Cardboard, is it safe? help.

[russian_hamsters]

Hi all, got a quick question to ask......

Is it perfectly safe to use cardboard in the cages? Ive just cut and made some small sleeping areas out of those energy light bulb boxes that we've been getting free through our doors in the post lately. Ive not used the actual glosy type boxes the bulbs them selves come in but, just the plain square cardboard boxes theyre posted it. Seems complicated but im sure some of you will know what im on about.

I did have some self made wooden houses in there, which i sterilized and cleaned, but they seem to be making the hamsters itch and scratch like crazy.......so ive taken them out and wont be putting them back in again.

Any advise or help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[happysaz133]

I personally don't see anything wrong with cardboard, I've always used it, and Jasper currently has a shoebox with holes in as a little hideout. :D

[stripeybea]

ive always used cardboard and never had a problem with it.my hamster loves chewing everything so cardboard is the cheapest opion because of the amount she gets through. its also great because you can make your own houses and toys from it.

[suga]

Cardboard is just fine. Make sure you take out any plastic windows etc.... :-)

[souffle]

We have never had any problems with cardboard either. All sorts of boxes have been used and are just fine. Cardboard loo roll tubes are a firm favourite. Egg boxes make fun play toys. Some people use the finacard bedding which is like small squares of cardboard too.

[liam4mail]

More great advice. :)

[zara825]

All of my boys LOVE cardboard-my robos love egg boxes and recently i made a play 'thing' from a yoghurt pot crate that yoghurts are stacked in at the supermarket, that they love climbing on and popping in and out the cut outs.

My syrian one day decided to move out of his hamster igloo plastic house, and camp out at the bottom of the tube in the cage, and i read that they arent greatly ventilated and therefore he might've been getting a little hot in there, so my fiance came up with the great idea of using an empty tissue box as a house for him-not a mansize box, one of those cosmetic facial tissue boxes that come in cubes. After a clean out, i popped it in for him, filled with bedding and some treats as a bribe and he has now moved into the tissue box quite happily, and it really is perfect for him!

Oh and they all adore the middle of toilet rolls, they also like it if I leave the last little bit on the roll for them to shred up and make their own bedding :)

[leafpool14]

Cardboard is perfect because your hamster can play with it, and when its gets boring, just shred it up! :D

[applecaek]

Whilst I was awaiting my new cage a while back, I had to make an entire cage out of cardboard, of course it chewed through it, so i made the walls extra thick because I had no other option for a copuple of days.

the hamster seems to be fine, a little bit weird, but hey, that's little beard for you :)