Which substrate/nesting material is best?!

[LunaTheHamster1]

Originally Posted by Ria P

I've read that the majority of the most popular teabags contain plastic so can't go in the composter. The one i use, Pukka, doesn't contain plastic though.

I still don't understand how the remnants of teabags can be used for bedding and why anybody would want to use teabags.

I know, it's a bit of an eye opener really. I use to stick my used tea bags in the compost, although like you my main one was a Pukka, the mint one.

Now i have my own loose tea and a strainer.

I guess people think the tea bag bedding is just paper,but it is not. Also it can come with loose tea remnants and even the tea bag wrapping.

[Kyrkogrimr]

I used Kaytee clean and cosy for both of mine and haven't had problems. They both like burrowing and I find their substrate seems to hold up their burrows (or at least the parts I can see) well.

Cadmium is happy using the substrate for nesting material, I do offer torn up toilet roll and she's fairly take-it-or-leave-it, so I'll give her the option but I don't worry too much about it. Hydrogen definitely prefers to have toilet roll for nesting though, so I top him up when his secondary nests start getting raided for nesting material.

[RolyRocks]

Originally Posted by Ria P

I use Kaytee natural and camo for three of my hamsters. Two of them burrow, its great for tunneling and i like the papery feel of this substrate plus the colours look good with their natural set ups. I also add hay/dried grass which they like plus toilet paper strips for extra nesting material.

I used to use white Kaytee only for my diabetic hamster but find it too soft and dense. He pees a lot and it gets very damp quickly. I now use a combo of shavings, dried grass/hay and white Kaytee which seems to work better for him. Once the white Kaytee is used up, i'll get the natural and camo only.

That is interesting, I thought they just came in different colours, I wasn't aware the texture changed. I agree, I find the white one quite dense but had nothing to compare it to... so the natural one is better for tunnelling?

Thanks!

[Ria P]

Originally Posted by RolyRocks

That is interesting, I thought they just came in different colours, I wasn't aware the texture changed. I agree, I find the white one quite dense but had nothing to compare it to... so the natural one is better for tunnelling?

Thanks!

To be honest, i can't say for sure which one is better for tunneling but the two hamsters who are burrowers often almost dive down various holes so have some kind of tunnel system underground and can be heard scurrying along in the depth of their Kaytee natural and camo.
Especially the Robo sometimes pops up from nowhere where he's built a new tunnel.
One hamster doesn't burrow at all and the one with the Kaytee white in his bin cage has taken to nesting in the playpen bin cage with the shavings, hay and toilet paper strips!
So going by my hamsters the more papery Kaytee natural and camo is the winner.
It mixes better with the dried grass (less coarse than hay) than the white which is supposed to help to hold tunnels.

[Nika]

I personally tried out a variety of different beddings before settling for one. I think I tried out two different paper beddings (nothing branded, just plain white unscented paper bedding I ordered), then I tried megazorb, and now I have been using aubiose for a while. Paper was great but it did require more cleaning and it wasn't the cheapest when I had to fill a detolf with it. I found megazorb to be fine but my hamster didn't really burrow in it. Then I tried aubiose and I have been sticking with it. My hamsters seemed/seem okay with it, and one big bag tends to last me absolutely ages.
My best advice is to try a couple of different ones, see what works for your hamsters and what works for you (including economically).

[Otaku]

I know this thread is months old but I figured I would ask - I can't find Kaytee C&C Camo, is there a problem with sourcing because of the pandemic?