Bedding?

[Humphrey_hamster]

Hi, I was wondering what type of bedding you use for your hamsters and how thick/deep you make it. Do you use lots of different types? What's your preferred brand or type of substrate. Do you use different stuff for the actual bed and main cage? Also, has anyone here used moss in the cage..... I hear that sphagnum moss is good, but have any of you had experience with it- did your hammy like it as im thinking of putting in the cage for my hammy as a bit of enrichment and fun. Thanks

[daisyisobel24]

I know a lot of people that use fitch bedding for their hamster, but I'm not sure where to get it from. Some people also say carefresh is a good brand as long as it's unscented. For nesting you can use toilet paper which is the best option

[Drago]

It really depends what part of the world you're from when it comes to the best types of bedding out there. Fitch is widely regarded as being the best, and for numerous reasons, it really is! However, this bedding would cost an arm and a leg to get to the US (if you were somehow able to find someone willing to ship it). If you're in the UK, hands down Fitch would be the best choice, but if you're in the US I would recommend something like boxo or Kaytee clean and cozy. I personally use all the same substrate for the cage, including the nest as my hamsters end up moving things around anyways so there's no point in mixing beddings (plus it's more expensive when you do). As for how deep it is, it really depends on what species of hamster you have. I don't know about dwarfies as I've only ever had Syrians, but Syrians should have around 8-10 inches with 12 inches+ being optimum Moss is perfectly safe to use in hamster cages, and it can make for a really cool cage theme! I've never used it personally, but I know of people who have and apparently their hamsters either ignored it, or nibbled at it here and there so it's really up to you whether you include it. Best wishes

[Humphrey_hamster]

Drago thanks for your reply, I live in the UK but have never heard of Fitch . Thanks for the info on moss im thinking about hiding food under it and stuff. Humphrey is a smarty pants, a good thing apart from the fact that it's hard to keep him occupied- we got him a puzzle feeder that said that it took hamsters hours to figure it out but he managed in 30 seconds! Luckily hes curious though so buying toys is not a waste of money.... Thanks for the info- filled quick reply, but unfortunately it seems difficult to get dried sphagnum moss, pets at home only have it wet and alive which is apparently not great for hamsters, has anyone you know used the alive stuff??

[cypher]

This is where you get fitch from.
It really is great substrate, soft, absorbent & virtually dust free, it holds burrows well too.
It is a bit of an outlay initially as it comes in big bags but works out cheap in the long run.
From what I've read on the german forum you need to freeze & bake moss before using, it can be tricky to use anything like that as you don't know if it will have bugs or eggs in it! Also you need to keep your cage dry not damp & humid or you can get problems with mould which is really bad for hams, better really to stick to basic substrates & maybe use foliage & hay for extra enrichment.
Hay needs to be checked for sharp pieces then frozen for at least 48hrs before using. I generally freeze all dried foliage & flowers too before use.

[Drago]

Lovely to hear Humphrey is such a smart hamster! Some things you can try in order to keep him stimulated are

-take a paper based drink holder (from a place such a Starbucks) and flip it over. Hide some treats under it and let your ham go crazy!
-put some healthy treats in the middle of a toilet paper tube, then stuff the sides full of tissue and let your hamster figure out how to get to the treats

I wouldn't recommend live moss as it is damp and not very safe unfortunately. However, dried sphagnum moss can be ordered online or bought from the reptile section of pet shops


https://www.fitchrecycling.co.uk/ani...-delivery.html (Here's the link to Fitch by the way)


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00...wTL&ref=plSrch (Moss)

[Humphrey_hamster]

Thanks cypher.

Thanks Drago I've used the toilet paper tube before and Humphrey liked it

[AmityvilleHams]

Moss would definitely not be a good idea.Even if you dry it properly it holds moisture and unlike paper for example(in the case of Fitch and such)it would actually release the moisture.This is not something you want with hamsters,since they're not really the kind of animals that need high humidity and it can cause serious respiratory problems.

Plain unscented cheap toilet paper/loo roll is just fine for nesting.If you can manage finding Carefresh Crinkles those can add a bit of interest to the substrate without risking the serious problems of hay and moss.You could also add bits of hamster safe dried plants(echinacea,dandelion,etc)but only in very small amounts.Luckily in the UK it's very easy to get hamster safe dried plants,but each ingredient must be safe(no lavender for example,as that is extremely questionable and could cause serious discomfort as well as being a natural rodent repellent).

[Humphrey_hamster]

AmityvilleHams thanks for the info on moss I was thinking about putting dried moss in the the cage as there is a dehumidifier in the room, but if it causes respiratory problems I might try out the carefresh crinkle stuff.... I've used the normal carefresh bedding before and it's what is currently in Humphreys cage (for the main area of the cage I use a deep layer of wood shavings with lots of carefresh on top to make it softer for his paws) I just thought that moss would be fine because of the dehumidifier but I don't want to make life bad for my hammy sooo.... I'll keep that in mind and see what others say, but that was really helpful
I've got a few types of forage foods with different stuff in them and Humphrey seems to like them

[AmityvilleHams]

The problem with a wood layer is that no matter what it will be burrowed into,so it would still potentially cause problems.You can't exactly dehumidify a nest either,so keep the natural properties of moss in mind as you are

Carefresh used to be very popular but there are excellent alternatives available.Fitch for example is much cheaper,has no dust,and is much better than wood(softer,cannot cause allergic reactions,etc).I personally only use the crinkles from Carefresh and their food as part of my Syrian's diet(US only),but I can't say I like anything but the color selection of Carefresh.

A combination of Fitch and Carefresh Crinkles would hold burrows just fine,whereas wood would not be so good at holding burrows and has other problems as mentioned that make it fairly impractical despite being insanely cheap.Between Fitch,cheap unscented toilet paper that dissolves with water,and Carefresh Crinkles you'd have a great substrate without using risky wood shavings

I've used Carefresh Crinkles to stuff toys and hide treats in before and it works really well for that,as well as getting mixed into paper based substrate for the best burrows(with paper type substrate on its own burrows weren't that bad,but the extra help is nice).