Question
I've got two Roborovski Hamsters which both have good sized cages. I like to try and change their bedding frequently which obviously increases the cost of the bedding.
It seems there are two types of material required for a hamster:
- Absorbent shavings to cover the ground
- Softer bedding to build a bed with
Buying in bulk seems to be alright for the shavings but less so for the softer stuff. In terms of price, a bag of cotton wool balls (with no additives) costs far less than the softer packs of bedding.
Is there a downside or issue with using cotton wool balls (or small pieces of a larger sheet of cotton wool) as a cheaper substitute for the hamsters?
Potential issues I could think of:
- Perhaps cotton wool is less absorbent
- Maybe the fibres would get caught around their legs or something?
To clarify, I only want to replace the more expensive soft bedding not the shavings.
Answer
Ok, I checked my best source for small animal Keeping (German site: Die Brain)
What they advise is:
- Hay
- Straw
- Toilet paper
- (Shredded) paper (Make sure it has no chemicals on it, the more natural, the better)
- Dried leaves
- hemp
Cotton is explicitly NOT recommeded! Anything that the hamster can get tangled in should be avoided.
But as Toilet Paper made the list, there is your cheap alternative :).
Answered By - Layna
