Vet Bedding, Weeks 1 & 2

When I cleaned the cage on June 15th, I couldn't wait to begin this "experiment." The bedding is much thicker than I thought it would be, and fluffier. I knew it wouldn't cover the length of the cage, but some newspaper took care of that and ended up working in our favor.

After setting it up, I placed them in. They walked around carefully. Bobby repeatedly sniffed and bumped his nose to it. I guess he was testing how plush his new floor was.


Phin, however, was more concerned with the new bathroom arrangements and immediately sought out a corner of the cage to make into a toilet. Of course it had to be by the hay rack, which has now been moved a few inches over to keep his huge behind from knocking it over.




Aside from a bit of debris left after maintenance (bits of Timothy grass that are easy to collect by hand or lint roller, or just plain shaken off), it was nice and clean. I did administer a blot test throughout the whole bed. Nothing. Not one damp spot. This thing is just amazing. Friday rolled around, and not a hint of odor was in the cage.

I left it in for another six days, constantly monitoring for odor and moisture. Nothing was wet or smelly (except for the newspapered area to the right). I couldn't believe it.
Now came the next part of the test -- washing the bedding. I was a bit afraid at how difficult this might be. It's a pretty large piece of thick material, so I wanted to be sure that it would fit in the washing machine.

After a bit of maneuvering, I managed to position it perfectly in the machine. I washed it on a regular cycle in warm water with the rest of the pig laundry (which included Bobby's lounge chair).
When I removed it from the washer, I noticed that the boys' brick colored towels left nice layer of red lint all over the bedding and lounge chair. Luckily, the dryer took care of some of the problem, while a sticky lint brush and a quick vacuuming took care of the rest. If it weren't for my own ignorance, cleaning would have required less steps.

And finally, to the right is the final product. It looks almost as good as new! The boys, of course, went to work getting their varying stinks back into their fresh cage.

After two weeks, here are my findings:
Cost: The size we purchased was about $35. This means that it will pay for itself before the month is over.

Odor: There was no smell even after thirteen days of use. The bedding literally pulled any urine beneath itself and away from the boys.

Maintenance: There is some maintenance required. The corner with the newspaper needs to be changed every 1-2 days depending on how active they boys were. We drag poops to the newspapered area, which made for a nice quick clean up. The bedding should to be washed and dried every week, but it is able to go about a good two weeks without causing any harm to them, or our noses. Bits of hay were the only real pain to be honest, but most of them shook off without an issue.

Convenience: It's a bit more maintenance than dumping litter in and out, but it's worth it. The cage is more hygienic, and there's no need to worry about soiled litter getting on the carpet. The boys seem to enjoy the soft, cushy feel beneath their little toes.

Verdict: I will be ordering a few more in different colors. As for the length issue, I'm not sure if I will order a bigger one and cut it to size, or order several smaller ones and cut them into sections to make it easier for cleaning. Whatever I decide, I'll be writing about. But one thing is for sure, so far I am happy with our bedding change and so are the boys.

Bedding Time

Since putting the boys into the new cage, I've been thinking that Care Fresh isn't going to cut it anymore (even if it is one of the better bedding products out there). So after doing a bit of research, I came across Palace Pet, which sells veterinary bedding. Chris and I just finished ordering one so we can give it a try.

Fleece and vet beddings get mixed reviews, but that can be said of everything else. If this bedding is good at keeping moisture and bacterial growth at bay, and is as sturdy and reusable as it claims, just buying a few will be more economical in the long run than buying large bags of Care Fresh every couple of weeks. A bag of Care Fresh is good for two cage cleanings, and whatever is replaced after daily maintenance. Because the cage is pretty big, and houses only two pigs reusable bedding make sense.
Aside from the features it discloses, the site also donates 5% of the purchase to any charity you choose from their list (which has nothing to do with anything, I just think that's cool).

Above is a photo of the color we chose. Once it arrives, I'll be sure to write my observations (and of course, my opinion). It if works out, I'll probably buy enough to last a month and cut them into strips in order to make the bottom of the cage paneled. The pigs already have their own laundry load, so it would work out perfectly. Until then, check out the site, or share your advice/opinions.

