# Cage Liners?



## magickat (Oct 19, 2007)

Howdy, 

So I have searched all over the site and I cannot find any how-to on cage liners. They are alluded to all over the place though. 
What do you use for liners? How do you make them? Etc.

I have a coast cage with a plastic tray that is about 7 inches deep. Currently I use Carefresh type bedding on the bottom. I am concerned that over time the plastic is going to start retaining some odor since although my girls are potty trained they miss sometimes (the litter box they use most is at the bottom) and I am pretty sure that they are peeing all over down there. 

I read on one thread someone mentioned using fleece liners (because they are absorbent) and needing tons of velcro to make it. But how? :?

Thanks.


----------



## Secularian (Nov 7, 2007)

I use fleece to line our cage and all I do is put a piece cut a few inches larger than the bottom of the pan and lay it flat. Every couple days, I pull it out and replace it with a clean one. That, along with a deep clean every week to 10 days should be good I would think.


----------



## magickat (Oct 19, 2007)

Thanks. Don't they just go underneath it and pee on the plastic? I tried that a week ago and that's what mine did. My DH got the worst allergy scratches around that time because they were stepping in their pee more.
They also overturned their litter box in the process since they crawled underneath it (under the fleece.) Little rascals!


----------



## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

i had to use a ton of velcro for the shelves and we're still having problems with it. the buggers like to EAT the stuff... *sighs*

but with my cage that's the only way i can get the fabric to lay down as i can't get binder clips inbetween the covered bars. for the bottom tray where i can actually use binder clips, that's all i use. 

there is no one way to make liners as it all depends on the cage you're working with. i wish there was though. i would just order mine instead of fighting to make them.


----------



## magickat (Oct 19, 2007)

Thanks Twitch. Do you sew the velcro on one side and stick the other side to the tray? Do you cover the whole tray (sides too) or just the bottom? 

I was thinking that I could sew a custom fitted liner that form fits to the whole tray and then velcro along the top. Then I could put extra fleece under the liner for added cushion and absorbency. I am just not sure if that isn't just overkill. I could do just the bottom, I suppose...

hmm... how to keep rats from chewing velcro. I bet it is really fun to nibble. Maybe it makes a cool sound like popping bubble wrap. I love popping bubble wrap, if there were bubble wrap on my walls I would be hard pressed not to go popping it all of the time. :lol:


----------



## ladada2001 (Sep 23, 2007)

speaking of cage liners.

Are they ready yet? haha.


----------



## Secularian (Nov 7, 2007)

The way my cage works is that it is lifted out of the pan, rather than a drawer... so I put the fleece in the pan and then set the cage down on top of it. I then pull the fleece under the walls of the cage all the way around to make sure the cage is holding it down nice and flat and that's it. They leave it alone. No need for velcro or clips.

Then again, I also lay pieces of fleece down on the wire floor shelves higher up in the cage and they leave that alone, too. It isn't held down at all, it's just laying there like a throw rug. They actually sleep on top of it.

They have plenty of cozy places to sleep and lot's of things to chew and play with, though... so maybe that's why they leave the fleece alone. Or... maybe they have just left the fleece alone SO FAR. Heheh.


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Hard plastic won't absorb urine smells. You are thinking of galvanized metal which is rather porous. I would stick with your carefresh.


----------



## magickat (Oct 19, 2007)

oh, I thought I read somewhere that someone was having problems with their plastic pan getting irreversibly stinky. I would think that anything porous could absorb the odor of a liquid over time. 

I am now noticing that one of my girls is sneezing a bit. She is the one who sleeps down there the most. I think I am going to the fabric store today to get some more fleece. I am going to try the tuck-under-the-cage-edge method and if I have some time I will try to sew some custom fitted pieces too. 

Thanks for the input! I will post some pics and an update.


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

magickat said:


> oh, I thought I read somewhere that someone was having problems with their plastic pan getting irreversibly stinky. I would think that anything porous could absorb the odor of a liquid over time.
> 
> I am now noticing that one of my girls is sneezing a bit. She is the one who sleeps down there the most. I think I am going to the fabric store today to get some more fleece. I am going to try the tuck-under-the-cage-edge method and if I have some time I will try to sew some custom fitted pieces too.
> 
> Thanks for the input! I will post some pics and an update.


Carefresh can be dusty. I prefer high quality aspen shavings myself but I have fleece cages too. They need to be changed very often


----------



## magickat (Oct 19, 2007)

Yeah, I know. I don't mind so much though. I recently switched all my other shelves to linolium (from fleece) so changing out the tray liner every few days is not so bad. My cage came with 2 trays so I can prep one tray and then just switch them out really quick. My cgae is also hanging on my wall (floating, not sitting on anything) so it is easy to pop off the tray and pop the new one on. I am going to the pet shop today too...maybe I will pick up some aspen for a fall-back plan since I just used the last of my carefresh when I cleaned today. 

(Yep, she is down there sneezing as I type...)


----------



## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

magickat: i just use the velcro-ed fleece for my shelves. for them i cut a peice of fabric that is an extra inch all around then what i want the finished side to be. then i sew velcro to three sides of the rectangle, the fourth is the one on the open edge and i just use binder clips for that. the other side of the velcro we've tried to glue down to the plastic levels but i think i must have gotten the wrong glue or i didn't let it set long enough as its coming up with the sewn velcro in places. 

for the bottom tray, which pulls out i use binder clips to hold everything there (quite a few of them too). but my tray is rather shallow to, maybe an inch deep if that. 

ladada: *sighs and hangs head*...no... and they're eating holes in the middle of the ones i have down, and of course the velcro as well. i can't seem to win for trying...


----------



## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

Wouldnt it be simpler to just sew a sleeve that slips over the shelf...

if your having chewing problems stay persistent on replacing the wholes and if that doesnt make them give up then find a different fabric to use... jeans would be hard to chew if your could find decent denim material...

Fleece is the best fabric comfortable wise. 

maybe if u can find a non-toxic nasty tasting liquid u could harmlessly cover the fleece in it so they wont chew it...


----------



## magickat (Oct 19, 2007)

Well, I finished them! I sewed the liners to custom fit my tray.

Here's lots of pics. 

*Here is the empty tray*









*See how the edge folds over.*









*Top View/ Another fleece too.*









*See how it snugs under the cage...thanks Secularian. Also had to cut away little hole for where the cage pokes into the tray at mid-front and mid-back.*









*Starr approves as long as her litter box is put back where it was. *









So I put extra cushion/absorbancy under the liner (more fleece) It's super nice and was really easy. 

Thanks everyone. I will let you know how this effects the sneezies.


----------



## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

Nice i have to add!!! NICE!


----------

