# Bedding or Fleece? That is the question!



## MudBug (Apr 9, 2016)

So, upon discovering this forum I also discovered that so many people use fleece/cloth to line their rat cages. I did not know this was a common practice! But then again I had never owned a rat until two weeks ago.

I love how neat and tidy it looks in pictures and such, and it seems almost a must if I was to ever get a much larger cage, such as a FN/CN. That said, I've also seen complaints about smell, hassle cleaning, etc.. so I'm a tad confused.Just for clarification, right now I have two males.

I don't plan on acquiring any more any time soon (if I were to in the distant future it would be more males). Right now I have a basic starter cage with some paper based bedding. I clean it once a week and haven't noticed any foul stinking. I can smell that it's there, but nothing upsetting, likely because the cage is in my rather average/small bedroom.Unfortunately my work schedule means I don't see myself being able to fully clean the cage more than once a week, though little spot cleanings when I get home are doable.What's the common method of cleaning fleece lined cages?

I would think the easiest option would be to simply have several liners and replace them when needed and run the dirty ones through the wash, but that's just me making assumptions, correct me if I'm wrong.Just looking for some information on others experiences, things you may have found out the hard way when switching to fleece/cloth, so to speak.


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## 2ratshack (Sep 13, 2014)

I love having fleece, but it's only a good option if you can litter box train your rats. Otherwise they're just peeing and pooping all over the fleece, which is grosser than bedding. 
The reasons I use fleece are 1.) Cheaper than bedding in the long run. 2.) Works great with my litter box trained boys 3.) It doesn't irritate their delicate respiratory systems.

For your set up, I think the bedding is fine. You could fleece line some of your shelves if you wanted to add some color. 

I have a pretty simple routine for cleaning my boys cage. (DCN) So I begin by removing all the toys, water bottles, food bowls, hammocks, etc. out of my cage. Dirty items go in one pile, and items that I want to put back in the cage go in another. Then I empty my litter boxes, and remove all the fleeces from the levels. Since I have males, they do tend to scent mark around the cage, which can seep through the fleece onto the plastic. So I spray all the levels down with a vinegar water mix, and wipe up with paper towels, followed by a natural cleaner to get rid of the vinegar smell. Then I get new, clean fleece, and replace everything in the cage. I clean my cage once per week because my boys are litter box trained. Takes about 20 mins on a normal day. I deep clean once per month which takes about an hour. 

As for the fleece itself, in my experience it tends to coat your washing machine with rat fur. So this process becomes a little more labor intensive. First I shake out the fleeces outside to get rid of excess fur and any litter that might have been knocked out. Then I "pre-wash" the fleece in a 5 gallon bucket, then actually wash it in the washing machine on a "heavy soil" setting, then just dry as normal.


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## InuLing (Dec 26, 2015)

Yes do not use fleece if your rats are not litter trained. Disgusting. I started my first rats on bedding until they got it and then switched to fleece. Males are generally more difficult to litter train, especially older ones, because they're notoriously lazy and sometimes find its not worth the effort to cross the cage to use the box. IME if you have males, an extra box in a large cage is an asset.

The main complaint about fleece I think is when rats chew up the corners so they can go underneath. I solved this problem for myself by not securing the fleece at the corners and cutting out a piece so they could get under without tearing it up. Another thing I've seen done is making a double layer fleece liner so they could burrow and still be on fleece. Rats are natural burrowers. Mine stopped being so desperate to get under the fleece (though they still do it) when I gave them a dig box.


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

It is all personal preferrance. What works best for one may not for another.

I used to use fleece in all my cages and recently switched to aspen.

1. I talked to alot of people, mostly breeders and they raised some good concerns on using fleece. Fleece can kindof trap the ammonia smell, making it harsh on the lungs. It doesn't have any properties to neutralize odor in itself.

2. Fleece has to be used correctly to be worth anything and it can be a pain to use correctly. 
The reason fleece is used is that it wicks away moisture (urine) and pulls it below to something absorbent. So it HAS to have something absorbent underneath and it has to wick properly. Getting fleece to wick can be a pain sometimes. I think my issue was using fabric softner for my clothing (though not for the fleece) was still leaving buildup in my machines.
Here is a good link on how to use fleece https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/21568-The-Fleece-Project-The-Study

I also never loved the idea of getting gunk in my machines. No matter how much I tried getting everything off it was still messy.

I also found most people do not use fleece correctly at all and on top of it get cranky when their rats chew. But the thing is rats like to dig & nest and beautiful crisp fleece liners are not too fun for them. If you are going to use fleece I highly suggest lots of dig boxes, layering the fleece, and hidey beds.

3. I used fleece for a long time and from my experience it worked well in a large cage with a few rats and if they were mostly litterbox trained.
I have so many rats and their litterbox skills are just not good enough lol

So I now use and prefer aspen over fleece.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

I used to LOVE fleece when I used it for my guinea pigs... IMO it works better for them because they are less destructive than rats and their urine does not smell as badly as rats does. 

I found my rats chewed it, it started to stink quickly = changing it out every 3 days or so = a lot of laundry. It did get rat hair in my washing machine and just washing it wasn't enough to get the smell out. I had to pre soak it in water with dishsoap and baking soda (sometimes I'd use vinegar) then I would rinse it out, wring dry, and hang outside... I'd collect up enough dirty fleece to do a load of washing and then set it to wash twice and put baking soda in with the detergent. I found, even with this routine, the fleece still had a slight lingering pee smell. 
I used 2-3 litter boxes per DCN level and my rats would use them about 60% of the time. 

I switched to aspen and it works much better for me. It is messy, but it lasts me 1-2 weeks without doing a complete change. I still use litter boxes and those get changed out more frequently (as do their hammocks, etc.). For me, I'd rather deal with the mess than the smell. 

If you are unsure if fleece is for you, I'd agree with the poster that suggested trying it on a couple of your smaller shelves first. You will need to use an absorbent liner underneath... I used to use Uhaul pads. Try it on your shelves and see if you like it or not, then you can decide if using it for the floor of your cage will work. I also agree that if you don't have a litter box, you are probably better off using bedding.


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## MudBug (Apr 9, 2016)

I've heard of a few people using Aspen bedding, and it's piqued my interest. What are the primary differences between it and paper bedding, if any? Are there any small points to be weary of with Aspen such as small pieces/splinters/etc.?


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

MudBug said:


> I've heard of a few people using Aspen bedding, and it's piqued my interest. What are the primary differences between it and paper bedding, if any? Are there any small points to be weary of with Aspen such as small pieces/splinters/etc.?


I believe wood is better than paper just from my own experience. There has been some studies showing that ammonia levels are lower when using wood vs paper, though the study I saw used carefresh so idk perhaps other paper may be better? Many paper beddings tend to be more dusty. Perhaps paper pellets wouldn't be? I haven't tried them.

Aspen is way cheaper then paper lol

You want a good brand of aspen. I get mine from tractor supply and it is great. It is not really rough or splintery imo. I have never had any issues with it.


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