towels are you talking about bath towels? and when you say fleece are you talking about a normal fleece blanket type thing or is it something specifically for animals.
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Post by newpig on Mar 24, 2010 13:49:08 GMT
I use an equine bedding and lots of horse beddings are suitable for guinea pigs and like guinea pigs they require good absorption and dust extracted.
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Post by allegro646 on Mar 24, 2010 13:57:10 GMT
Thanks!
I have the same question as paintbox...is this towels like you could get at any store? And fleece like from a fabric store? Or do you need to get special stuff made for guinea pigs?
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Post by 3piggles on Mar 24, 2010 14:15:41 GMT
If you really want inexpensive bedding, the system Pigjes suggests is wash and reuse. You make one initial investment in the fleece and towels you need, then just keep washing and reusing them.
Fleece needs to be washed until all the sizing is out and the fibers start to break down a bit, to get it wicking at maximum capacity, but the longer you use it, the better it gets. The fleece wicks the urine and spilled water down to something absorbent undernieth, and keeps the suface dry.
Cotton towels are most commonly used as the absorbent layer under the fleece. I use wood pellet horse bedding as the absorbent layer. Some use things like Sham Wow or regular Chamois. Others use dog weewee pads, so it's more about finding what suits your budget and life style.
Newspaper is not absorbent, and if wet, stains the bottom of the cage. Straw or hay have no absorbency and can have pieces thick enough to poke a pig's eye pretty badly.
Carefresh is a reasonable absorbent layer if you want to continue to use that. Cover it with fleece that keeps the poos and hay out of the Carefresh. You shake off the fleece daily, and don't have to change the Carefresh as often.
Good luck!!!
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Post by allegro646 on Mar 24, 2010 16:28:37 GMT
Where do I get the fleece, though? At a fabric store? Pet store?
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Post by 3piggles on Mar 24, 2010 18:43:04 GMT
Sorry, I missed the towel question. Yes, I used my old bath towels under the fleece. It was a great second life for those towels. Most towels have tags that list the materials, and 100% cotton towels work the best. Most bath towels are 100% cotton in the US. The thicker the towel, the fewer layers you need.
Fleece is available at fabric stores or in fabric departments or stores like Walmart. I bought my fleece at Walmart for a lot less than it was in the fabric stores, and it's still working great after four years. Fabric stores offer a lot more choices than small departments at Walmart. Yes, fleece blankets work as well as any other fleece, as blankets are just extremely wide pieces of fleece with blanket binding on the ends.
Wash new towels and the fleece repeatedly to get out all of the sizing. Sizing is a product added to just about everything to make it soft, give it body or keep it from wrinkling. If you've ever washed a piece of clothing and found it all limp afterward, the sizing gave it what little body it had.
Also, don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets, as they stop the wrinkling and static cling by putting sizing back in to the fabric. Sizing keeps fabric from being absorbent, so while it makes your bath towels feel soft, they don't dry you as well.
Do an additional rinse and add about 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar to the wash to cut any remaining soap residue, especially if you use a heavily perfumed detergent. Remember pigs live close to their bedding, so they can't get away from breathing that perfume.
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Post by Jeannine on Mar 24, 2010 19:10:41 GMT
CVS drugstore had fleece blankets for $2.99 at one time, I just cut the blanket binding stitch off.
The scrap bin in a fabric store is also a good place to find fleece. 99% of my stash came form the scrap bins.
and I second everything 3piggles stated above.
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Post by olleewood on Mar 24, 2010 21:49:34 GMT
I also started with carefresh, as that's what I used with my ferret. It's expensive! And so messy! Switched to towels and fleece and it's awesome. It allows me to spot clean poo easy too, I just use my little hand held vacuum and my cage stays nice and pretty.  At Biglots they had fleece blankets 3 for $10. And I just use old towels for the under layers. Also, watch out for lighter colored fleece, I bought some without thinking (because it was pretty, hehe) and the cage looked dirty due to the light color. Bought some darker patterned fleece and the cage looks much better. Good luck! |
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Post by allegro646 on Mar 24, 2010 22:35:45 GMT
Great, thanks for all the very specific advice! I'll stop by Walmart this weekend to look for fleece...it definitely sounds like a better (and prettier!) option.
How thick of a towel layer do you use?
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Post by olleewood on Mar 25, 2010 1:51:40 GMT
Great, thanks for all the very specific advice! I'll stop by Walmart this weekend to look for fleece...it definitely sounds like a better (and prettier!) option. How thick of a towel layer do you use? And you don't have the cage-y smell either from the other types of bedding. I put down two layers of towels, one layer of fleece. Also, keep an extra set clean so you can just throw the dirty ones in the wash. |
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Post by Jeannine on Mar 25, 2010 2:13:45 GMT
I use two layers of towels and I put a "sham-wow" (you can find them at the 1.00 stores) over top the sleeping area aka heavy pee zone. It seems to wick the pee away very well. Then the fleece cover and piggies on top. I hope nobody's sick of this photo yet...  [/URL] |
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Post by pickles on Mar 25, 2010 15:42:42 GMT
I noticed someone mentioned CVS Pharmacy having fleece. I'm actually a manager at cvs and my store has a 2 pack of fleece for $5! I actually have bought some of the fleece blankets from CVs and they work well
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Post by allegro646 on Mar 27, 2010 2:16:13 GMT
Just thought I would update with pics of our new fleece bedding! Here are my boys checking out their bedding for the first time (Chutney is mid-popcorning in this pic):  Piggy train!  My cute little Cicero:  They were squeaking and popcorning all over the place, so I think the fleece is a big hit! |
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Post by Pigjes on Mar 27, 2010 8:31:55 GMT
I bet they like the fleece!!!  Such a fun cage setting!! |
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Post by newpig on Mar 27, 2010 11:23:43 GMT
I'm glad they are enjoying the new bedding. They look very happy and are very handsome boys.
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Post by Jeannine on Mar 27, 2010 18:24:01 GMT
oooh the purple fleece looks great - its the color of Royalty!
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Post by allegro646 on Mar 27, 2010 21:49:14 GMT
That's what I thought, too! The other fleece I got (so I can switch them out when I do laundry) is a very royal-looking red. It's also very, very soft. |
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Such a fun cage setting!!