Lining Cages with Fleece

[Lolie]

I asked this question in a thread on the chinchat forum, but I thought it would be more appropriate in this section of the forums. I've seen a few pictures posted to the forums showing cages lined with polar fleece instead of bedding. I really like this idea since it seems like it would create less waste and mess, and would be very easy to switch out.

I wanted to hear more feedback about this. For those who do this, has it worked well for you? Is there any reason why this would be a bad idea?

My girls tend to pee in the same spot, so right now I have a pyrex dish full of bedding used as a 'litter box' and I empty that out once every couple days. It would be much easier to keep doing that but replace the rest with fleece.

Thanks for your insight!

 

[MyFuzzies]

I use fleece liners in my cages and I love them! All of my boys use littler pans. Each day I sweep out the cages (takes about 10 minutes) and I'm done!! I have 2 fleece liners for each cage/floor. I change the liners every 3 days or so to wash them. It is so much easier than having to clean up bedding all the time and it's definitely cheaper. Gideon even likes sliding under the fleece to nap LOL.

I do know that some people don't use or like them, but for me they work very well!!

 

[EveningChin]

I've always used fleese liners with my girls. Up keep is so easy! I have 2 for them one in, one in the wash. I just shake the poop out and toss them in with what every I'm washing. I also have a litter box which I change every other day. No smell, no hassle, and it doesn't get all over the place.

And fleese is fairly inexpensive. You have to continuely buy new bedding cut a fleese is a one time purchase that lasts years. Hope this helps.

 

[Tagna]

I personally like using aspen more. I've tried the fleece liners but my chins just pee everywhere. When I use the aspen they will pee in the same spot. GO figure.

 

[InkedupTara]

I love the liners, I take them out, shake the mess in the trash and wash. Less mess. No shavings or bedding on the floor, and no trips to the store for the bedding.

Some still use a litter pan to get the chins to not pee all over, but I just use the liners. Love them swtiched them all over to that and did not look back.

 

[Essentia]

I love the liners, I take them out, shake the mess in the trash and wash. Less mess. No shavings or bedding on the floor, and no trips to the store for the bedding.

Some still use a litter pan to get the chins to not pee all over, but I just use the liners. Love them swtiched them all over to that and did not look back.

Same here. Both of them religiously use their litter box to fleece liners just made sense for me.

 

[andymilo]

i was debating or not whether to use fleece liners also...for those of you that use litter pans...where do you get them from??

 

[amsue0222]

You can use a 8x8 baking dish-- works great. I was using liners , but there was always a lingering smell-- I changed them every day and still by the next day it smelled. I think that the girls smell more than boys.

 

[Essentia]

I would absolutely love to find a metal litter pan (with the higher back) but I have yet to. For now I use a baking dish.

 

[BellaBella]

This is my response to your question in my thread:

"I LOVE the liners. Much less messy, and no smell if you wash every few days. I made enough to change them out every two days but so I only have to do the wash once a week. I make mine with 3 layers of fleece and it absorbs no problem, just don't wash with fabric softener. I know some others use a quilted section either under a layer or in the middle, and some others use an old towel in the center."

 

[SunshineChins]

We love using our fleece liners and probably won't go back to bedding. We make ours with a towel in the middle and I make sure to wash the fleece beforehand.

 

[feistychins]

I am curious, those of you who use the fleece, don't your chins pee on them? If you wash them every 2-3 days, are the chins sitting on wet fleece?

If you are lucky enough to have your chin use a litter pan each time they pee, what are you using for a litter pan and what form of litter are you using in it?

 

[BellaBella]

Yes, the chins pee on the fleece in my case since I don't use a litter pan. Both my girls (separate cages) generally pee in the same left rear corner, and don't usually stay in the area after doing their business. Bella hardly spends any time at all on the pan in her cage, she is usually up on a shelf or a rock ledge.

Kiwi does spend more time on her pan, and actually likes to hang out in the same corner where she pees. The good thing about fleece is, it dries pretty quickly - and with 3 layers of it, gravity just naturally pulls the fluid down to the bottom layer, and the top layer will dry in the air. Kiwi is a mosaic chin, and very rarely do I ever see any pee stains on her butt. I would say less often than when she was on shavings, because she would push the shavings to the side, pee on the pan and THEN sit in it! :vomit:

 

[Lolie]

Thank you for all the repsonses and advice! I will be making up some fleece liners to give it a try. I'm excited about being able to create less waste. We go through a lot of Carefresh!

 

[Sugarmama]

The chins don't sit on wet fleece. The urine is absorbed into the fabric, and dries.

Make sure when you wash them, you don't use fabric softener. The fabric softener inhibits the absorbancy of the fabric.

 

[Lolie]

Thanks Sugarmama! Not using fabric softener is an important thing to remember with fleece.

 

[mylilmunchkin]

Where might one find a chin-safe litter box? Preferably one that goes up the corner a bit, as Munchkin likes to back his butt up to a corner and just go there. I'm about to switch to fleece liners but he drinks and pees like it's his job so i'd rather not have to wash the liners every two days. Thanks!

 

[lydz]

I just made myself a liner and put it in. Along with a pie tin (like those from Baker's Square) with bedding in case they decide to be nice and pee there. I shall what happens. Hopefully they don't get mad at me for changing it.

 

[Parkerspetchins]

I switched from pine to liners then back to pine. It was a bad choice for me. The smell was unpleasant even though I switched them out often and since I live in an area of the country that gets snow it wasn't convenient for me to shake them out when there was snow on the ground. I have an expensive washing machine and I really didn't want it to get clogged with shavings (from the litter boxes they used to pee in before I switched to fleece ) and hay leavings (poos fling right off of course). I didn't like them, again, for me .

 

[Pookahsmom]

I am about to switch to liners instead of Aspen. I have several chins who are already "potty trained" and use a litter box. I started out using metal baking tins but am thinking of going to pyrex as it will not rust and smell as urine collects. Let me know what you think of the idea........am open to other suggestions.:thumbsup:
Thanks, Kathy

PS will still use shavings though only a small amount in the litter box. What do you guys use in the litter box? Can you used the recycled paper stuff or the shredded colored paper stuff?:thinking: