Substrate/bedding advice in UK please

[SandySandalls]

Hi,
We got our first Syrian hamster 2 weeks ago. She is currently in the cage that was bought at the pet shop which is a plastic barred cage 80cm x 50cm, with about 15cm depth of shavings. All too small so we have found extra space in the room and bought a bucatstate 3.0 100cm cage. She will be moving to the new cage soon once a few extra bits arrive (chamber house, sand bath and platforms with 20cm stilts/legs).

What we could really do is advice on substrate to use from anyone in U.K. I have looked at the various options suggested on the main substrate post on this forum. Every brand that I look at for paper-based bedding (bucatstate, kaytee, carefresh, dilh) have some reviews saying one or more of : the bedding is too rough for hamsters, awful smell, had to sift through to remove sharper pieces. Also many say the size was misleading e.g. a bag marked as 70l is smaller which says it will expand when fluffed up - but if it needs to be compressed then how many bags would it take to fill the cage?

Amazon reviews are a bit of a minefield as many positive ones are not genuine, so looking for recommendations from U.K. based hamster owners for materials to use as substrate and where to get them from.

Thanks in advance !

 

[Maz]

Hi there. I've been using Fitch for over 10 years and very happy with it It's recycled food grade paper. It is sold on Amazon as well as direct from Fitch First (I'll link that below). One 70 litre bag will probably give about 6 to 8" deep in a 100cm cage - so you will probably need 2 (ie 1 and a bit) and keep the rest for spot cleaning and a one third cage clean after a couple of months. ie you might need to buy two bags but those should last a year!

I think with all Amazon reviews there are always some negative ones and it can be hard to decide what's what. Fitch can vary as to how white it is or how soft it is but it's absolutely fine and dust-free I find. Some people also use Kaytee Clean and Cosy and are happy with it. Those are probably the two most popular paper beddings. There is also green mile recycled cardboard bedding and shredease cardboard bedding- mixing some of that in with the Fitch will make the Fitch last longer and give a mixed substrate effect (can help to hold tunnels). I sometimes do that. I haven't tried the Green Mile as it only comes in a large bale, but it seems popular. Although Rat Rations sell it in a smaller 2kg trial pack. I recently bought some of the shredease as it comes in a trial pack but haven't opened it yet ...... I used to use Finacard but they closed down. Cardboard bedding on it's own isn't great for hamsters as it's not as soft as paper and doesn't hold tunnels, but it's good mixed with paper bedding (mostly paper).

The Fitch bought directly looks cheaper, but I don't think that includes postage - which may make it the same cost as Amazon (you'd need to compare with postage added). The 70 litre is the biggest bale of paper pieces. They do do a larger bale, but that is long stringy pieces - a different type of bedding altogether and hamster owners prefer the smaller pieces usually.

Fitch pet bedding from Amazon (affiliate link)

1 x 70LTR Fitch Paper Pet Bedding

Fitch 70L Paper Pet Bedding Bales size are 500mmx440mmx330mm Fitch Pet Bedding. It is very absorbent,may vary in softness and colour, our bedding is warm and is ideal for dogs,cats,rabbits,hamsters,guinea pigs and many other animals. The paper is shredded into small pieces of about 15-20mm...

www.fitchfirst.com

Green Mile Bedding – Animals First

animalsfirst.uk

ShredEase CleanAir – Dust-Extracted, Eco-Friendly Pet Bedding for Sens

Soft on paws. Gentle on lungs. Great for the planet. Small Bale – 20L"Perfect for trials, single pets, or topping up. Easy to carry and store." Medium Bale – 35L"A great balance of size and convenience. Ideal for regular use with one or two pets." Large Bale – 80L"Best for multi-pet homes or...

www.shredease.co.uk

 

[Maz]

Just opened my box of shred-ease . Photo below. It seems fine and looks like bits of paper in with the cardboard as well. It’s not soft but neither is it sharp or scratchy. Not for using on its own - just for mixing some in with fitch.

 

[SandySandalls]

Thanks for the replies. I have read quite a few reports from the last few years of people finding pieces of metal in bags of Kaytee and a crease in the dust levels (although all say they were good quality prior to that ). That’s why I wanted recent uk experience of hamster bedding.

 

[Maz]

I have had the odd bag of Kaytee that was really quite dusty a few years ago - during the pandemic - but not aware of anyone else having any issues or finding anything untoward in it and plenty of people on here use it. It is softer than fitch and the compressed packs easier to store maybe. However I very much prefer fitch and the hamsters like it. Mainly because it’s virtually no dust and is just paper.

I have seen those reports of metal and plastic in Kaytee - I think they are quite old now and possibly only in the US? Maybe a different supply chain? I’m not sure.

 

[Lovelyness]

I used Kaytee with Blossom and never had any issues with rogue items in it. I found it to be nice and soft for her

 

[Tulsi]

I have always used fitch and in the past have used fina card mixed with it. I have a third of the cage covered in sand as my dwarf hamster loves to roll in it. I also have a few areas of different substrates for her to experience.

 

[Maz]

Such a shame finacard isn’t around now. The shred-ease I got recently is similar though.