Switched my boys over to fleece tonight.

[ReneeM]

I decided today to switch my chins over to fleece. The Aspen shavings they use are always kicked all over my floor, and harder to clean up than just poo. They even have metal cage guards, which don't do much . I didn't sew liners, I just laid the fleece in the bottom of the pan. I can't sew . How often are liners changed? I used to change liners every few days when I had rats... Except they chewed holes in their fleece.

The boys scoping out their new liner. Think they were a little annoyed they can't throw shavings anymore.

My other fleece I bought. It was so hard to find something that wasn't girly! I know they boys won't care, but I didn't want to put them on anything feminine.

 

[Silverrose]

Omigosh...where did you get that spider fleece?! I MUST have it! =O

Nice job btw. You are going to love fleece. It's a lot cleaner and easier to deal with than shavings imo. And plus its another excuse to decorate! With 3 chins, I spot clean/vacuum up stuff on the fleece every day (usually twice a day, those messy buggers), and change out liners every week.

 

[rainey]

Did you lay down a double layer, like the fleece folded in half? I can't sew either lol and so far I just lay down fleece in the one cage I have it in. How often you change it depends a lot on how thick it is and if there are two layers. I have one fleece blanket that's already two layers, so I fold it to fit it in (so its 4 layers) and after a week I just flip it over for my chin. That's for one chin though, and he tends to only pee in one corner with a litter box.

So if they don't have a litter box and it's only one layer of fleece it'll start to smell pretty fast and you might be changing it every other day. I love the fleece you bought by the way!

 

[ReneeM]

Its folding in half and doubled. I got the Spider fleece from Joann Fabrics in my town XD If you can't find it I could perhaps buy some and send it out your way

 

[Tillygizmo]

I fold mine in half and it lasts a week with small litter pans

 

[Marie5656]

Good job. I have been giving serious consideration toi switching over...I know Trixie loves the feel of it, I have fleece slippers and when I wear them during her play time, she loves sitting on my feet. LOL.
One more question..what about urine smell? And I assume I would need to wash it a couple times before using it. Also, just how wet does it get from pee? She sometimes pees inside her hidy hut, and I do not want to make it uncomfortable for her.

 

[Duhh001]

Love the spider and skulls fleece. Nice to see some non girly patterns. The fleece is so much easier to keep clean. I leave my shop vac next to the cages and use it at least once a day to suck up their little treats for me.

 

[Tillygizmo]

With fleece the moisture sinks to the bottom layer and fleece dries faster than any other fabric I have eever dealt with. When I wash my fleece I use an all natural non scented detergent and some baking soda to get rid of the smell.

 

[Marie5656]

Do you put newspaper down under the fleece?

 

[Woodrow724]

I swap out fleece once a week, sometimes a little sooner. I only have one chin with fleece though, when they partner up in one cage I'll probably change it more often. I wash mine with vinegar, so far so good. Although baking soda is a very good idea, thanks Tillygizmo!

 

[ChinnyMom]

both my boys have un-sewn fleece on their cage floors, and Guss has fleece shelf liners too (metal mesh shelves needed covered). i just fold the fleece so it's a double layer in Rhino's cage, but Guss's is just a single layer. Rhino pees on his liner all over, so i have to change it every couple to few days. Guss is pretty good about his floor liner, but has a habit of peeing in one corner of his one shelf, on the liner. so that shelf liner gets changed every two days at most, or else it really starts to smell.

i do also have two 'official' sewn liners, one for each cage, and they are two layers of fleece without any towel in the middle. they get used in rotation with the un-sewn fleece.

i pre-soak my liners in a bucket of hot water with a bit of unscented laundry detergent for about half a day before they hit the washing machine. i was using a touch of Borax in the bucket, but ran out and haven't bothered to get more because the pre-soak with laundry soap seems to be doing the job. you can use vinegar to get the pee smell out, but i can't stand the smell of the stuff, yuck.

 

[GrayChillas]

Cute fleece patterns
I switch my fleece out every week or sometimes a little before. Basically when it starts to really smell which is around a week.
And mine are sewn either, I just fold it to fit the bottom of the cage.

 

[Anfsurfer]

It looks nice! I have been thinking of changing over too....
Doesn't the fleece slide around when the chins peel out, leaving open spaces with no fleece? How do you keep it in place?

 

[Woodrow724]

I use velcro. Stick one side to the fleece and one side the cage pan. The velcro on the liner comes unstuck from the fleece when I pull it off and I just stick it back in place after I wash it! It's so much easier than bedding!

 

[Anfsurfer]

Hmmm....I just might have to give it a whirl. Thanks.

 

[Shopaholic0514]

I tried fleece once, it started to smell after a couple of days, and I just read someone said to put a litter box to reduce the smell? Does that mean just any kind of wooden or metal box would do? and what kind of bedding do you put in the litter box? Do chins know they are supposed to use the litter box?

 

[partygirlha]

I wash a LOT of fleece because of all my animals. I'v e got 2 tips
1) use a rubber cat brush (luv glove) type of thing to get hay and such off (works well)
2) I just chenged to a high efficancy (read not great for pet laundry) so I pre-soak in HOT water with soap and vinegar... for as long as it takes me to remember I've got stuff soaking.

BTW I also LOVE that spider fleece