Register FAQ Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
Navigation
Front Page
Forum
Gallery
Wiki

Ads by Google


Go Back   Hamster Central > Hamster Central Forum Topics > Housing

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-03-2020, 08:47 AM   #1
LittleFox101
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 7
Question Good hamster bedding?

So my older (2-2.5 years) male syrian hamster grows REALLY long fur to the point where if I don't snip some off every couple weeks, he can develop mats with his bedding. Obviously, he hates getting hair cuts, so I've been trying to find bedding that won't cause mats, but that is still comfortable for him to live on and holds a decent burrow. Odor control isn't much of an issue as he doesn't really have a scent that I've noticed. So far, here's what I've tried:

~Kaytee clean and cozy (mats)
~Carefresh paper (mats)
~Sophresh crumpled paper (mats)
~Wood pellets (No mats, but it's not very comfy for him and offers no support for burrows)
~Aspen shavings (Not very soft, small fibers do get tangled, and it's very dusty, but no actual mats)
~Sophresh crinkle paper (No mats, but I don't think it's super comfy. It's what he's currently on)

I live in the US, so preferably something that can be gotten in the US. I do a spot clean once a week and a 75% change once a month, but he's a very clean hamster and typically goes potty in his sand box.

I've been considering trying the eco earth coconut fibers meant for reptiles, but I worry that it'll get stuck in his fur similar to the aspen shavings. Thoughts?
LittleFox101 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2020, 10:10 AM   #2
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Good hamster bedding?

Boxo from Walmart? It is like recycled cardboard/paper bedding - a bit less fluffy than Kaytee C&C. It used to be very popular on here in the US if they still make it. Otherwise you could use hemp mat. When I had a sick robo I used hemp mat on top of the substrate - to make it softer and higher up. That was because he needed a level surface to walk on. Not sure if you can get that in the US. Although they do like to forage for bedding to build their nest but you could have a separate pile of toilet paper strips on top of the hemp mat in one small area.
Pebbles82 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2020, 10:11 AM   #3
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Good hamster bedding?

Looks like it's out of stock but you could give them a call

https://www.walmart.com/ip/BOXO-COMF...NTL-4/34220917
Pebbles82 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2020, 10:16 AM   #4
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Good hamster bedding?

A couple of these maybe

https://www.amazon.com/Kerbl-Hemp-Ro...es&sr=1-5&th=1

This is how I had it in our robo's cage. Cut pieces out to fit round things - eg the wheel and sand bath. Underneath it is about 6" of substrate - to keep the height right and make it softer underneath and also allows for slopes and undulations

Attachment 51398

Attachment 51399

Attachment 51400

Last edited by Pebbles82; 11-27-2022 at 06:56 PM.
Pebbles82 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2020, 08:04 PM   #5
LittleFox101
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 7
Default Re: Good hamster bedding?

Oh, cardboard mixes are a good idea! I'll look to see if I can find any other brands of it if Walmart doesn't have them anymore, or see about making my own (I've got a lot of boxes laying around). The hemp mat looks promising, so I'll give that a try next, maybe with bits of shredded up old blankets as nesting material? Toilet paper only works as long as it's still in large pieces. Once it becomes small shreds it gets stuck in his fur as well, and since he takes it deep into his little nest, I have to tear it all apart to get the little shreds out, which isn't ideal.
LittleFox101 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2020, 08:33 PM   #6
LittleFox101
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 7
Default Re: Good hamster bedding?

So did a brief look around on good old google, and it seems like EVERYBODY (locally) is out of stock of Boxo except for amazon, and I didn't see any other brands of just cardboard mixes. (I did find hemp bedding, which might be worth trying for my other hamsters/mice with much shorter fur and much stronger scents).

I've also learned of the risks of making my own cardboard bedding out of boxes I have laying around (and don't know how to go about checking if the cardboard I have is actually safe to turn into bedding due to inks and cardboard quality). So making my own cardboard mix is definitely out for safety concerns.

I may try the mat idea over his substrate with shredded blankets for nesting. There's a lot of reptile carpet that I can get pretty cheap (if not for free!) from work which might work just the same? I'll look into that a bit more before the final decision. Thank you for your advice!
LittleFox101 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2020, 08:56 PM   #7
AmityvilleHams
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 4,545
Default Re: Good hamster bedding?

Shredded blankets wouldn't be safe at all. Fabric and such should never be used for hamsters - they can't digest that material and it would lead to digestive blockages which could either require emergency surgery if you're lucky or realistically could easily kill your hamster. Reptile carpet is also not an option for similar reasons.
AmityvilleHams is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2020, 09:43 PM   #8
LittleFox101
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 7
Default Re: Good hamster bedding?

Thank you for the information! Good to know not to use those.
LittleFox101 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-05-2020, 02:49 PM   #9
Engel
Hamster Addict
 
Engel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Shropshire, UK
Posts: 923
Default Re: Good hamster bedding?

Carpet and blanket aren't good ideas. The hemp mat should be fine though as it's a natural product and would be no different to them chewing hay, jute or wood if they were to chew it
__________________
🐹Slave to Ares 🐹 - 🐶 2 dogs, 🐷 8 pigs. 🌈 Forever in my heart, 🐹 Lilith, Athena, Nikolai, Ghost & Mania 🐀 Inky & Splat 🐶 Beau ❤️
Engel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2020, 11:12 AM   #10
LittleFox101
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 7
Default Re: Good hamster bedding?

So, just as a little update in case anybody was wondering about the results: (WARNING, it's sad) Unfortunately, I didn't get to try out any of the suggestions for him. He just passed away last night I believe due to old age (He'd been really showing signs of old age these past two months). Rip Mister Maisy.
LittleFox101 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
mats, hamster, bedding, paper, clean, comfy, ~sophresh, shavings, fibers, live, fur, small, soft, thoughts, ~aspen, coconut, tangled, eco, earth, burrows, support, worry, stuck, reptiles, aspen

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.43 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Copyright © 2003-2022, Hobby Solutions
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:06 PM.