What's your favorite bedding and nesting material ? - Page 3

Coco1 · 03-16-2005, 02:23 PM

Well, I'd certainly like to hear more on the ingesting part, I've not seen that written on the packages I've bought. (I just checked mine all over) On my packet it says - "Impaction and related problems are an inherant risk with any substrate. While Carefresh is non-toxic, you should seek vet care if your pet consumes large quantities of bedding. Observation and proper management will minimize potential impaction problems. Treat impacted crops promptly."

I'm sure that if you have a hamster that does tend to eat its bedding or carry a lot of it / move it around, keeping a close eye on that would be common sense.

As for expansion of this product - I've not seen it! Not in my tank? I put down an inch or so and if anything it becomes more compacted due to the hamster running around on it, it never expands! I would think that expansion would only be due to excessive wettness in the cage?

I guess we've all had or heard different opinions regarding this product. I'm going to go to their site and try to find out more. I definately don't want problems from it being digested. It always seems such a shame / annoying when you find a supposed "excellent" product, supposedly safe, just to find out later it has some hidden threat! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

SnuggleHam · 03-16-2005, 02:38 PM

Well I find that it fluffs up some, but now that I look at Gerald’s cage (my Syrian) the Carefresh it more packed down. He doesn’t seem to be much of a digger so he’s running on top of it mostly. But my two Roborovskis Machu and Pichu, and my gerbil Orlando are diggers and I tell you they fluff that stuff up a lot! Especially Orlando, gerbils aren’t happy until all their bedding is pushed up into the corners of their cage and all they are left with is a plastic floor

Coco1 · 03-16-2005, 03:05 PM

LOL Candace! Yes, I mean it does "expand" once you take it out of the bag, of course! I just find that Nibbles runs all over the place and tramples it all back down again! He may dig a little in the corner and fluff that up a little, but that's about it.

Oh and for those of you who wondered what a "crop" is, its not in hamsters, its in birds.... it was refering to the danger of birds ingesting the bedding (just in case you were wondering...).

I just got off their website, read all the information and reviews etc... still could find nothing regarding dangers with rodents in swallowing. Not saying that's not the case though and would still like to read anything regarding this. Let us know Emma if you find out anything more. I couldn't find anything here... (I'm sure the information varies from country to country also... )

SnuggleHam · 03-16-2005, 04:06 PM

I wondered about the crop thing, I know of it in birds as I have owned many birds and own a lovebird right now. I just wondered if that was another name people used for the cheek pouches in hamsters lol.

Coco1 · 03-16-2005, 07:24 PM

hehehe, that would be funny. Yea, Nibbles crops are totally full as we speak...

**babyboos** · 03-17-2005, 02:56 PM

Oh Coco behave

Coco1 · 03-17-2005, 04:25 PM

lol babyboos! I'll be on my best behaviour, I promise! (all in good fun)

peanut25 · 03-17-2005, 07:02 PM

I use soft-sorbent for Bears litter because it's white, recycled, doesn't have any dies, soft and pretty inexpensive. It's just like the carefresh bedding but at half the price. For his nesting material I use cotton especially made for rodents.

**babyboos** · 03-18-2005, 03:33 PM

I don't want to alarm anyone but I have heard so many bad things about cotton bedding as most modern versions use viscose, rayon or man-made cotton rather than natural fibres. Please do not use cotton bedding before checking if it is disolvable in water. Take a small pinch and pop it into a tumbler of plain water and see what happens - if it disintegrates you are fine, if it stays together in a clump, and when you pull the clump it goes into a long strong thread and doesn't break up then it is what is known as fluffy bedding and has been known to cause death by strangulation and internal blockages. Also the "threads" it pulls into when dry can get tangled around limbs in the hamter's sleep and even amputate them in extreme situations. This type of bedding should NEVER EVER be used with postnatal hamsters or babies.

I use plain, white, unbleached, unscented, spetic-tank safe toilet tissue, with the ply sheets seperated and shredded. Far cheaper and just as absorbent. Fluffy bedding says it is hamster safe often but sadly is not. I would recommend everyone tries this at home

Even those using toilet tissue please be sure to seperate the ply sheets, and avoid kitchen roll and "thirst pockets" as they are too absorbent and can cause internal blockages as they swell up in the hamster's intestines when eaten.

There does seem to be a few more Carefresh type beddings coming onto the market, and thankfully some are cheaper which may increase their usage. I am currently testing one called Megazorb which is obtainable from equestrian supply shops.

**babyboos** · 03-18-2005, 04:21 PM

Has anyone used Alpha-dri, a paper laboratory product, which consists of evenly cut squares with no ragged edges to catch in the coat of hamsters, especially long haired Syrians.