[Gpdd] MISC Ellen's laundry dilemma.

Penny Charlesworth piggyfriends48 at gmail.com
Thu May 9 06:22:37 EDT 2013


Hi Ellen,

Don't knock yourself out doing piggy laundry. Life is too short for
housework, especially the kind that can be avoided. You will save a fortune
besides. My only expense is meadow hay, which comes from my local pet shop
at around 10 pounds per bale.

I've said it before but it bears repeating if only to save a burnt out
Slave!

I am been keeping my piggies on newspaper and hay for 40+ years. Fleece for
pets had not been invented when I had my first pigs. People kept rabbits
and guineas in hutches lined with newspaper and hay and you could not buy
indoor cages so I made my own pens and used paper and hay in them. Fleece
may look pretty but the pigs do not care and you can still put a fleece
cosy on top of the paper if you like. Keeping a few piggies on fleece is
manageable but you are being overwhelmed by all that laundry.

I currently have 10 pens and they can all be clean and pig fresh in 45
minutes if I am in a hurry. After the pigs have eaten their breakfast, it
is my first task of the day.

English newspaper is printed with non toxic ink so make sure that yours is
the same. Some papers have silly little supplements inside ( usually sport
) which are stapled for reasons unknown. When I get a pile of papers, I go
through them and remove any stapled bits, which I put in a box for later
staple removal. These bits are handy for lining the piggies' sleeping boxes
thus keeping the box dry for another day. I take out any glossy bits and
put them in the recycling.

Pens are easier to clean than cages as I do not have to remove the piggies.
I just clean one end and put a pile of food there ( grass works best as the
piggies will sit around it until every blade has gone whereas a pile of
slices means that they will grab a piece and run off with it ). Whilst they
are eating, I clean the rest of the pen.

I have pieces of Vetbed, which I use for elderly or infirm piggies and this
is placed on top the newspaper if needed.

Ask Merary if she is happy with her newspaper floor. Piggies priorities are
food, a dry home, friends and someone to love them.

My Rodentologists keep their piggies on newspaper, both their little
patients and their own piggies. Because they are not cleaned every day,
they put chaff on top of the paper to absorb the urine and then the hay
goes on top.

Lots of people in England use paper for piggies. They have been kept as
pets here for hundreds of years and there was no fancy bedding then.
Donations of paper to my Rodentologists are shared out amongst clients.

If you need another reason to try newspaper bedding, think of all the cash
that you will save to put aside for vet bills and piggy treats. If you
decide to go back to fleece bedding, you will, at least, have bought
yourself some time to catch up on all the outstanding laundry.

What do you have to lose? Go on - give it a try!

Penny and the Piggyfriends.



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