# Fleece???



## Hlgphotos (May 26, 2013)

I see almost all rat owners have the fleece bottoms / shelves in fleece...


i am debating on it. 


whats the pros/cons?

how do you keep the cage clean with this?

i am thinking of putting fleece FOR SURE on the ramp/sit areas, and am debating on if i should do away with litter and have it as the main bottom. they arent litter trained yet as i keep finding poos everywhere but i assume if its ON fleece, itd be easier to keep clean, as all you do is pick it up, vs having it buried in litter... yick


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## kyzer (Apr 28, 2013)

I've been using towels in my cage about 3 weeks now and find its much easier to keep clean than when I was using litter. I am still in the process of litter training my rats, which is worth doing if you are changing to fleece/towel bedding because picking up poops constantly isn't fun. 

*Pros:*
Its cheap to buy.
You can keep rewashing the fleece/towels instead of always paying for litter.
It looks neater in the cage and comes in nice patterns.
It is easier to clean than litter.
It is better for respiratory health than most litter.

*Cons:*
Rats will probably chew the fleece and it will have to be replaced at some point.
Fleece doesn't really absorb the urine too well and will need to be washed frequently (you could use towels as an alternative).
If your rats aren't potty trained it can be quite messy and requires more effort to keep clean.

If you decide to use towels instead just make sure you keep an eye out for fraying edges if your rat chews at it. Luckily mine don't bother chewing it that much, but I heard the frayed thread can get wrapped around your ratties feet.


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## Flora (Aug 30, 2012)

fleece is great if you have sneezy rats. Its much healthier for them with out all the extra dust. I use fleece and towels on mine. I just put the towels down first and then cover it with the fleece. Makes the cage look and feel snuggly! 
Like Kyzer said litter training is pretty much a must if your going to use fleece. Even if your rat only poos in the box the towels underneath will soak up the urine.


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## Hlgphotos (May 26, 2013)

They arent litter trained yet but at this point im pickin up loose poos everyday off the litter anyway... Where would you buy the fleece to do this?


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## WinonaGun42 (Feb 2, 2013)

I usually shop online at JoAnn's because they always seem to have the best deals and sales. Wait for a big sale with discount shipping on a holiday and you can get some cheap fleece. This past Monday, they had some 3.49 a yard fleece, with shipping under a dollar. Just keep an eye on the online store and it's easy to find a deal. I have personally bought the Blizzard fleece from them and found it to be good quality. Just don't put it in the dryer with heat and it should last you (as long as it doesn't get chewed). 
I have found that the physical stores are good as well, but do not have the selection of the online store. Just yesterday I bought almost 100 dollars (retail) of fleece, for 38 dollars, including tax. Even after doing shelf covers for my Fleece hungry DCN, I will still have a lot of spare left over for hammocks and stuff.

If you don't mind used, there are always thrift stores that can sell blankets. 
Also, keep an eye out for fleece blankets that are deeply discounted. I scored a few in the spring from Big Lots. The quality of the fleece was not as good as the Joann fleece, but it is within acceptable parameters.


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## Hlgphotos (May 26, 2013)

Wow thanks for the help! To get them warmed up to the idea of fleece, i put tshirts on their rampa for now. Im guna go to joan today and see what i can find! When you do get the fleece how do you put them on the ramps? Just match em to proper dimesions and lay on top? I assume you dont tape it on or anything... ImWaiting on the bottom piece until they seem fully litter trained


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## Hlgphotos (May 26, 2013)

THANKS FOR THE HELP ^^

I got the girls nice fleece lining... still working on potty training. but id rather be picking up spare poos off fleece then digging threw bedding!


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## Hlgphotos (May 26, 2013)

Maybe thy dnt like the fleece? They like pushed it all up/outa the way and lay on the hard floor again :/


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## RattieLove* (May 1, 2013)

Rats are natural diggers and nesters. For me, personally, I would never use fleece as the main bedding, other than on ramps and shelves. Rats love to dig and make their own nests, and fleece prohibits this natural behavior for them. I also find fleece does not control odor well and is more hassle than it is help when you have chewers or diggers. Again, this is just my personal thoughts and experiences. I think Aspen or some other safe bedding on the bottom pan would be best for them especially if they're pushing aside the fleece. I don't recommend Carefresh as it is over priced and horrible at controlling odor. As pretty as fleece looks, despite it's popularity amongst some owners I don't think it's very practical for rats, but that all depends on the situation I guess. If you're set on using it, try clipping it down if you haven't already, or give them a few days to adjust. Good luck 


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## WinonaGun42 (Feb 2, 2013)

My boy always used to dig under his fleece to lay on the shelf. I cut and extra long piece of fleece for his sleeping shelf. I clipped one end to the shelf, using small binder clips, with a fold by the cage bars. The other 1 1/2 shelf length of fleece I just let lie free, folded back over the shelf. I crumpled it a bit so he could get under it easily. After that, he was happily burrowing under the 1 1/2 length to sleep on the fleece covered shelf. He just wanted something to lie under.

Rats love to burrow. I usually put a bunch of old washcloths, t-shirts, bandanas and chewed up fleece parts on a shelf in the cage or in hanging baskets for them. Most of their fleece "blankies" are trimmed up pieces of fleece that were originally something else, but chewed up beyond usefulness.
I also gave my rats a "dig box". I had on old plastic "critter keeper" that was missing a part on it's lid. Just add aspen and now it's a dig box. Same thing can be done with a plastic shoebox from the dollar store. Cut a hole in the top, add bedding or shredded paper and then put it in the cage.

I say put an old Tshirt you don't mind being chewed, a small towel and a few fleece scraps in there and see what they do. Maybe they just want to burrow?


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## Hlgphotos (May 26, 2013)

They are not "burrowing" under the flee and like moving it up and going under it. They are just down right moving the fleece up and to one corner and laying on the hard plastic :/


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## coxbrea151 (Jun 1, 2012)

They could be hot. Most of my pets will lay on hard plastic if the fleece is too warm.


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## watthemath (Jun 15, 2012)

Flora said:


> fleece is great if you have sneezy rats. Its much healthier for them with out all the extra dust. I use fleece and towels on mine. I just put the towels down first and then cover it with the fleece. Makes the cage look and feel snuggly!
> Like Kyzer said litter training is pretty much a must if your going to use fleece. Even if your rat only poos in the box the towels underneath will soak up the urine.


 Oh my god!! Why didn't I ever think of this before!?! I have a wooden cage that my stepdad made me for Christmas and let me tell ya, I'm so paranoid about it starting to stink up. Of course I coated it with some polyurethane, but using towels would make me feel SO much better about my cage choice. Thanks!!!


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## CindrDoLLy (Oct 3, 2012)

I recently switched from Carefresh bedding, to Yesterdays's News, to fleece only. What I like about fleece is inbetween cage cleanings, I can take my rats out of their cages and use a hand vacuum to get rid of all their little poops. Its much easier than taking the cage apart to empty used litter. Yesterday's News, in the brief time I used it, was really good at containing smell but it just felt too hard and scratchy to me. I have a hairless rat and I was worried it would be too uncomfortable for her. I don't like wood shavings for this reason, either. It just doesn't seem like it wouldn't be fun to walk on. However as others have mentioned, fleece won't contain urine smell as well as other bedding. I actually didn't even think of lining the litter pan with a towel before laying the fleece down, that's actually a really good idea. As far as letting them satisfy their instinct to dig, I throw old t shirts in my cages and I also get pet grass for them during play time. It gives them something to look forward to


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