Fleece or Bedding in a Critter Nation 162?

[rach_leigh]

Hi everyone!

I purchased a Critter Nation 162 for my chinnie I plan to adopt next month. I want to get everything set up for him to give him some comfort during the stress of going to a new home.

My questions are:

1) Should I use bedding or fleece? (I am planning on ordering the bass pans for bedding)

2) Are the shelves in the CN ok if I cover them with fleece?

3) Do I need to cover the ladders with anything or will they be ok for him?

I know his owner has him in an older 2 story cage, but she is glad I am getting the CN for him.

Thanks for your advice/help....I appreciate it! Everyone here is so nice and helpful...glad I found you all!

 

[Chinniechantel]

I like pine or aspen bedding personally, but that is a preference thing. I love my bass pans, it makes cleaning easy and does help with the mess. Make sure to get the 4 or 5 inch high ones, some stores will not say they make them.

I have not had problems with the shelves in the FN, so I assume they are the same. Keep an eye on them, and if they chew them you have to take them out. Covering them in fleece works, or you can just remove them and use pine shelves too.

The ladders need to removed, they are a hazard.

Have fun decorating the cage, it is fun to work with!

 

[jmdebb]

Hi and congrats.

I think with the bedding it's all personal preference. Personally, I use fleece in one cage [used to use it in all cages] but went back to KD [kiln dried] Pine Shavings. The reason being is that I notice with the fleece the smell is much worse. And to me it's more of a pain to clean up. At first I got tired of all the pine coming out of the cage, so that's why I switched to fleece, but then I got sick of the smell with the fleece and how much of a pain it is to clean up. But I have to say, I honestly don't know what that particular cage looks like, and if the bottom pan isn't high, then you will definately have a mess with all the pine or aspen shavings coming out of the cage so maybe fleece will be easier for you so you don't have to contantly pick up the shavings. The one cage I still use the fleece in is a Quality Cage and while the cage is great, the bottom pan isn't high at all, so if I put shavings in that cage, it's a HUGE mess coming out of the cage. So that's why I stick with fleece in that one. But again, it's all personal prefence. Alot of people in here use fleece and alot of them use either pine or aspen. But if you do decide to use pine shavings, make sure it's KILN DRIED, because the regular pine shavings aren't as safe for them. Make sure you never use cedar, they are dangerous.

And please take ChinnieChantel's advice about the ladders and take them out. They most definately can get hurt on those ladders, and you don't want that to happen.

And just in case you don't know, and if you do already no offence meant to you at all, but never use those plastic balls for playtime, and good quality food is very important, and safe treats are too.

I don't know what kind of shelves they have so I can't say anything about that, but if ChinnieChantel knows, she is correct, she's a pretty smart cookie in here.

Well I will end it here,
take pics of your new chin and the cage when you are done. Alot of us love looking at pics.

Jean

 

[Sandi]

You can buy or make guards for along the bottom of your cage to keep the bedding in.

Definitely have fun decorating and post some pics!

 

[rach_leigh]

Thanks everyone!! I thought the ladders were dangerous, so I will just remove them and get a few ledges for him. I am going to order the Bass metal pans for the bedding because the pans in the CN are only an inch deep, so that would be messy! I think I will cover the shevles in fleece and use bedding at first. I can always switch over to all fleece.

I know all about cedar being dangerous....I have hammies and a bunny and I only use Carefresh for their bedding. Is Carefresh ok for chinnies? If not, I can easily get the kiln-dried pine. And definately no plastic balls....one of my hammies hates them, so I don't use them at all!

I get to meet him and his current owner next Sunday....I am sooo excited!! I hope she will let me take a picture of him and I will post it. I will post pics of his cage too when it comes and I get it set up!

Thanks again for all of your help and advice - I love this site!

 

[Chinniechantel]

Cedar is toxic to chins....carefresh is fine as long as they don't eat it, and kiln dried pine or aspen work very well. I think carefresh works best for smell, but the chins prefer the pine, they really think it is a treat to get new bedding. I can't wait to get pictures, I know he will be a very happy spoiled chinnie!

 

[rach_leigh]

Thanks, Chinniechantel Maybe I will try the kiln dried aspen or pine first. I don't think carefresh would be very tasty...but ya never know what is tasty to a chin!

 

[Sugarmama]

I use fleece liners in my Ferret Nations, and love them. I change them about every 4 days, and don't smell them at all--and I have 8 chins. They are 2 layer fleece liners. When I clean up the cages, I shake the poo and hay in the trash. Sometimes I take them outside and shake them, too, and then pop them in the wash. Easy cheesy.

 

[rach_leigh]

I use fleece liners in my Ferret Nations, and love them. I change them about every 4 days, and don't smell them at all--and I have 8 chins. They are 2 layer fleece liners. When I clean up the cages, I shake the poo and hay in the trash. Sometimes I take them outside and shake them, too, and then pop them in the wash. Easy cheesy.

That's great! Sounds easy to do. Is it fleece and fleece or an absorbant layer between?

 

[Sasha]

I also use fleece for my FN's. I couldn't stand finding shavings everywhere - in my bed, up the stairs, in my clothes... Now I just shake out the liners, brush them off, and throw them in the wash. And no more mess everywhere!


As for how you make the liners, it's up to you. You can do 2 layers of fleece, 3 layers of fleece, a layer of towel or some other absorbant material in the middle.. whatever works for you! The fleece is pretty absorbant on it's own, so long as you don't use any fabric softeners as that can make them less absorbant.

 

[Chinniechantel]

Gosh, I did not have good luck with liners! I suppose having 50+ cages had something to do with it? Or my chins are just super stinky! I could smell the fleece after 2 days and really did not like washing nasty peed on fleece. I felt gross putting it in the washing machine, so I hand washed it first. Bleck. That only lasted a week. I don't think I even notice the shavings anymore, except when one gets stuck in my shoe, that is really annoying.