Good bedding for holding tunnels

[Tulsi]

I am hoping to get a roborovski hamster from a local rescue soon and have bought some fitch bedding. I would like to give him a variety of different beddings and have heard that soft hay is a good addition to help hold the tunnesl.

Does anyone have any good tunnel holding bedding options please?

 

[Socks' Mum]

Hay is nice, but it is prone to going mouldy if its damp. I like Kaytee Clean and Cosy for tunnels. It can be tricky to get though.

 

[Lovelyness]

When Blossom did tunnel in Kaytee bedding (which was fairly rare), it did hold its shape well. I think there are supply problems currently though.

 

[Tulsi]

I get boxes of Timothy hay for the rabbits and guinea pigs so should be dry. Maybe I will wait for the next new box.

Katee c and c is great. Thanks for the reminder.

Will have a look.

 

[Maz]

Fitch holds tunnels well on its own I think these days people put alternative substrates in dig boxes, for variety mainly. I'm not a big fan of hay personally, but you could layer it if you wanted to. It needs to be very soft stuff though and would need freezing first. I always worry a hamster might poke their eye on a spiky bit! It's something they used to do in Germany at one time, but I don't think it's common or done any more. They just pack the bedding down really firmly so the tunnels hold. A bit of hay as an alternative substrate elsewhere might work - if it's nice and soft The carrot cottages are good too - they have hay stuck on the outside.

 

[Tulsi]

I did wonder how hay would be for hamsters. I have some other bits of substrate for variety so will just stick to good old fitch for now.

Thanks Maz

 

[Maz]

You're welcome. They don't really need it but it can add a bit of variety. I've not had much luck with it but I do like carrot cottages! The small ones seem quite hard to get hold of on Amazon now - they mainly have the medium and large (which are really big!). I can only see the small ones available as a pack of four. But pets at home sell one that's similar (maybe even produced from the same place?). All three sizes are on that link so you need to click on "small" at the top if you get one!

Woodlands small carrot cottage

 

[Tulsi]

The irony is that I gave away all my hamster stuff when I first moved to this house.

I had another big clear out after Kulfi died so now it is big shopping time!!!

 

[Maz]

Yes that's such a shame. On the other hand shopping time is fun. I still have quite a bit of hamster stuff stored, but most is dwarf or robo sized and I don't have a dwarf or robo!

 

[Tulsi]

Yes shopping really is fun.

I did at least have the cage.

I will be keeping this latest set of hamster stuff for a long time!

Wise move storing hamster stuff Maz even if it is dwarf sized. All you need now is a dwarf hamster to use it all!

 

[Hammy Chum]

I am hoping to get a roborovski hamster from a local rescue soon and have bought some fitch bedding. I would like to give him a variety of different beddings and have heard that soft hay is a good addition to help hold the tunnesl.

Does anyone have any good tunnel holding bedding options please?

I've always found the natural Carefresh good for Chum

 

[Tulsi]

Ooo yes I remember natural carefresh being a good bedding. Thank you.

 

[Redheaddegu]

I layer a paper bedding, currently Fitch as small pet select got very dusty, aspen and hay. I’m fairly certain the idea came from a gerbil forum, when I had gerbils, as it apparently holds tunnels better than single beddings. It seems to work well, and you also have a really pretty striped effect, until they mess it up