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Fleece as bedding?

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Post by siofradh Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:18 am

Okay so I have a three level cage, and I had cardboard and fleece the top two levels, then on the bottom I had wood based cat litter. They have a corner trat which I also put litter in. When the girls finally caught on to do their business in the litter tray, I didn't see the need to put the litter in the base of the cage, so I just lined it with cardboard and fleece like I did the top two levels.
Anyway, I'm wondering is this okay? Is there any particular reason I should have a base? I'm quite OCD with changing their bedding - every two to three days, because they do occasionally pee on the fleece, and they also leave their crumbs from their nuggats and leftover bits of fruit and veg.
Thanks a mill guys Smile
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Post by smokierat Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:43 am

Well fleece won't do any harm,but digging and nest building are really enjoyable for ratties so that's why I use shavings,and shredded kitchen towel,they have loads of fun using to build comfy beds Smile you could always include digging boxes if you wanted to,if you are happy with the fleece,its really up to yourself,whatever works for you and your ratties Smile
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Post by limerickrats Mon Feb 13, 2012 6:12 am

I love vetbed for the girls. I have it cut up into squares and I put it into their sleepy places. I only have to change it about twice a week. It just makes it extra cosy and then they have loads of shredded paper in there too to make a nice nest. Smile

Edited to add: Ah, I see what you're saying now - you have the entire floor up there lined with vet bed? It's nice underfoot (underpaw?) but I'd say it's a right royal pain in the ass trying to keep it clean! I definitely wouldn't bother, myself. Is it a wire floor? I'd say the cardboard is plenty.
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Post by Zoundz Mon Feb 13, 2012 6:58 am

Whatever works for you will be fine Smile They do like to nest and build beds with stuff though, so giving them paper wool like SafeBed would be a good idea if they have no shavings Smile

xx
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Post by siofradh Mon Feb 13, 2012 7:08 am

well they have a digging box with some shredded paper so i suppose they should be ok with that then Smile they often take the paper and bits of wool stuff i bought for them that's safe for rodents into their beds. it's so cute watching them carry bits and bobs around the cage! Tongue they're like little interior decorators haha!
Also, i'm just curious to know, does anyone else have their ratties litter-trained? I just put the corner tray in there to see what they'd make of it for a few weeks, and in no time at all they copped on to it so I just continued using it Smile If they didn't take to it though, i'd still probably use the wood based litter.
Limerick rats - the base isn't wired, it's just metal, but the rest of the cage is wire. i put the cardboard there so i can tuck the fleece underneath it so they don't hurt their little paws on the wiring if they decide to re-arrange the cage Big Grin
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Post by limerickrats Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:41 am

It's only now that my girls are great for using their litter trays. (They're 15-16 months.) It took a lot of experimenting but they're now using the trays reliably, bless them! I have two big corner pans (the ferret ones) and I fill them with shredded hemp from Zooplus. Sometimes they'll pee or poop in their sleeping cube, but mostly they use the trays. I reckon that's the most I can expect of them. Everything can go in the washing machine anyways. Smile

I use shredded paper for nesting material - a mix of foolscap, newspaper and office paper. They don't seem to have any problems with it. I used to use strips of kitchen towel but the shredding the paper is so much faster and it's nice to recycle! Big Grin
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Post by Dangerousbeans Sat Jun 09, 2012 8:57 pm

We are currently using fleece in our explorer, I got some cheap fleece blankets in Ikea and one cut in half does both levels, I just swap them and wash them every few days, they do like to chew holes and hide under it though.
I find it good as I can kind of sweep the mess off it (shells of peas, leftover bits of dinner etc), I also have litter trays with wood flakes, and digging boxes with shredded paper towels and stuff, I sometimes stuff a paper bag with shredded kitchen towel and bits of crumpled paper and put some seeds and cornflakes in it. They love this, and route around for a couple of day in this, anything soft ends up in beds or corners.

I am trying to get them to use the litter trays, but they get behind them and pee on fleece, I guess I just have to wait until they are too big to fit behind the tray?


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