[Gpdd] RE: CARE smelly cage

[Laurie-Jean Gombar]

Justine-
Having had piggies for several years... And several years from being in
my childhood- I can tell you the more you clean the cage, the healthier
the piggies will be.  When I was a kid.. The cage got cleaned once every
3-4 days - up to 5-6.  I can not imagine now.  I have 2 pigs... In a
17in by 6ft run... I used to do a newsprint layer with kiln dried pine
chips and would clean it every other day... And went down to every
day... Putting less of a layer of pine chips as to not make so much
waste.  Our  garbage system was threatened to go to pay per bag... And
so I started using thick towels , two- end to end-  The last set I got
was egyptian cotton... Really thick and nice.  They are an awful coral
color but were on sale.  I used a bath mat towel like for one end, where
they like to sit a lot... And a towel for the other end.  I shake the
poos and hay out into the garbage every day and wash 6 at a time in the
machine.  SO every 3 days I do piggie laundry.  I have 4 towels and 4
terry bath mats.  I have had them over a year, and just lately the edges
have begun to fray, so I zigzagged sitched on the sides to make them
last longer.  The pee soaks into the towel, and will not puddle like it
does on newsprint.  I also found that I can keep the piggers cleaner by
trimming their hair around their butts. Piglet is a long hair, and his
fur will curl under him and so he naturally pees on it... So I give them
a trim every once in awhile and they seem to take care of the rest.
Clean them every day.. They will love you for it.  Sugar purrs every
time I start to remove their fleece bedding and put the dish up... She
comes out of her nesting area, purring and stretching... Going to the
other corner to ready herself for me to pick her up.  When they get
in... They purr and run around... And I catch heck if I have put them in
without putting in fresh hay first... Lol.  Room service is demanded.
They are 6.5yrs and 7 years old...  They have been on towels for about 4
years.
LJ