u/lilclairecaseofbeer

I made perch pads that are two pieces of fleece sewn together with 1" foam inside for an education squirrel at my work. The bottom has velcro to stick to the perch. We have an industrial washer and inevitably the foam gets balled up inside the fleece. I've tried placing four stitches with minimal tension straight through the entire pad a few inches from each corner but they just rip after a few washes. Does anyone have any advice for securing the foam inside the pad?

Hole in the side from me re-opening to fix the foam

Squirrel tax (Daisy)