New Pet Bedding Materials?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Nov 21, 2017 11:36 am


I was contacted by a company about new natural bedding materials they'd like to test. I'm wondering if any of you see any safety concerns (other than the possibility of a guinea pig eating the bedding).

They will be considering for testing:
  • Cracked Tofu (Natural Plant Fiber). [marketed already for Rabbits and other small animals]
  • Dried and flaked orange peel.
  • Bamboo fiber.

"All three are 100% natural and ‘should’ be acceptable to Guinea Pigs and other small animals as bedding."

I was asked, "Before we begin testing – I am very interested if you have any initial concerns that would prevent us from moving forward with testing..."

Do any of you have any comments? As I mentioned, one consideration is guinea pigs eating the bedding.

For those of you who do not use fleece, do any of these products sound interesting?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue Nov 21, 2017 3:58 pm


The only concern I see, other than the pigs eating, is whether there would be a strong odor with the orange peel. If so, I wouldn't want to use it.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Nov 22, 2017 11:58 am


I wrote you. Did you get my email?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Nov 22, 2017 1:45 pm


Yes, I did. I was just answering here since I saw the public post.

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Catie Cavy
Supporter 2011-2020

Post   » Wed Nov 22, 2017 8:20 pm


It’s nice of them to contact you to ask. They sound like strange materials for bedding but I’d be willing to try them if they are affordable.

I don’t mean to hijack this thread, but I’ve been wondering about a few bedding options. I know cat litter is a no-no, but would a clumping cat litter work under fleece sort of like pine pellets under fleece? I’m thinking maybe you could get all the poos on the fleece and scoop up and toss the clumps of urine under the fleece.

Also, when do you know when to change pine pellets under fleece? Pine pellets seem to stay absorbent even when they start to break down; they just get a little dustier. They also don’t seem to ever start to smell.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Nov 22, 2017 8:26 pm


I've had the pellets in my cage for about five months now. I just stir them occasionally. The ones on the bottom look just like they did the day I poured them in there.

I'm planning on seeing how long they're effective. When they stop controlling the odor, or when they've all turned to sawdust, I guess I'll change them out. At this rate, pellets will cost me less than $25 per year.

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Catie Cavy
Supporter 2011-2020

Post   » Wed Nov 22, 2017 8:32 pm


Thanks, bpatters. Do you see any problem with trying cat litter under the fleece? It would be nice to be able to scoop out the wet spots.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Nov 22, 2017 8:56 pm


Assuming that the fleece would keep down any dust from the litter, I don't see why it wouldn't work as far as absorbency is concerned. But my prediction is that the cat litter will clump on the fleece, and that it will eventually clog your washer. But maybe not. Let me know how it works.

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Catie Cavy
Supporter 2011-2020

Post   » Wed Nov 22, 2017 9:04 pm


I didn't think about the litter sticking to the fleece. I just had nice fantasies of being able to easily scoop out neat little urine balls.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Nov 22, 2017 10:52 pm


Catie Cavy, I sent you an email, in case you're interested in testing them out.

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Catie Cavy
Supporter 2011-2020

Post   » Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:06 am


Thanks, Lynx, but I didn't get the email. I checked my junk email too. My email is current but it's going to be changed. I went to update my email address now in my profile but I couldn't figure out how to do it.

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GrannyJu1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Thu Nov 23, 2017 9:20 am


I received your email, Lynx. I'm interested but read that one of the ingredients is soy. Is that ok for the piggies?

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