what do you line your cages with?

Catslovelycats

I've got guineapigs and used to use sawdust. Then went to fleece but am getting a bit fed up with having to keep washing it and scraping the bits off. I know sawdust is meant to cause respitory problems (though I've never owened an animal that has suffered from this). Am wondering if anyone uses hemp on the floor of their cages and whether it smells? Or what do you use?

Thanks.

borderlakland

Hi, I always used to use Hemp with no problems at all, i never noticed any smells (used it for the rats as well), only slight problem if you are using it indoors it tends to be harder to hoover up than sawdust, but minor problem really.

Chocolate80

I used to use newspaper as the base and then sawdust on top but you could just use straw on top of newspaper.

Person_one

I use carefresh for my rats, a big bag lasts ages, doesn't smell too bad and doesn't create dust.

olias

Start by lining the floor with an offcut of vinyl floor covering. This will stop any wee soaking into and damaging the wooden floor of the hutch. You can also wipe it clean easily and disinfect it. Then add a layer of newspaper (at least 3/4 sheets thick) to soak up any wee, then straw in their sleeping area (a lot in the winter).

If you are near the countryside buy straw by the bale from a farm (only £3-£4 for a bale, so works out a lot cheaper than buying small bags from the pet shop).

Olias

Catslovelycats

thanks folks for your answers
i want to have a rest from using the fleece becasue I'm fed up with brushing it down and washing it
not sure it's very MSE with the amount of extra washing I do each week
Have just ordered some aubiose which seems to have good reviews
will do what I'm doing now - newspaper lining, and then put aubiose and some hay on top and see whether a messy floor is more tolerable than all the washing!
thanks for your replies everyone

chocdonuty

Megazorb! brilliant stuff, I have quite a large c and c cage with four guinea pigs and it soaks up everything! I've not used sawdust for ages as i'd use so much of the stuff.
Fleece was a nightmare beacuse of not having a garden to properly shake it out, it just bunged up my washing machine! ( I did try to shake out the fleece beforehand out of the window but not sure my neighbours were impressed when bits of hay, fur and poop went past their window and bounced off their windowsills!
I can get Megazorb for £6.50 a bag and it lasts a while, well worth it

JH0605

Agree that Megazorb is the best. After using fleece which I found very difficult to keep clean now buy Megazorb from local stables. Comes in a huge bag which lasts for ages, doesn't smell and piggies seem to like it.

Have also used ecobed which is chopped up cardboard, this was possibly better than megazorb. My local stables no longer stock it and its very expensive to get delivered.

Have a look on here explains bedding available.

http://www.erodent.co.uk/Bedding.htm