# Does fleece as bedding smell?



## Seiko (Sep 4, 2013)

I've been considering converting my bedding choice from CareFresh to straight up fleece. My mom has a REALLY sensitive nose (I've only had the boys for a week and my mom's already made me clean the cage three times!) and the CareFresh bedding doesn't seem to be absorbing odors well enough for her. Would just using fleece and washing it every week or so help reduce the smell? And if not, are there any other brands of bedding that are safe for rats and absorb odors well? CareFresh is really expensive and I've already almost gone through an entire jumbo bag constantly cleaning the cage.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Oh boy, cleaning like that will make your new males mark TWICE as much...


What exact brand of bedding are you using? I prefer the CareFresh Ultra as it is absorbent and carries no scent.
I would recommend litter training them, picking up cage cleaning wipes, and reducing the cage cleaning. Put out baking soda for smells -- don't use candles, aerosols, air fresheners, etc.. You can get ferret descenting spray too which has a nice scent.

I like fleece, it saves money, but it can be a bother if your cage isn't set up such that you can bind it down. Mine doesn't bind down and it annoyed me so I panelled the floor of my cage with vinyl.


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## EJW323 (Jun 18, 2013)

It does smell. Even if you put towels under it to absorb the urine. I personally use fleece because it's a much cheaper option for me. I clean the cage 2-3 times a week, spot clean several times a day, and use carpet deodorizer twice a week. I wash the walls near the cage with a vinegar/water solution once a week. I vacuum every other day. I haven't heard of any bedding that won't smell, but fleece does work well for me considering I have the time for all the cleaning I do.


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## Seiko (Sep 4, 2013)

@nanashi7
I tried telling her that, but she didn't seem to listen. She just kept saying "PLEASE CLEAN THE CAGE OH MY GOD THEY STINK PLEASE CLEAN IT", even though I could only smell them if I got really close to the cage. :/

I'm using CareFresh Ultra too, so I'm not sure how my mom can smell everything. I used to have a hamster way back when and used the same type of bedding and got close to no complaints. Maybe she turned into a hound dog, lol. I do plan on litter training once the litter pan I ordered arrives, so hopefully that'll help alleviate the problem.

I use the PetCo Rat Manor and I have a way that will (hopefully) keep the fleece down, so I shouldn't have very many problems with that, I don't think.

@EJW323
Aaah, I see. I personally can't see myself being able to set aside the time to do that much cleaning, especially when midterms and finals roll over, so maybe fleece won't be a good choice for me?

Thanks for the responses, guys! I really appreciate it.


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## JLSaufl (Jan 20, 2013)

i use fleece. I have a cage which is 31x15x17, two exact same floors of those dimensions. The bottom part has a pan which I sparsely fill with planet petco paper pellet cat litter (smells like green apples, and is afforadable) I pin fleece down over that. The top floor I layer newspaper and then clip down fleece over it. Their cage also sits on newspaper. My boys, poop, for the most part in their litter box (also the paper pellets) and pee about 60% of the time in there. I change have of their litter box out every other day and change their fleece out every 2-3 weeks. I change their hammocks and such every other cage cleaning time. When I remove the fleece I wipe down the entire cage with vinegar and let it dry before getting it rat ready.

in the morning I take my hand held vac and vacuum the fleece of food and random poops and the like. Takes 2-3 minutes. 

My husband HATES them and is the first one to tell me when they stink...(and he's super sensitive, can't be around the cosmetic counter, we have to have unscented everything, can't wear perfume, etc..) and it's usually after 2 weeks if it's humid out or 3-4 weeks when it's normal.


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## EJW323 (Jun 18, 2013)

I'm not at all trying to deter you from it though! I'd recommend trying it out for maybe a couple weeks and seeing if it works for you. You probably don't have to clean as much as I do, I only do so because I'm a neat freak. See what your mom prefers, and what you prefer. If it doesn't work for you, there's plenty of other options! I used to use aspen which was pretty cheap and easy for me.


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## Seiko (Sep 4, 2013)

@JLSaufl
Thanks a lot for the information! Have you had fleece before your rats were litter trained, by any chance? Mine aren't yet so they still pee and poop everywhere.

@EJW323
Will do, thanks!


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## JLSaufl (Jan 20, 2013)

Seiko said:


> @JLSaufl
> Thanks a lot for the information! Have you had fleece before your rats were litter trained, by any chance? Mine aren't yet so they still pee and poop everywhere.
> 
> @EJW323
> Will do, thanks!


You are welcome. When they weren't trained I was cleaning their cage 2 times a week. I also wasn't using paper or litter under their fleece, I had craft foam which was a HUGE pain to clean. So I sacrificed their comfort for my sanity. 

