Cheaper Wood Based Substrates?

[Black_Inky_Eyes]

I set up my hamster cage around 2 weeks ago with Kaytee Clean and Cozy, I find it has a great expansion rate, is soft but not the best at odour control. For my next clean out in around 6 weeks since the cage is quite large. I will be using a wood-based substrate to help my hamster in the summer temperatures, I've been wanting to try Hugro Hemp bag 100l from Zooplus however, that's at the top of my price range. I know Aspen is wood-based and as I've heard better for burrowing, I also like the look of it better and am nervous about sharp parts in the Hemp. Does anyone know somewhere to get safe Aspen bedding that's in bulk?

Thank you for any advice!

[Pebbles82]

I never did find aspen I was happy with. Found it scratchy and dusty. Hemp would be the better option. You could mix the hemp with Kaytee cc as it might be better not to change all the substrate in one go especially if a hamster is young and settling in. For odour control I don’t think it matters which substrate you use and a litter tray with sand in works best. The rest of the cage then stays clean and dry. Young hamsters may have the odd accident at first but end up being quite clean and only using the litter tray - if you put it in the right place! Also changing substrate doesn’t stop them peeing in their wheel which many hamsters do from time to time. Neither of ours have done it very often though.

Personally I would stick with the same bedding for a while and wait till the hamster has adjusted their toiletting habits. Meanwhile just spot clean the pee area twice a week. If you put the litter tray in the pee area your hamster will almost certainly use it. Then it’s easy - you just empty the litter tray and refill it with chinchilla bathing sand. I do the litter tray about every 4 or 5 days. The sand soaks up the pee.