Question about fabric - is Fleece = polyester ?

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I can't answer that question, but it wouldn't surprise me if it is polyester. When they started making "polar fleece"...way back 30 or so years ago, it was made of recycled milk jugs...made it water repellent but I'm pretty sure that is NOT the case anymore. More lucrative to make it out of polyester or ???
 
AS someone who works in the textile and apparel industry,I wanted to chime in late. They make cotton/poly fleece as well as 100% cotton fleece but you will need to go to an imported fabric store as most fleece I have found in Canada at dollarama and fabricland has been 100% poly. Cotton fleece is basically sweatshirt material. Polyester is nothing more than EXTRUDED PLASTIC FILAMENT created first by the Dupont chemicals company. Yes, to everyone who refuse to put plastic in your cages but happily fill it with fleece, polyester IS plastic. Sorry to burst your bubble. If you were to eat a large enough piece of polyester, you will be very very sick. Cotton on the other hand while also indigestible to humans will do much less damage as it can pass through the digestive track like other insoluble fibres in small amounts.

I used 2 layers medium weight, unbleach 100% cotton muslin as a cage liner. Muslin frays so I clean finish the edges by double folding and topsitching. Considering adding some cotton batting in between for absorbency is your chin is not potty trained. As for hammocks I use 2 layers of cotton flannel (again cleanfinishd so there are not raw edges) and I make sure to wash the fabric 2-3 times BEFORE to get any extra dye out.

But I've raised rats for years on fleece and had a few chewers and none got sick from it and my vet keeps his chins on fleece so I dont; think it's a problem. It's just that I KNOW what polyester is and the process in which fleece is created and I personally can;t stomach it.
 
Although you also can get fleece made from recycled plastics.

The thing you risk with any sort of cotton flannel or muslin or other similar lighter weight fabric is that your chin can easily chew through it and ingest the threads. That's the hazard with thinner fabrics. Sure, you can catch them chewing it, but you can't be there every hour of the day. They may chew it up during the night and by then it's too late.

The benefit of fleece is that in general it isn't easy to chew and it doesn't come apart in threads.

But no matter what, if the chin chews any of the fabric, even fleece it is safer to not have any in the cage at all.

edited to add: And as for the reason why people advocate not using plastic in a chin's cage for chins that chew but still use fleece, well they are two separate things. Plastic shelving is hard, and chins can chew it easily and many do. Then, they break of huge chunks, swallow them and get impacted. Yes, it has happened. Then you struggle with getting them to pass the plastic piece and not end up dying. However, with fleece they generally don't chew off a huge piece and eat it. It doesn't come apart in threads so you don't have to worry about a thread twisting up in their digestive system. And, most chins don't chew fleece. But as I said, if a chin does chew fleece, then they shouldn't have that in the cage either.
 
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I'm lucky because Tapi doesn't chew any fabrics, just wood, metal and anything "rubbery" ...like favourite shoes.

Another reason why I prefer cotton is because the dyes used in cottons are usually less harmful. If you have ever tried to dye anything at home, you will notice that the package says "not for polyester or synthetic fabrics (except nylon)". That is because synthetic monofilaments such as acrylics and polyester uses very strong chemical dyes that is not safe for home use, OR the plastics are mixed with the colour prior to the extrusion process. These dyes are NEVER fully washed out as this will leave the fabric in question..well, undyed. I'm speaking from strictly a technical standpoint of course. I"m not trying to argue or anything, just shedding some light.

The reason fleece does not unravel is because it is formed of a stable double knit. So I think the ideal fabric is organic unbleached cotton fleece or cotton interlock(double knit). No harsh dyes, no plastic filament, does not fray and can be ingested in small (small!) amounts without harm. I might go look for this in the fashion district next tiem I fabric shop. I'll keep you posted if I find any.
 
This is interesting as.. I was curious about using other types of fabric...mostly cotton. I for one would be very careful that the material doesn't fray easily and that it is sewn well.

I had used the regular cotton material to make hammocks for my chin and he loved it, tried to chew it once, but never from then on. I think he liked the cooler material...and since replacing my chins hammock with one made in fleece I have yet to see him sleeping or hanging out in it.

Anyways I would say if your chin isnt much of a chewer of material it should be fine...with any fabric, if its being eaten I would remove it.
 
This is interesting as.. I was curious about using other types of fabric...mostly cotton. I for one would be very careful that the material doesn't fray easily and that it is sewn well.

I had used the regular cotton material to make hammocks for my chin and he loved it, tried to chew it once, but never from then on. I think he liked the cooler material...and since replacing my chins hammock with one made in fleece I have yet to see him sleeping or hanging out in it.

Anyways I would say if your chin isnt much of a chewer of material it should be fine...with any fabric, if its being eaten I would remove it.

No, it's not worth the risk. If a "non-chewer" decides to one day start chewing, you most likely won't be in the room when it starts. Just a few small pieces of unraveled cotton can be fatal. It CAN lead to impaction and it is not worth risking the chin's life. Fleece on the other hand does not fray or tear as easily and it would be much harder for a chin to eat. Most chins that chew will rip holes in fleece, but not actually eat it, but any chin that chews fleece should not have fabric in their cage.
 
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