whats the softest bedding i can use for bald Edgar?

ellisyellis · 10-30-2008, 04:41 AM

hiya as many of you know i have a hamster from a rescue center who is recovering from injury. he has a totally bald patch on his shoulders that is quite big. he is happy and doing great but am wondering what is the softest bedding i can use for him as his bald bits are getting scratched from having no hair protection. we used to use that lovely cotton wool bedding in blue and pink and yellow that was very soft but now i use shredded paper stuff now as one of my hammys got his leg tangled in the soft stuff.

does anybody know of anything nice and soft but also safe???? im thinking andrex toilet paper for him?? is it ok to do that???? his bald patch is still totally bald and not growing back so i think he will always be a baldy. lol

**Spuds Mum** · 10-30-2008, 04:45 AM

I use kitchen or toilet roll for all of my hamsters for bedding and they really love it. I am sure that Edgar will really appreciate snuggling down between soft sheets of nice loo roll.

liam4mail · 10-30-2008, 11:06 AM

I do not even want to know why he is bald. These rescue stories are so sad and make me really angry. ellisyellis he is lucky to have you as a parent. Toby is from a breeder but if and when I do decide to have a second I may go to a rescue centre.

I use Wikinsons Safe Bedding but thinking about it now if he has delicate bare skin the paper may be a bit harsh for him.

I have to say I am disappointed with Wikinsons Warm Bedding. I thought it would be in long strings like the Safe Bedding but it is all in bits. Toby does not seem too keen either. I will keep on giving him some for another while and he may start to incorporate it in time. I would like if he did because of the cold weather. It does seem very soft ellisyellis. Wikinson's wool bedding seems soft too and it does have a hamster on the package but ignore it as I hear it can block up pouches. Toby stands at the top of his bed before he sleeps, fills his pouches with bedding and then goes into the middle of the bed and releases what is in his pouches around him. It is adorable.

If I ever do use toilet roll it will be the cheapest I can find. It is not because I am cheap myself but because I know no chemicals will be added to the cheap stuff. Do not be tempted to buy toilet roll that is advertised as soft because this probably has chemicals and fragrances added.

Is his baldness a temporary problem? Would one of those pouches be a good idea for a few weeks? I know some members disliked the idea of the pouch being in the cage but if he needs a solution for a few weeks then it might not be a bad idea. I think it should be cleaned regularly though. I can imagine the fur of the pouch holding germs and odours and if he has bare skin it would not be a good idea for it to be exposed to anything nasty.

ellisyellis · 10-30-2008, 11:23 AM

hiya liam4mail, i have only had edgar for a couple of weeks and the rescue center had him a month and he came in with his injurys. they didnt know whether it would grow back but its not showing any signs of coming back yet so it is very possible it will never grow back. poor boy. i was quite shocked when i actually saw him just how much was missing but it didnt put me off getting him. it actually made me want him more because i knew he was more in need than the others they had and less likely to be picked by somebody else.

a pouch may be a good idea. ive seen them in my local pet shop which are the shape of a cat bed in miniature with rolled sides and no top. maybe i could put this in the bottom of his bed for comfort and a soft bottom to his nest. they are made for hammys. i also have seen the pouches so i know what you mean. he is avery special boy and now im attatched to him i dont want to know how he got his wounds as it must of realy hurt him. poor edgar. x

ellisyellis · 10-30-2008, 11:26 AM

hi ive just seen on pets at home website that you can buy a hamster bed in the shape of a christmas pudding! it is fabric and looks soft so that may work aswell. hum. x

liam4mail · 10-30-2008, 11:28 AM

Give him a huge kiss from me!

Right if the hair never grows back I would imagine the skin will become less sensitive over time. Skin on our faces, for example, which is always exposed would not be as sensitive to cold as much as a part of our body that is always covered.

Read the thread about the pouches because I know some other members were not crazy about them. If they are cheap maybe you could change them regularly.

I like the idea you had for padding. Give him bedding but lay some on the bottom for him to work from. The Wilkinsons Warm Bedding would be grand for that as it is so soft.

souffle · 10-30-2008, 12:02 PM

Ours love the Wilkinsons bedding that is like the coloured chipped paper (Like J cloth bits) We also sometimes run a soft kitchen roll through the shredder then chop it up a bit so it is less strandy and this is good for long haired hammies. White loo roll chopped up is fine also.
We bought the Christmas pudding but it is really quite small and I would not recommend it is left in the cage as he might eat it and the cloth could get stuck in his tummy. It is really just an out of cage toy and is definitly not big enough as a nest.

ellisyellis · 11-02-2008, 04:07 AM

ok guy i will go and check out the wilkinsons bedding. i have a store near by.

ellisyellis · 11-11-2008, 03:18 PM

got some of the wilkingsons bedding. its very soft. we are on our second bag now and i will give it to ellis soon once the other bedding has been used thanks for advice!