Poll: do you use shavings?

[Holly]

Originally Posted by Spacemonkey

I've seen so many people really attacked on forums for using shavings, I've nearly been 'burnt at the stake' for owning up to it once or twice, so silly really.

That irritates the life out of me on other forums - they are like the substrate police

[babyboos]

absolutely there is nothing wrong with shavings (in UK especially) - I hate ignorance on other forums - all shavings in UK sold for pet bedding are softwood NOT more allergy prone hardwood (e.g Aspen, common in USA), and Cedar type woods which have additional harmful aromatic oils - and it is a similiar story to that we find when buying Chinchilla Sand in that you need to make sure you get shavings and not sawdust as this is the equivalent to chincilla dust - too bitty and dusty for their delicate respiratory systems.

I find Megazorb always stinks, as souffle says like sick, but I air it out before use in large plastic drums and this helps dissapate the smell as bit, but noway could I ever use it for the whole litte rlayer, I need to mix it with other things to keep the reek down! (Scottish word for stench )

[souffle]

I like that Holly. The 'substrate police' I am scared to put pics on some forums in case I get torn to shreds. And the other one is the 'breeding bouncers'. It does not matter what questions you have asked or what problems have occurred.. you will get no help with them, just shouted at for breeding. As far as I am concerned if the deed is done the person needs help in raising a successful litter and advice , not being sent to jail for bad preeding practice.

[annc]

I used to use shavings, but while Peanut was being boarded while I was away last year, my friends used BioCatolet, which they use for their hamsters and rats. I like it.

[DonnaB]

Originally Posted by Holly

That irritates the life out of me on other forums - they are like the substrate police

Same here... its just as bad with rabbits. I'd used shavings in a litter tray for years, with hay over it, and my last rabbit lived til she was 9..... but apparently its a crime punishable by death!

Having said that I'm currently using Aubiose which is fine and today I've just bought a bag of Megazorb, so I'll see how they compare. I use it for my own rabbits, the foster buns and the hamster, and it comes from the same supplier as my hay and rabbit pellets, so its easy for me to get. .... but, if I couldn't get hold of anything else, I would use shavings again, but obviously I'd have to buy it wearing a disguise.

[Spacemonkey]

I agree Souffle, I posted a picture of Ozzy, one of my old hammies, on a forum that shall remain nameless and all I got in way of replies was something along the lines of 'What a lovely Hamster.... get it off those shavings you negligent monster'

Its like they are all brainwashed and chant the same answers like a mantra.

Hysteria sets in so quickly too, someone only has to mention something is bad once and there is a mass panic, case in point... last week somebody said on one forum that if you feed your Hamster sweetcorn they are going to get tumours and die, most people started panicking and picking it out of their food!

Its a mad old world.... :P

[Holly]

Originally Posted by souffle

I like that Holly. The 'substrate police' I am scared to put pics on some forums in case I get torn to shreds.

It is ridiculous - what we should do is this:

If anyone sees a post on these forums where someone is being torn to shreds for using shavings we should post it on here - then we can all go on and defend the person concerned.

We could cause a riot :P

Seriously though, that kind of thing puts perfectly decent people off the hammy forums when they could learn a lot and their hamster's benefit greatly, it's really annoying - and thankfully sooooooo not like that here!!!

[Nicolapompicola]

I didn't expect this to cause such a ruckus!

I know what you mean by people bieng flamed on other forums for using shavings though.. What ever happened to free choice?

[I_am_plankton]

I don't understand with a lot of people on forums why they flame people for using shavings in the UK when it's really only the stuff in America that seems to still have the harmful phenols in. Many people have successfully used shavings for years and had no problems.

I have to say I only use Megazorb but I do use shavings in my show pens and keep some in for that purpose.

I find with Megazorb the smell from it goes if you microwave it. I had to on the vets advice when my dwarfs now RIP had skin problems and have done so ever since, one litre at a time in a jug for 30 seconds.

[Nicolapompicola]

I think it's important for people to be aware that there might be dangers with using shavings, as every bag I've ever had has still smelled like pine, and with hamsters being so much smaller then us, it makes me wonder how much stronger it smells to them, and I've heard of other problems with shavings, such as hairloss, and alleregies.