Completed Cage

Finally! The cage is done, and the boys are making themselves at home. It was great to see them so curious and excited about their new home. For the time being, we've decided to keep them in the living room until we move the Bear's computer desk to the future game room.

I admit, I'll miss greeting them first thing in the morning (they were in the loft, a few feet away from our bedroom door), but they'll get to see us most evenings, and they'll see me practically all day during my days off, like today. That reminds me, today is weigh-in day.

The Bear picked up an adorable sofa chair for the boys. While he wasn't sure they would care for it, I was positive at least one of them would take to it. Leave it to Mr. Curious to take a sniff at it. Bobby seems to be the one to like it. Phin prefers his pigloo.

To see some more photos of the cage, click here.

My next order of business is to start sewing up cavy cozies. I haven't sewn by hand in a very long time (aside from mending the occasional hole in a shirt, or loose button). Not too long ago, I picked up some fabrics: Spider-Man (which I used at my first attempt at a pig teepee), USA, baseball, and white fleece. I still have a great deal of Spider-Man fabric left, so I might make an extra cozy, or try making a better teepee.
I couldn't believe how hard it was to find a fabric that wasn't incredibly feminine, and while I was tempted to pick up some animal print fabric, I decided that sticking with the bachelor pad theme was best.

I'll be sure to post the end product of that venture, as well as my first (and second) attempt at a teepee.

Under Construction

The construction of the piggy condo has begun. Pictured to the right is the first level, along with the storage level beneath it. So far, so good.

I called the vet today, and so far the culture taken from Phin is negative. They had a marvelous time during floor time today, playing with their new toys -- a double tunnel, a crinkly tunnel, and a pigloo we picked up yesterday (we also picked up some organic wheatgrass and a hanging basket for veggies/treats). Speaking of which, yesterday marks a full week since the boys have been with us.

They had a ball but Phin was pooped after a bit. Such is the life of Uncle Phin -- playing hide and go seek with little Bobby, then tag, and then pig racing all over the play pen. The Bear and I had a few good laughs over the boys. I took so many photos I'm going to have to upload them to Flickr.

I will have photos of the new condo once we've finished building it. For now, enjoy a couple of pigtures.



Bobby enjoys his new crinkly tunnel.











His royal highness Phineas Q. Butterfat is the king of his own little castle -- a pigloo modified for his large frame.









"OH HAI. I HAS YOOSURPT UR CASSUL."

Photo Of The Wheek: 06/03/07

Taken 06/03/07. After dealing with Bobby's popcorning insanity, Uncle Phin gives up and plops down while Mom and Dad begin setting up the skeleton of their soon-to-be cavy condo.

First Vet Visit

I took the boys to the vet on Thursday for an exam and got more than I bargained for. I ended up paying twice what I though I'd pay which, of course, means something was wrong.

The reason I was in a rush to get the to the vet in the first place was the fact I noticed Phin constantly scratching and barbering himself. The vet gave him and Bobby a shot of Ivomec (despite their protests) and poor Phin had to have hairs plucked for a ringworm culture. Now I'm sure Phin doesn't have ringworm, or else the foster family that cared for him would have had it, too. But it's better to be safe than sorry, and ruling it out is worth it.

Aside from that, it was just business as usual -- some poking, prodding, blinding, and general humiliation to make sure they're all clear. I didn't receive a phone call about the stool sample, which is great news. They were just glad the nightmare was finally over after everything.

That same day, the C&C cage arrived for the boys but the vet and I decided it would be best to keep in the temporary cage for the time being. While I hate to do so, it's just not worth it to put potentially infested pigs in a new (and much larger) cage. When this nightmare of waiting for the culture and their follow up visit (Tuesday after next) is over, we can rest easy and set up the piggy condo.

They were over the trauma after some rest and Orchard Grass, and Bobby's back to popcorning and annoying his Uncle Phin when he's trying to sleep.