Ireland-The struggle with bedding

Renlikescake · 08-10-2016, 09:02 AM

Please tell me if you know any good bedding for sale in Ireland.
THE REPUBLIC not northern Ireland.
Tumblefresh and snake aspen is pretty much all I have since I now have to steer clear of [product name removed] since its had so many mite issues recently.

I live in Galway so I don't have the luxury of petstop just flimsy old petworld and petmania that only sells pine bedding eck.

I got my first bag of carefresh last week and its not all that great but if I don't find anything else I guess it will be my only option to order it online.

AmityvilleHams · 08-10-2016, 09:41 AM

You should be able to order paper substrate online.Check with Viovet and such,since you have to put in your address to get a price on delivery and that is the grey area of Viovet!You should be able to get orders from Viovet though,and Zooplus deliver to Ireland(not just Northern Ireland).

Zooplus currently seem to be having a decent sale on Carefresh so as a last resort that could be a good idea if nothing else is available,but definitely avoid wood substrate at all costs.

Pebbles82 · 08-10-2016, 10:05 AM

I think rat rations deliver to Ireland (they deliver all over the world!) but no idea what they charge for delivery. They sell Finacard in various different sized bags, including large bales, and they also sell paper bedding (not Fitch but looks similar - I think it's tea bag paper bedding). And they sell Oxbow pure comfort paper bedding but that doesn't work out cheap. If you put some in the basket on rat rations and go partway through the payment process it will tell you the delivery cost.

Bedding and Substrate : ratRations.com

Zooplus also sell the Hugro Hemp bedding and Carefresh in economy packs.

Nests & Nesting Materials at zooplus: Hemp Bedding

Carefresh Natural Bedding | Great Deals at zooplus!

They also sell Chipsi Super wood shavings which are part pine and part spruce (spruce is equivalent to hardwood in terms of phenols - ie negligible), but annoyingly it doesn't say what proportion is spruce and what proportion is pine, so assume they are just slightly better quality kiln dried pine shavings. But as there are alternatives then something else might be good.

Chipsi Super Pet Litter | Free P&P on orders £25+ at zooplus!

I think I would go with the Hemp bedding from Zooplus (depending on how cheap the postage is with rat rations).

You are right - Tumblefresh is very dusty (I think it is megazorb rebranded, I tried it once). And the back to nature pellets I have avoided after reading of rabbits dying after having it used (maybe they ingested it, I don't know).

If delivery is going to work out too much then I think maybe a mix of Aspen and Carefresh might be quite good. Some Aspen can be dusty or rough. I tried some Pro Rep Aspen, and it was ok - but I wouldn't want to use it without mixing it with something softer. Mixed with carefresh could be quite good (and would hold tunnels

. Carefresh isn't that cheap though. I would go with a bale of Hemp from Zooplus. I tried Hemp but unfortunately I was allergic to it, being an allergic type!

Or you could mix hemp and Carefresh too. The Hemp works out quite economical I think.

chesca_27 · 08-10-2016, 11:19 AM

I highly recommend Fitch and Megazorb (not sure about shipping but both on Amazon). If not, hemp bedding and carefresh ultra work together well or swap the hemp for aspen. Or, you could try making your own bedding out of paper. There are many tutorials on YouTube.

GhostsInSnow · 08-10-2016, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

You are right - Tumblefresh is very dusty (I think it is megazorb rebranded, I tried it once). And the back to nature pellets I have avoided after reading of rabbits dying after having it used (maybe they ingested it, I don't know).

Tumblefresh is made by supreme (same company that manufacture Carefresh) I think it was their way of competing with horse bedding and similar products as you can still get Megazorb and I'm sure it's made by a completely different company.
I do agree about it being dusty though which is a shame because apart from the dust it's a lovely substrate albeit a little on the expensive side.

AmityvilleHams · 08-10-2016, 03:25 PM

You might be able to get rid of dust from any substrate using a vacuum/hoover/whatever the proper term even is and a cloth or something to collect the dust that is solid and preferably cheap enough to be disposable(or used and would be thrown away anyways).This wouldn't be the easiest method,but in a last resort scenario it could definitely help!

Pebbles82 · 08-10-2016, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GhostsInSnow

Tumblefresh is made by supreme (same company that manufacture Carefresh) I think it was their way of competing with horse bedding and similar products as you can still get Megazorb and I'm sure it's made by a completely different company.
I do agree about it being dusty though which is a shame because apart from the dust it's a lovely substrate albeit a little on the expensive side.

That's weird! I remember my bag said made by the makers of Megazorb on the back. Maybe Supreme own megazorb?!!!! Or maybe it was another product I tried that said that and Tumblefresh is the Carefresh like one. I'm confused now lol. Anyway I know I found it very dusty. I'm not sure you could extract the dust from it Amity - it's kind of soft and the dust mixed in/attached. Unlike shavings that you could shake through a sieve.

Just checked back through my threads - yes it was definitely Tumblefresh that said "made by the makers of Megazorb" on the back.

AmityvilleHams · 08-10-2016, 04:31 PM

Manufacturers can be very sneaky when it comes to their products,lines,brands,etc!I don't think it's necessarily always bad or good and it can be a grey area.There are definitely things in the US like that though,such as Walmart's Critter Care vs Carefresh substrate and how they're the same exact product by the same manufacturer.That's one of many strange things,but it isn't exactly unheard of!

GhostsInSnow · 08-11-2016, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

Just checked back through my threads - yes it was definitely Tumblefresh that said "made by the makers of Megazorb" on the back.

Oooh sorry hun, that's taught me I should read the packaging a bit better and has definitely put me off trying megazorb too lol

Pebbles82 · 08-11-2016, 04:38 AM

No need to apologise lol! I am confused myself because there is one that is like Carefresh. Maybe it's me who got it wrong! It's bugging me now lol. I remember getting a bag and not liking it. This video says it's like a cross between Megazorb and Carefresh lol. Still bugging me which one says "by the makers of Megazorb" on the back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CWHlFKSb6M