Kaytee soft granule bedding

[Crystalroborovski]

So I was watching HoppingHammy's natural cage theme video on youtube and she used the Kaytee soft granule bedding in her cage. I ordered some off of Amazon for a section of my natural cage. I wasn't too sure about the safety of it, it didn't say what it was made out of and it does smell like wood (not an evergreen scent, just the smell of fresh wood flooring or new wood furniture if you know what I mean). It's kind of dusty which was why I was skeptical about it. It just says "made of recycled materials and is compostable." It seems kind of like paper but also like wood. I'll include pics. I just wanted to know if it's safe.

[AmityvilleHams]

I wouldn't take the risk.High dust levels are very harmful to hamsters due to their delicate respiratory systems.

We luckily have some decent options for substrate in the US.You could combine the plain white Kaytee Clean and Cozy with the brown version,and to create diversity with the substrate you could use hamster safe dried foliage(I'd avoid moss though as even if dried it can be problematic due to the absorption properties which remain even when dried),or for another choice Carefresh Crinkles have worked excellently with Kaytee Clean and Cozy in my experience both to add substrate variety and to help hold burrows even more(although it holds burrows adequately without the crinkles!).

[Crystalroborovski]

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

I wouldn't take the risk.High dust levels are very harmful to hamsters due to their delicate respiratory systems.

We luckily have some decent options for substrate in the US.You could combine the plain white Kaytee Clean and Cozy with the brown version,and to create diversity with the substrate you could use hamster safe dried foliage(I'd avoid moss though as even if dried it can be problematic due to the absorption properties which remain even when dried),or for another choice Carefresh Crinkles have worked excellently with Kaytee Clean and Cozy in my experience both to add substrate variety and to help hold burrows even more(although it holds burrows adequately without the crinkles!).

The bedding isn't super dusty or anything, probably not as dusty as some beddings like shredded aspen or carefresh. I was just skeptical because it smells like wood and it didn't specify what it was made of.

If I can't find any aspen bedding, I may try what you recommended I have a coupon for carefresh so I may buy some of the brown bedding and combine it with kaytee clean and cozy.

[CMB]

You could try it. But if your hamster starts sneezing etc Remove it. Your hamster may have no reaction as they are all different. I have never had a hamster allergic to substrate or known someone with a hamster allergic to substrate.

[Kiki_3173]

I've used the Kaytee Soft Granule bedding before and I've had no problems with it at all. I tried out a small bowl of it in each hams enclosure & watched that they didn't pouch it, before using it in larger areas of their cages. My Syrian really loved it! She had a blast being able to dig around in it. I used it in a similar way to how Hopping Hammy used it. More of a digging pit instead of burrowing.

[Drago]

Kaytee soft granule bedding is made up of wood pulp/fibers, so essentially the same stuff as carefresh, but in smaller chunks. It's safe to use, but it's not the best when it comes to burrowability, so adding bits of hay or aspen could help to combat this problem. Kaytee clean and cozy or boxo would both be better options, but I see no issue with using it if you'd like to make sure to let the bedding settle for several minutes so the dust can work its way out

[Crystalroborovski]

Thanks for all of the replies everybody

Drago-
Yeah, I thought it would be good to mix in another kind of bedding that was more burrowable. I only planned to use the granule bedding in a small section of the cage, just as more of a decoration thing rather than a burrow-friendly substrate.

[AmityvilleHams]

With decorative substrates the dust level can be less of an issue,at least when you're not using a large enough amount to add a significant amount of dust into a cage.I think it has a lot of potential in that way,for example in a sectioned off area as a border around a reptile dish with blue substrate to make a sort of fake pond or something along those lines!

I would still aim for the main substrate being Kaytee Clean and Cozy,Boxo,or Oxbow Pure Comfort They're all better choices than aspen as they can never cause an allergic reaction(any wood substrate can,which in my experience is by no means rare or even remotely uncommon).I can't go off personal experience with Boxo or the Oxbow substrate,but I can definitely say that Kaytee Clean and Cozy has always been an excellent substrate especially since wood won't ever be as soft and appropriate for burrowing.

[Crystalroborovski]

Thank you amity Yeah, I thought the soft granule bedding would make a perfect "stone" or "pebble" effect. Key Lime loves to burrow so I knew I would have to use a burrowable substrate for most of the cage to keep him happy

[Pebbles82]

I'm surprised it smells woody when it looks like granules of paper/wood pulp. Check on the packet and see if it says it is scented anywhere. If it is scented I wouldn't use it. Sometimes there are scented and unscented versions.