Sawdust

[William]

Sorry... I thought that was what you were saying (that the bunny means more).

They aren't just dangerous when they are peed on. They're always dangerous to breathe in.

Hamsters like burrowing so another bedding would be best Everything I listed is safe (including newspaper)... its all free/cheap stuff.

 

[nessar]

Sorry... I thought that was what you were saying (that the bunny means more).

They aren't just dangerous when they are peed on. They're always dangerous to breathe in.

Hamsters like burrowing so another bedding would be best Everything I listed is safe (including newspaper)... its all free/cheap stuff.

That's okay. Rest assured I would never endanger her life, I just havent found anything safe and practical yet.

I actually wasnt aware that they were present all the time, I thought they were released when they got wet. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Carefresh, megazorb and chinchilla sand are more dusty than the shavings I use. I just dont trust newspaper, I read in my rabbit book that most are soy-based in the UK but not all. Plus it would take ages to rip up. I would love something like finacard but havent seen anywhere selling it, and I cant store aubiose. I cant use tissue paper as she takes it all into her nest or stores it. I wont use plain normal paper, I think its too sharp. See my difficulty?

eta - oh and I wont expose her to soil or sand, shes too sheltered from dirt etc and she might get sand in her pouches

 

[William]

That's okay. Rest assured I would never endanger her life, I just havent found anything safe and practical yet.

I actually wasnt aware that they were present all the time, I thought they were released when they got wet. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Carefresh, megazorb and chinchilla sand are more dusty than the shavings I use. I just dont trust newspaper, I read in my rabbit book that most are soy-based in the UK but not all. Plus it would take ages to chop up. I would love something like finacard but havent seen anywhere selling it, and I cant store aubiose. I cant use tissue paper as she takes it all into her nest or stores it. I wont use plain normal paper, I think its too sharp. See my difficulty?

Yeah. :lol: Kinda funny, we don't have good hamster cages, and you don't have good hamster beddings.

They actually need sand for sand bathing. Some say theres risks to play sand and chinchilla sand (debates on hamster hideout) but there are other types of sand that you can use. You can make sand less dusty by rinsing it over and over, thats what you do with play sand when using it for fish.

Our carefresh isn't dusty and i'm not sure if we even have megazorb. It's probably under a different name here.

Here doctors recommend women to lay their baby on a piece of newspaper if they don't have anything else if they're in a unclean area (I suppose they mean public bathrooms). so I imagine they'd never use toxic ink, they would be sued if something happened to someone. I've been using newspaper for years anyway, never had a prob. I shred it using a paper shredder. And I put enough toilet paper/paper towels so that they can stuff some in their nests and leave the rest.

 

[Tamsin]

Just a reminder: please make sure you think about your tone when posting. Making people aware of information is fine but be careful you don't cross the line into trying to bully them into agreeing with your point of view.

 

[clarebear]

have you opened it? if not you can take it back.

Dont worry, its only bad long-term so it wont do any harm to use it for another week or so whilst you get something else sorted.

Surprised you're even using it for litter trays - it STINKS once its been peed on! Megazorb is sooo much better for smells and absorbancy.

I think I must have just got used to the smell!! I will look into some Megazorb for next time!

Do you use straw in your hutch at all, or just hay?

 

[bunlover]

i use dust free wood shavings under a layer of newspaper and then a thick layer of hay in litter trays as i find otherwise the trays need cleaning two or three times a day to keep dry. i also use it for hamsters. i would dnever use sawdust though or dusty wood chips, i also wouldnt use it on its own or with bunnys who dig up their litter trays due to the way it can irritate their eyes xx

 

[clarebear]

Just rang my local pet shop where I brought the sawdust yesterday, I am hoping they will change it for me. They do a litter called Back To Nature. Does anyone use this?

 

[nessar]

Just rang my local pet shop where I brought the sawdust yesterday, I am hoping they will change it for me. They do a litter called Back To Nature. Does anyone use this?

I think I've seen that on Hay Experts.... it is a wood-based cat litter yes? Just make sure it is and yes that will be fine. From what I remember its quite expensive for what you get though.

If you want cheaper wood litter, go to supermarkets or P@H and get the cat wood litter. As long as it is wood-based and non-clumping and doesnt have added chemicals, its fine.

To answer your other question, my buns indoors so I dont use straw.

 

[clarebear]

Thank you x

 

[nessar]

Thank you x

no problem

 

[William]

I'm not trying to force my opinion on anyone but I don't get why there's a good amount of people here still using these. They aren't good at all, for any living creature that has eyes, nose, liver, and respiratory system. It isn't even the dust that is the main problem, it's the toxic phenols... I guess until you have a problem with them you won't understand, but it's not like you'll get a warning before your pet's liver is damaged, or their respiratory system is irreparably damaged, so why take the chance? :? Honestly not trying to be mean here, but I don't think people understand the dangers.

