Smelly Fleece!

kailaeve1271 · Post » Sun Apr 23, 2017 10:04 am

So I had fleece in my cage for my two pigs. It is a 2x3 cage with a loft so it is fairly large and i plan on expanding. When I had the fleece I spot cleaned every day, changed the fleece out every 3-4 days. I also have an air filter and a desensitizer. My mom started to complain that it smells so we switched to paper shavings and i hate it. I can't experiment with wood shavings either because of severe allergies and the hay makes it really bad as it is. They toss it all out of the cage and it's impossible to spot clean. My guinea pigs are on a balanced diet and one is pregnant (I'm not sure if that influences the smell). Is there a way to fix the fleece smell? Maybe put the shavings underneath since they contain baking soda?

RKelly · Post » Sun Apr 23, 2017 10:20 am

It's probably my imagination but it seems like things were less smelly when I switched from bleach to vinegar. In the past certain detergents I've used on towels caused them to get stinky when they got wet. It was weird. Sorry I'm not much help.

WICharlie · Post » Sun Apr 23, 2017 10:44 am

Wood shavings won't work under fleece. It won't wick the urine down into it like cotton will. You ARE using cotton towels or the like under the fleece, yes?

My suggestion is that you change out the cage every 2nd or 3rd day (4 days is probably too long to go) and add vinegar to the rinse every month or so. The laundry detergent does sometimes make a difference. You might try Tide. If it's expensive for you, just use it for the pig stuff. Another thing that may help is to go to a 2X4 cage. A 2X3 is the minimum requirement for two females, but I think a 2X4 should be the minimum. The larger the cage, the cleaner it will be.

If you are expecting babies however, you may want to use shavings during the time the birth may happen as it's easier to spot clean the cage after the birth. You can always switch back to fleece afterwards (don't forget to baby proof the grids beforehand too).

kailaeve1271 · Post » Sun Apr 23, 2017 10:55 am

I'm using paper shavings not wood sorry I don't think I worded that well in the original post. I have sewn liners not just fleece sorry to clarify and it has a layer of a mattress pad which absorbs very well. I handwash it in vinegar water every time it's washed and I make sure it doesn't smell when I finish (my washer keeps it from whicking for some reason. My cage is currently in the middle of baby proofing :) also I cannot make my cage larger yet because my parents won't approve yet. I'm planning on making it a 3x4 once I get permission

Rome_Italy · Post » Sun Apr 23, 2017 12:15 pm

(sorry for my poor english and mistakes)
For my two pigs I have built a cage made of coroplast and fleece; on the coroplast I have put a large towel, a layer of newspapers and just in contact with the fleece I put a lot of those advertisement flysheet you can find at supermarkets. In the morning there are a lot of droppings and wet zones, but no smell. Anyway, I hang out the fleece on the sun; I sometimes change the flysheet or I turn it over and I let the pigs on the floor until the fleece is dry (or I put a second fleece on the cage). When the cage is ready again with new flysheets and fry fleece there is no smell at all. I wash the fleece maybe once a week together with other laundry, with normal soap and no softener. I think there are fleece fabrics which are not good for our use. I bought a large piece of good fabric and I cut it in two pieces. Maybe the smell depends on the food. I don't feed my pigs with pellets, only hay, grass and vegs (and two drops of vit C).

kailaeve1271 · Post » Sun Apr 23, 2017 5:08 pm

Okay thanks! Is it possible to use sand in the cage? I may try to experiment with that if it's possible I feel it would be easier to clean for them and they could dig like they already try to do. I'd just have to make my coroplast sides larger. I got the idea from what I've seen in hamster cages. Is this safe for guinea pigs? Also where does the pee go?

Rome_Italy · Post » Sun Apr 23, 2017 5:50 pm

I don't think the sand is good for pigs' feet and lungs; moreover it could be boring to clean the sand. Many years ago I had another pig who used to live on the sand used for hamsters, but there was smell, his fur was terribly dirty and the cost of the sand was not a joke! Try my method which is free of charge. The pee of my pigs never goes beyond the first layer of flysheets; in fact the towel (first layer) has been there for two months now because it is dry and clean. If you contact me by email, I can send you some pics.

PooksiedAnimals · Post » Sun Apr 23, 2017 7:12 pm

Is the under bedding really wet when you change the bedding? Is the smell you're complaining about an ammonia smell or a different piggy smell?

kailaeve1271 · Post » Sun Apr 23, 2017 8:04 pm

It is slightly wet in only one spot. Not badly though just slightly damp. It does not smell like ammonia but I can barely small anything. My mom claims it smells like a pet store. Also Rhome_Italy I do not quite understand what you mean by the way you described your set up nor can I email you. Could you ask Lynx or anyone who can to post the pictures?

Catie Cavy · Post » Sun Apr 23, 2017 8:29 pm

Have you tried washing the towels and fleece with a dash of bleach? This has helped me in the past. I use very little and don't use it every time but it did help to keep smells down. I also do a vinegar rinse which seems to help too.

bpatters · Post » Sun Apr 23, 2017 8:41 pm

Kailaeve1271, click on Private Messages at the top of the page, and you can contact Rome_Italy that way.

Rome_Italy · Post » Mon Apr 24, 2017 5:17 am

I will try to contact you later if you like. I haven't the pics already done because I was waiting just for the morning and the daily cleaning up, now I want to try to take them. :)