Hamster bedding problem....?

Question

OK im getting my hamster in 2 weeks and I have every thing but the hamster, I bought pine bedding. But now I here bad things about it, which bedding do you reccomend?

Ps: I live in Montreal Canada and so far All I can find is Pine,cedar and aspen beddng.

Answer 1

I have had small animals all my life. And Let me tell you all I have used is pine. My rat had its babys and pine, And they grew up in it without them being affected by it. And my hamster are fine with it also. The oly problen would be if you have a tank, It get less air to more around in it. I would recomend a open barred cage, As long as the spaces aren't to wide for the hamster to get out of.

Answer 2

Pine is Fine…. all bedding carries some risk in one form or another.

Pine is one of the most common bedding's used, but one of the most to be quickly attacked. The truth is that treated pine is no more risky than any other bedding out there. No scientific evidence exists yet, that pine shavings treated or not, has any harmful effects on rodents.

There is nothing wrong or dangerous about using pine bedding. I as a professional breeder use nothing but pine; it is economical, safe, efficient, and easy to use. I have heard about more problems with care fresh, and aspen than I have with pine.

Pine is one of the most common bedding's to be quickly attacked. But what are they brought up on? What are they kept on in the pet shop? Pine of course. I say yes it is o.k. to use. After reading this article you will learn that treated pine shavings are safe, pine shavings are even recommended by veterinarians.

http://www.geocities.com/heavyhitter1.ge...

Answer 3

trust me i have used pine for every one of my rodents and currently i have 18 and none have had ne bad side effects. i would just stick with the pine just dont get the pine w/ the huge chunks. i like the fine bedding cause it is more comfortable. and also hammys like to put bedding in there pouchs which is another reason not to get aspen cause it is pointy!! so i hoe this all helped.

Answer 4

My hammies and piggies have pine. They are fine. Therer si no bad side effects that I've had. And I learned how to take care of them by my science teacher, who has had pets since she started working. She uses pine, and her animals live good, happy lives.

Answer 5

I went through the same thing when I got my gerbil. Yeah pine bedding is treated or something and it has chemicals that can irritate your hampsters nose or eyes. It can also cause respiratory problems. So yeah its not good. Aspen bedding is the best thing you can get even though it is a bit more expensive. That is what I got for my gerbil and he is three years old and I have never had a problem with it. Good luck with your new hampster and I hope this helped!

Answer 6

Get the aspen bedding. It is good for hamsters. And it was wise of you to check before using the pine bedding. Pine is dangerous for hamsters since they have fine dust that can cause problems to the hamster's respiratory system and the hamster urine can react with compounds in the pine bedding to give rise to phenols which can be toxic to the hamsters.

Carefresh is another good option that is available at all pet shops.

Besides commercial bedding, toilet paper is a good and cheap alternative for hamster bedding. Always use only unbleached, untreated and non fragrant toilet paper. Rip it up and mix it with some aspen shavings for the bedding. Do not throw the empty toilet roll tubes. Give them to your hammies who like them as toys for gnawing and tunneling.

The following link would give you some ideas for good commerical bedding for hamsters -

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

Answer 7

Bedding Alternatives

There is a wide variety of different types of pet bedding available in the market place. However, there isn't one single type that is perfect for hamsters - all have their advantages and disadvantages. Some hamster owners will swear by a certain product that others would not even consider appropriate for their needs. A lot is down to personal preference. Unfortunately, our furry friends aren't in a position to tell us what they like best!

Megazorb - a dried wood fibre pulp which has it's origins in the equine world and is widely acclaimed as an excellent bedding material, not just for horses. It is dried, sterilised and dust extracted twice. With great absorbancy, hamster urine odours are kept to a minimum and, because of its biodegradability, it composts really quickly. Mezasorb has a pleasant texture that is soft to the touch and has very little odour of its own.

One of the main criticism of Megazorb, is its availability and packaging size. It isn't usually stocked in general pet stores, although is readily availble online and from larger farm and equine shops (UK based). At around £5.00 for an amazing 85 litres, it is certainly great value for money. Consideration is obviously needed for storage.

A similar equine product, Aubiose, is made from organically cultivated hemp and is popular amongst some hamster lovers.

Carefresh is another wood pulp bedding material that is highly recommended for small animals. Very similar in characteristics to megazorb, although not as readily available in the UK. Because it is more difficult to access and buy in larger quantites, it does work out more expensive.

Aspen woodshavings - for the die-hard woodshavings fans out there! Aspen woodshavings are a safer alternative to cedar and pine as they do not emit the harmful phenols that have been associated with health problems in small animals. Accessibility is a big problem and related mainly to whether the country you live in grows Aspen trees. So if you live in Canada, you're OK. UK residents - forget it! Can also work out a bit pricy too.

Finacard - is finely shredded, dust extracted cardboard bedding. A great material for allergy sufferers though again, not easily available in pet shops. It is highly absorbant and good for burrowing.

Answer 8

Use the Aspen it is the only safe wood shavings for small animals.

Answer 9

i'd get aspen, that's what i'm getting for my hamster. pine and cedar bedding can cause problems in the hamster's respiratory system if they inhale the scent. aspen is low in scent and it's recommended by lots of people.