my rant to Kaytee bedding

monica_jones · 02-14-2015, 05:27 PM

we have used kaytee for years but only select stores care them so for bit i was using aspen a lot more and then working my way towards a usa manufacutred carefresh style bedding.

we got the current bedding on sale and went in and our kids wanted colored bedding other than brown or aspen and i cant blame them. colors are fun. i have had one hammy have issues with color changing his fur color....Kaytee cuddly one that expands so well not to menting htey love tunnling in it. it does not hold shape but it puffs up the mroe they do it. so for first few days bedding looks so shallow till htey start going nuts lol. then poof its 4 inches deep easy. now i have another bag not colored its white but sented though we could not smell thing. making another hammy sneeze... sigh i have partial bags now and we are mixing a bit with the aspen i have stored away for emergencies - thankgoodness i ordered to much

i want to try the granuals again but the cost has me ranting about that. so for us its aspen, and if can figure way to do it ill add some paper pellets to one side to try that out. our stock here avaiable to buy locally is aspen, carefresh, kaytee, and paper pellets. there is the store brands of petco. petsmart but really not anything new. ours love to dig and they love fluffy bedding. at this point ordering more aspen since at least they dont react to it, and toilet paper so they can have some safe fluff..... anyone else feel like bedding is just not as great as they claim. carefresh just dont fluff same as the kaytee soft and cuddly looking shreded. they stoped cariing my birthday cake color it was like confetti paper and they all loved it and had no probs but new stuff is turning into nightmare. there had my rant LOL thanks

Pebbles82 · 02-14-2015, 05:45 PM

I know! There doesn't seem to be a perfect substrate yet. Plus all hams react differently.

**DrKMcK** · 02-14-2015, 06:26 PM

I have been using Boxo for years and it's been even better than the Carefresh. It's softer and there is very little dust. What I do to add color is to add about 1/4 of my bedding for that cage with the Kaytee Clean and cozy. I also double up on the bedding when there is a 2 for one sale, or a buy 1 get the other for 99 cents. You can see how it looks in the photo below. I order it from That Pet Place and it is the 184L size. It lasts forever. Here is the link. It's currently on sale for about $ 35.00

Pet Supplies and Fish Supplies at That Fish Place - That Pet Place

Hope this helps.

BrainGirl · 02-14-2015, 06:31 PM

I use the Boxo too mixed with Vitakraft Eco-Bedding. The Boxo is soft and absorbent and the Eco-Bedding fluffs up and locks together to hold the shape of tunnels and dens

Pebbles82 · 02-15-2015, 01:49 AM

Is boxo like Finacard in the Uk? (Assume it is made out of cardboard boxes!)

RubyDG · 02-15-2015, 02:26 AM

Out of curiosity I'm wondering if any of the US/Canadian members have had a look at paper and other horse bedding as an option for their hamsters? I ask because in the UK many people use bedding that is mainly marketed for horses, such as Fitch. I had a quick whiz around the internet (I think most of you know by now I'm stuck at home with nothing to do but surf the internet LOL). Anyway, I found three places that might be worth looking into if anyone is interested, probably good to do a longer more in-depth search than I did too.
This one is recycled paper and seems promising : PaperShavings.com - Applegate Insulation - pet bedding, large animal bedding, packing paper
This one you can import from Canada if in the US but reminds me of the Aubiose you get in the UK which is also hemp based : Hempline Inc.: Hemp Fiber Products (Delaware, Ontario, Canada)
This one is shredded cardboard and seems like Finacard except much much finer : AirLite Animal Bedding Manufacturer's Cooperative Inc Horse, Equine and small animal bedding
It might be worthwhile if anyone has the cash to spare to try some of these or any other places found on the internet. I obviously have no idea of prices and if they are a more economical option but from what I've gathered bedding like Kaytee and Carefresh are considered pretty pricey. Something worth looking into anyway

BrainGirl · 02-15-2015, 08:34 AM

I have looked at horse bedding, but whether because we're on an island or some other reason, we just don't seem to have it available to us. They seem to use shavings/sawdust or compressed wood pellets exclusively. Can't get hemp, I even went so far as to contact the nearest farm (on the mainland) that grows it. The laws are so weird here that even places that are licensed to grow hempseed for health food are not allowed to sell the hemp fibre from the plants because it falls under marijuana laws.

RubyDG · 02-15-2015, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrainGirl

I have looked at horse bedding, but whether because we're on an island or some other reason, we just don't seem to have it available to us. They seem to use shavings/sawdust or compressed wood pellets exclusively. Can't get hemp, I even went so far as to contact the nearest farm (on the mainland) that grows it. The laws are so weird here that even places that are licensed to grow hempseed for health food are not allowed to sell the hemp fibre from the plants because it falls under marijuana laws.

That's such a pity. Hemp is so incredibly versatile - just because of one possible narcotic use for it I think we're all shooting overselves in the foot by not being able to take greater advantage of this plants uses

BrainGirl · 02-15-2015, 09:31 AM

Totally agree RubyDG, the problem is that because one form of the plant has narcotic properties, all forms suffer under the laws against it.