Could this potentially harm the guinea-piggies?

[LordOfTheFlies]

Our 2 male GPs (brothers, 1 year old) are inside at night (in a 4'x2' cage in the dining room).
They are on fleece-easy to wash- and Catsan underneath because they are a bit 'fragrant'. Catsan doesn't stick to the fleece. I've got Megazorb in their outside pighouse but it sticks like Billyo.

I saw a silicone bead catlitter in Sainsbo (I think Bob Martins) and by the looks of it, it's made from smooth pellets.
The big advantage is, it only needs changed monthly. The GPs pooh on the fleece (changed daily) and at the moment a big (£9) bag of Catsan does 2-3 trays and last about 5-7 days.It has made a huge difference to the niff

Pets at Home had a special offer on their own litter (wood pellets) but i worry about my washing machine as I can't get hay and grass off fleeces easily.

They aren't mentally scarred by cat litter either. GP1 has a pink Tatty Teddy fleece. And he's cool with it.

They don't come in physical contact with the catlitter because of the fleece.

Had to ask DH what Catsan is as the litter tray is his department. DST (Darling Step Tom :)) uses wood based cat litter and sometimes, I put a layer of that at the bottom of DGPs cage, then newspaper, then hay. It absorbs alot of the wee, cuts down on the niffs and the litter only needs to be changed every couple weeks actually.

I know it's unlikely your pigs will come in contact with the Catsan or other litter if it's got a fleece on top, but I know my boars are pretty devious and I'd be afraid they'd figure out some way to get under the fleece. I'm thinking the wood based litter would be less damaging (mine chew on wood alot) than other kinds of litter.

I know what you mean though about stuff getting stuck to fleece. Mine only have fleece around the cushion in their basket and over the "mattress" in their bedroom (upcycled charity shop kitchen chair pad) with a puppy training pad in between (£1.99 for 14 at Home Bargains - brilliant!) I can't bring myself to deprive the boars of hay to root about in, which means when I change the fleeces, I have to scrub the heck out of them with a brush to get the detritus off. I don't know how my washing machine hasn't packed in!

Anyhow, might the answer be to put down the wood based litter, a layer of newspaper and then the layer of fleece? That would stop the wood getting stuck to the fleece and provide an extra barrier for pigs determined to dig under the fleece.

DST has a shocking pink litter tray (he is quite the princess!) and the pigs favourite toys are those bell and wood things they make for parrots! One of my little dudes has been known to wear "hair accessories" as well. :)

Thanks KRITIQ- I did read somewhere that if you give GPs a wood pellet (smooth) they will nestle into it and form little bunkers to sleep in.

I would give them just wood pellets and a fleece (GP2 has a little snuggly bed- oval, raised sides with a cushion.And it's washable).

BUT- does the wood pellet control the odour? If it does then I'll buy some. Catsan is a bit jaggy ,that's why I use fleece.

They have hay outside. Indoors they have veg and a haycookie. And they are meant to be sleeping, of course!

I won't let my GPs see the pig-with-the-ribbon. They've been eyeballing DD velvet hair scunchies to wear as Blackadder 2 style ruff.
They were forced to wear Santa Hats on Christmas Eve. For all of 30 seconds. GP2 has the RSCPA number on speed-dial now...

I tried wood pellets and they were horrible and hard and when they got when they disintegrated down in to sticky mess. They might be ok under fleece if you use news paper over the top but other wise i recon they would make a mess of your washing machine.

I have never tried Catsan.

TBH I am still using shavings.

I picked up a bag of Tesco own brand Wood Pellet Cat Litter, and it smelled so bad even in the pack (I honestly thought it was a young toddler in the aisle having a nappy episode)
I changed it for Catsan-it does the job.
The Tesco stuff made me vom face