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Old 09-27-2019, 06:56 PM   #1
Misdkiki
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 1
Default Cat litter clump but bio degradeble

Hi
I know cat litter that clumps are bad for hamster as I have watched in YouTube and read up some article about it.
But I am just curious what if a cat litter that clumps but is biodegradable, Is it then safe to use?

I was thinking of spreading it just at the below layer of their bedding so that it could soak in any pees or water leakage(sometimes my hamsters will wwf around her water bottle) 😒 so just wanna ask Is it okay?

Ps, I was recommended on using Cats Best litter.
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Old 09-28-2019, 03:24 AM   #2
GhostsInSnow
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Default Re: Cat litter clump but bio degradeble

Hi there, unfortunately it is still unsafe. Bio-degradable just means it will break down in the environment relatively quickly in comparison to other materials. This means it can still cause impacted pouches and intestinal blockages in your hammy so I would strongly advise against using it in the cage
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Old 09-28-2019, 03:51 AM   #3
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Cat litter clump but bio degradeble

Hi. No cat litter isn't safe and it isn't good to spread any kind of granules under bedding either. The best way to resolve such issues is to have a good enough depth of bedding ideally and a litter tray with Chinchilla Bathing sand in it - must be sand, not dust (if your hamster will use a litter tray - Syrians almost always use a litter tray, dwarf hamsters can be less reliable!).

If you have 5 to 6" depth of substrate, then the bottom half usually stays clean and dry and you can just "spot clean" the pee areas a couple of times a week - or just empty the litter tray. Our Syrians have always used their potty/litter tray and the rest of the cage stays clean and dry Then you just empty the potty a couple of times a week and replace the sand. The trick with the potty/litter tray, is to put it in the area they have chosen as a toilet - otherwise they ignore it and keep peeing in the same place.

Is it a Syrian or dwarf hamster? As regards drips from water bottles I get round this by having the water bottle over a shelf, with a small piece of granite under it (or a terracotta plant pot base). This does two things - soaks up any drips, which then evaporate, and also helps keep your hamsters nails trim so they don't get too long - as they walk on the rough surface every time they go for a drink. For this reason as well I use the small 75ml mouse sized water bottles, which are a good size for a hamster anyway, and their water needs changing every day or two anyway.

I use these, which come with a handy cage clip as well (and they don't really drip either which is another reason for getting them), which makes it easier to get the bottle in and out. Some people use the "classic" 75ml mouse bottles. You can use it without the clip of course if you have a tank - or velcro the clip to the tank.

https://www.portonaquapet.co.uk/shop...rinky-B-M42882

Shown in photos below. The hamster is our lovely Syrian, who went to the rainbow bridge recently, when he was a baby.

Attachment 49072

Attachment 49073

Last edited by Pebbles82; 11-27-2022 at 06:46 PM.
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Old 09-28-2019, 03:58 AM   #4
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Cat litter clump but bio degradeble

Just to add - with the deeper substrate and/or a litter tray there is no need to do weekly cage cleans - which is not a good idea anyway as it stresses the hamster. You can "spot clean" mostly - ie take out the odd handful of soiled substrate and replace it wiht a new handful and mix it in a bit so it smells familiar. You can easily go 6 to 8 weeks or more without needing to change the substrate by doing this. Then when you do change it, it is best not to clean anything else at the same time - doing the wheel a different week and any toys a different week again - that way something always smells familiar and it avoids causing stress to the hamster.Toys often don't need much of a clean very often.

Also best to leave nest and hoard alone - unless they are pee'd in. Hamsters are particularly anxious about their nest and hoard and when it comes to time to do the substrate, you can "prune" the hoard a bit if it is getting too large. Dry hoard can be left some time.

If you do need to remove the nest or hoard due to them being pee'd in then always put new food back in exactly the same place as the removed hoard. And try and leave a little bit of the old nest behind that is dry (even if slightly whiffy). Then put out a big pile of torn up strips of plain white toilet paper in the cage (not in the house) so the hamster can forage for these and take them back to rebuild the nest.

Even when doing a substrate change, it's best to keep back some of the old substrate - some dry from the bottom half, and spread some on top of the new, so it still smells familiar. They scent mark their cages to help find their way around so removing all their familiar scent in one go is very stressful for them. This top layer will be spot cleaned as and when anyway.

Another thing that can help is if they have a big enough house as they like to build big cosy nests. If a house is a bit small they may just nest under the substrate which can make it tricky to spot clean if they pee lower down.
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