Also, its pretty easy to train them to poop in a box. I use the one that fits in the corner and doesn't have the grate. They do like to push the litter out and have parties in it during the night but it takes a couple seconds to pick it up or vacuum it. The litter does get stinky though within a couple days. So you'll want to be on top of rotating in fresh stuff. 

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## watts300 (Aug 3, 2013)

That's going to be tough if she wants them to be odor free. Did you originally get the rats without her consent?


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## CJMoore (Jul 30, 2013)

As a mom who insist on odor free rats (we have girls), I do believe it can be done.My daughter had to make a list with all the rat care chores on it. Food, water, laundry (fleece items), cleaning. It is posted on the wall so both of us know when it was done last. (My daughter has ADHD and Aspergers, but this list might work to appease our mom too.). With the list we were able to tell when the cage began to stink and then the next time, she simp,y cleaned it the day BEFORE.Good luck!


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## Daniellenk1231 (Aug 11, 2013)

You should try getting an air purifier. I got one just recently but it really helps with the smell, plus the one I have is silent. 


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## TexasRatties (Jun 2, 2013)

I use fleece, and a bathroom rug plus laminate tile on the bottom. My rats are 90% potty trained and they hardly smell. I clean their cage out once a week top to bottom. I wash everything and disinfect the cage. I do pick up poops and put them in the litter box daily and put baking soda in a bowl on top of the cage and baking soda in the pan under the cage. I hardly notice a smell ever and if I can smell them then its time to clean the cage but it usually always last close to a week or right at a week. I haven't heard great things about care fresh I would say yesterdays news or maybe kaytee soft granule blend or something. There are generic versions of yesterday's news too. If you are going to litter train I would say go fleece and get a pee rock.


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## Seiko (Sep 4, 2013)

Thanks for all the advice, guys!



watts300 said:


> That's going to be tough if she wants them to be odor free. Did you originally get the rats without her consent?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Nope. If I'd done that, there would have been huge consequences. One of her conditions for letting me keep ratties though was that she didn't want them to smell, though I didn't think that would be as much of a problem than it is now.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I am horrible at cleaning the cage. It's bad to say, but I am. I got vinyl flooring from the hardware store and put that as my cage's flooring, as opposed to using fleece and such. I vacuum it every day (yay no poop picking!) and every other day wipe it down. I have some Nature's Miracle wipes. I put grass mats which the can destroy over the flooring or towels/fleece. When they get stinky they get taken out. I really hated fleece because it got smelly pretty fast and then it had to be washed alone which is wasteful. If you put off washing it for more laundry, you got a stinky pile sitting there. :/ I am very low-maintenance...

I also use baking soda on the floor when I vacuum, because their poop can get all over the place. Place a bit above the cage in a bowl as well. I recently got some air freshener things that you stick on the wall and am waiting to see how they help.


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## Divit (Aug 5, 2013)

JLSaufl said:


> i use fleece. I have a cage which is 31x15x17, two exact same floors of those dimensions. The bottom part has a pan which I sparsely fill with planet petco paper pellet cat litter (smells like green apples, and is afforadable) I pin fleece down over that. The top floor I layer newspaper and then clip down fleece over it. Their cage also sits on newspaper. My boys, poop, for the most part in their litter box (also the paper pellets) and pee about 60% of the time in there. I change have of their litter box out every other day and change their fleece out every 2-3 weeks. I change their hammocks and such every other cage cleaning time. When I remove the fleece I wipe down the entire cage with vinegar and let it dry before getting it rat ready.
> 
> in the morning I take my hand held vac and vacuum the fleece of food and random poops and the like. Takes 2-3 minutes.
> 
> My husband HATES them and is the first one to tell me when they stink...(and he's super sensitive, can't be around the cosmetic counter, we have to have unscented everything, can't wear perfume, etc..) and it's usually after 2 weeks if it's humid out or 3-4 weeks when it's normal.


This is encouraging info! We have our cage all fleeced and waiting for the rats. Do you think it is because of the pellets under the fleece that you are able to go so long between fleece cleanings? 
I noticed you change 'half' of the litter box. I suppose this is to keep some of the smell there so that they know where to go? (I was also planning on getting the petco pelletted litter for the litter boxes. We have a DCN so I was planning on starting with 4 boxes - one per level. I wonder if this is a good idea?)


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## Grawrisher (Sep 10, 2013)

I'm so happy I found this thread!!!!im having a problem with my grandmas sensitive nose combined with being allergic to....everything that is used to make bedding, definitely going to try fleece


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