Changing hamster bedding brand

Question

i had 2 male syrian hamsters for 7 month now and i have used pine bedding for the past. i would like to change it bedding but i don't know what? aspen? those cottony things? could you name good and bad things about each type of bedding?

my hamster some times sneeze(or hiccup,not sure which) and their nose is always wet but not too runny. they dont scatch much. but they are pretty active.

when i first got them they were really small so i didnt think they would grow to that big so i got them a small wheel but they never run in it. do they NEED to have wheels? i have a ball but its also too small. they have a homemade 15x15x25 inch cage and i take them out to play a lot.

so will my hamsters be safe if i change its bedding to aspen,recycled paper or those cotton things? and i live in northyork,toronto and i mostly go to petsmart and pj's pets and could you name the brand to so it will be easier to find?

thx,

may the best answer win

Answer 1

Get pine shavings.  The light kind.  They are only about $3.69 here.

Answer 2

Use Care fresh

Answer 3

Care-fresh (the cottony one) is great.

Another brand (if you want to use wood) is Kaytee. Be sure to stay away from cedar bedding. This brand, in my opinion is great, but a little messy to clean. The shavings go every where lol.

Answer 4

you need carefresh! its perfect! it is pulp fiber that is made into a egg carton like texture. its soft, cheap, safe for your hamsters to nibble on, absorbent of odors, and it has no dust which can be harmful to hamsters. you can get it at any pet store in a big bag for a low price. if your hamster isnt interested in the wheel offer other toys like paper towel rolls, boxes, and thingd to rip apart. raisins are fine as treats, just don't feed them alot at one time.

Answer 5

Obviously, pine is not used anymore for hamsters (though it is still missold in shops) because they can cause wheezing and respiratory problems in hamsters.

It has been proved ample times that pine bedding is not good to the hamsters due to the following reasons -

1. Hamster urine can react with compounds in pine shavings to give rise to phenols which can be toxic to hamsters in the long term and shorten their life span

2. Pine shavings have high quantity of dust in them and hamsters can get respiratory infections or allergy by inhaling the dust

Stop using the pine immediately and your hamsters would be back to normal.

Aspen shavings and Carefresh are tried and tested as hamster safe.You can also use ripped toilet paper as an economical bedding option. Make sure that the toilet paper is untreated, unbleached and non fragrant. Don't throw away the empty toilet roll tubes, give them to your hamster as they make good toys for the hamsters to play and gnaw.

This site would give you an idea of which safe commercial bedding to buy for your hamster -

http://www.hamsterific.com/BeddingGuide....

Exercise wheels are a necesscity since the hamster can run on it anytime it feels active at night also (since they are nocturnal) as against waiting for you at a particular time of the day to play with them. Hamster balls are also necesscary for exercising them, so it is better for you to invest in one good wheel and ball for them to play.

As for raisins, you can feed them 2-3 pieces in one week, not more than that since they have high sweet content in them and is not good for hamsters in excess.

Answer 6

Hi.  I would definitely get aspen because pine can give the hamsters allergies.  Aspen is supposed to be the best brand.  I really hope you find it.