Substrate

Bel04 · 08-07-2018, 12:48 PM

Hello all,

Having only owned hamsters years ago as a child I am still figuring out proper hamster care. Clover my new hammie has now got her Alaska cage and an 11” wheel on the way. I have given her a little sand pit I am looking for an affordable but safe substrate. I know aspen is good but I can find it online for a low price. Carefresh is waaaaaay out of my price range. Can I please have some suggestions?

Many thanks!!!!

Bella_01 · 08-07-2018, 02:12 PM

Fitch is a good substrate however I think it only comes in large amounts so it is not very useful if you don’t have a lot of space. Sorry I don’t know any other substrates as Fitch is the only one I’ve used as it is not dusty and quite soft.

cypher · 08-07-2018, 11:49 PM

I would say Fitch is about the best there is, it's recycled food grade paper so totally safe & about as dust free as you can get.
Most people get either the 10kg bag which lasts for quite a while with one hamster or the 20kg which is more economical but is a pretty big bag & you need space to store it.
https://www.fitchfirst.co.uk/fitch-p...r/bedding.html

Bel04 · 08-08-2018, 01:42 AM

Oh, I do live in a flat and space is tight. Are there no other bedding types? Could I have a link to a fitch seller so that I can see the price and reviews please?

cypher · 08-08-2018, 01:55 AM

The link is in my last post, you can also buy it on Amazon but you're still buying from the same company indirectly.
A 10kg bag doesn't take up much space really.
Most of the good substrates tend to come in bulk, some people use Megazorb but I find that really dusty & I think it comes in big bags too.
You can also get Kaytree clean & cosy from Amazon, that does come in smaller bags but works out more expensive & I would only use the plain white, not the ones that have things added.

ETA I meant to add that in the UK wood shavings are safe to use if you prefer to use that, some hams can be allergic to it though.
There is also hemp which you can get from Zooplus. Hugro hemp is the softest one I've found, the other brand can have sharp bits in it.

mangoandmimi · 08-08-2018, 02:08 AM

The 10kg isn’t that big. Fitch is great for syrians.
Megazorb is what I’m using now because I find it better for my robo - would not recommend it for long haired Syrians with a skirt that’s all. It can get a bit dusty towards bottom of the bag but I bin that part anyway but never had any problems with the smell.

Swirls · 08-08-2018, 06:36 AM

You can use Kaytee's Clean & Cozy. It's rather cheap- especially for a big bag.. I use Carefresh and Clean & Cozy, but because Carefresh is out of your price range, I suggest Clean & Cozy.

Sasha04 · 08-08-2018, 08:13 AM

I like Kaytee Clean and Cozy because it is not that expensive for a big bag, like Swirls said. It also holds up borrows very well. I’ve found that my recent bag was dusty but that is the only problem I’ve ever had with it. It’s very good!

mangoandmimi · 08-08-2018, 08:21 AM

Clean & cozy is expensive in England - wish it wasn’t as it is nice bedding!

flowerfairy · 08-08-2018, 10:15 AM

I have used a mix of fina card and fitch for many years. Finacard on the base and fitch as the top layer, good for burrowing and loo roll for bedding.