Elderly cat breathing difficulties when purring

[CatsCube]

I havent yet bought an eglu, still doing all the research.

 

Im wondering, I know you can build an enclosed woodchip area for your eglo to sit on, but if you didnt want to make such a permanent feature and wanted to keep space lown a little more, I was thinking could you just cover the lower section of the run and then just fill the base of the run with wood chip ? The door isnt going right the way down to ground level. (if anyone could tell me what height the door is at fromthe floor this would be a great help) then I could just get a long strip of hessian or other robust fabric, run it like a ribbon all the way around the base to a height of 4/5cm so the chippings dont all just fal out the sides and then tip the chippings in through the door and spread them around, then when I want to replace them simple move the whole run out of the way and rake them up.

 

Does anyone see a problem with this?

[Olly]

You will still get a bit of 'leakage', but yes it's possible - someone else on here used the covers that are meant for rotary airers, and tied them to the side of the run. Try looking at this post http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14583&start=0

 

I had a woodchip area, but it didn't work for me - I changed to aubiose, and put log-roll along the sides of the run to stop it all being kicked out. (It also weights the run down, to prevent any predators lifting the edge). I do still get some aubiose coming out, my garden is quite large so I can ignore it - you can rake it away if you want a tidy space.

 

There is one downside though, if your Eglu is on grass, then it will eventually grow through the 'skirt' of the run. Every so often I lift the run up and pull the grass out by the handful.

[CatsCube]

Would something like this be suitable to put on the floor http://www.rainbowwoodchips.co.uk/productsoutdoor.html

 

Thought it could be fun in funky colours to go with the funky coloured eglu!

Also what sort of quantity is needed to fill the base of a run and how often do you change it?

[kissinuk]

Would something like this be suitable to put on the floor http://www.rainbowwoodchips.co.uk/productsoutdoor.html

 

Thought it could be fun in funky colours to go with the funky coloured eglu!

Also what sort of quantity is needed to fill the base of a run and how often do you change it?

 

I use bark chips and they are forever finding their way into the water glug (every day!), so I'd watch out for the coloured chips in case they infect the water.

 

So far I've had bark chips in for over a month and they are still going okay - the poop just dissapears into the bark.

[Cinnamon]

I have used all sort - Bark, which was good but can harbor a potentially hermful mould, Hardwood chips were better still.

About 2 months ago I cleared the entire pen out & replaced the harwood chips with Softwood ones rom B&Q.

They are working out very well. They look great,being nice & light in colour, are not too easy to kick into the water & I think they will last a good long time.

Certainly the besy ones I have tried so far (& the cheapest!)

[CatsCube]

Cinnamon, what sort of quantity of woodchip do you need for an eglu run, and what do you do to maintain it and how often do you replace it?

[Los Tres Pollos]

We use Hemcore in the cube run but to stop it being kicked out we used a roll of the green plastic garden lawn edging around the base, tied every so often to the run with cable ties. One piece all round except for run door. Works out a lot cheaper than log roll. You can see it on the cam link below, I'll try a put a few photos in the album as well.

Edited October 21, 2007 by Guest

[Cinnamon]

Cinnamon, what sort of quantity of woodchip do you need for an eglu run, and what do you do to maintain it and how often do you replace it?

 

I don't use an Eglu run, but have a hen pen with the Eglu inside it.

I would think maybe 2 would so a standard Eglu run.

I only change it twice a year - it keeps very clean as they kick it over all the time, & I guess it rots down too, although mine is under permenant cover.

[Olly]

We use Hemcore in the cube run but to stop it being kicked out we used a roll of the green plastic garden lawn edging around the base, tied every so often to the run with cable ties. One piece all round except for run door. Works out a lot cheaper than log roll. You can see it on the cam link below, I'll try a put a few photos in the album as well.

 

Ooh, top tip, Kevin, thanks very much! I used the log-roll as I already had it from the bark chippings area that I'd tried, but you're right it would be expensive to buy it just for that. I've just got a second Eglu, and was wondering what to use. A trip to Homebase this afternoon, £9.95 and it's all fixed and probably enough left over to replace it in the spring!

 

I may add 'plastic cable ties' to my list of essential items for Eglu owners - they are so useful.

[steveb]

I was thinking could you just cover the lower section of the run and then just fill the base of the run with wood chip ?

 

Check out...

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11450

 

Steve

[CatsCube]

Thnaks Steve that looks brilliant. One question though, if that hemcore sort of disintigrates with the poo, whats the situation with rain? Is it going to go all horrible when it gets wet?

 

Going for feathered ledds birds so want to be sure of getting something that wont go all mulchy between their toes.

[steveb]

One question though, if that hemcore sort of disintigrates with the poo, whats the situation with rain? Is it going to go all horrible when it gets wet?

 

Not at all... Hemcore is brilliantly magic stuff in that it is highly absorbant (soaks up poos, which just seem to disappear) but also dries very quickly too (and composts very easily). When wet, it's a bit like wet straw... not at all horrid. I highly recommend it. There are lots of previous discussions on the virtues of hemcore around the forums. A quick search should turn up lots of other info and other folks experiences with it.