 

[bunlover]

I'm not trying to force my opinion on anyone but I don't get why there's a good amount of people here still using these. They aren't good at all, for any living creature that has eyes, nose, liver, and respiratory system. It isn't even the dust that is the main problem, it's the toxic phenols... I guess until you have a problem with them you won't understand, but it's not like you'll get a warning before your pet's liver is damaged, or their respiratory system is irreparably damaged, so why take the chance? :? Honestly not trying to be mean here, but I don't think people understand the dangers.

i apprichate the facts you are trying to put accross it is bad because of toxins as well as dust, are these toxins released into the air or are they only if the animal comes into contact with them directly, i do openly admit to using dust extracted wood chips under thick layers of newspaper and then a layer of hay as i find carefresh very expensive to buy and they will not go if i use yesterdays news, i dont know where to get megazorb from and washing towels is a pain if used in litter trays, this is not having a go im trying to learn what the major risks are with the use of wood shavings being used in a controlled area beneath layers of other bedding?

 

[bunlover]

also surely a wood baased cat litter has the same wood based toxins as wood chips? im unsure how this differs other than in dust content?

 

[William]

i apprichate the facts you are trying to put accross it is bad because of toxins as well as dust, are these toxins released into the air or are they only if the animal comes into contact with them directly, i do openly admit to using dust extracted wood chips under thick layers of newspaper and then a layer of straw as i find carefresh very expensive to buy and they will not go if i use yesterdays news, i dont know where to get megazorb from and washing towels is a pain if used in litter trays, this is not having a go im trying to learn what the major risks are with the use of wood shavings being used in a controlled area beneath layers of other bedding?

I imagine it's better to cover it.. but it seems like that would be like covering mold with newspaper... You're still breathing it in, just not as much?

The main thing is breathing it in because it can damage organs. Direct contact also can irritate the skin, eyes, and nose.

Maybe straw or hay under the newspaper would work for you? My buns like going on just plain newspaper but they like to poop in hay so I have one place with just newspaper (for pee) and another place with hay on top of newspaper for pooping.

 

[William]

also surely a wood baased cat litter has the same wood based toxins as wood chips? im unsure how this differs other than in dust content?

I'm unsure about this, but I don't think its safe either. I've only heard paper based cat litter to be safe. It could be that its not dangerous in that way, like kiln dried pine shavings (though I still would never use these)...I dunno, but I doubt it.

 

[bunlover]

I imagine it's better to cover it.. but it seems like that would be like covering mold with newspaper... You're still breathing it in, just not as much?

The main thing is breathing it in because it can damage organs. Direct contact also can irritate the skin, eyes, and nose.

Maybe straw or hay under the newspaper would work for you? My buns like going on just plain newspaper but they like to poop in hay so I have one place with just newspaper (for pee) and another place with hay on top of newspaper for pooping.

the problem is for me dora wees excessivly due to her previous ec which likely cause kidney damage, this means that newspaper and hay in any amount is not enough even with wood chips beneath i change it often twice a day , carefresh i had to change three times a day when i treid that before, she has been treated and is better and wees much less than used to but still much more than other bunnies i own, im not sure how else to absorb it (nb she is only locked in the hutch overnight the rest of day can choose where to go, her urine scald has all cleared up from her incontinance now and im loathed to change her to newspaper and hay only in case i make it worse? where could i get megazorb and is this better than carefresh in absorbancy and cost (a £20 bag lasted me less than a week previously with the carefresh!!!!)

 

[BattleKat]

the problem is for me dora wees excessivly due to her previous ec which likely cause kidney damage, this means that newspaper and hay in any amount is not enough even with wood chips beneath i change it often twice a day , carefresh i had to change three times a day when i treid that before, she has been treated and is better and wees much less than used to but still much more than other bunnies i own, im not sure how else to absorb it (nb she is only locked in the hutch overnight the rest of day can choose where to go, her urine scald has all cleared up from her incontinance now and im loathed to change her to newspaper and hay only in case i make it worse? where could i get megazorb and is this better than carefresh in absorbancy and cost (a £20 bag lasted me less than a week previously with the carefresh!!!!)

can you store aubiose? You get a huge sack for around £10, it's similar in appearance to very fine wood shavings (pic below) but it's hemp, and around 4x more absorbent than wood shavings. I find it makes a massive difference to the smell of my mice compared to other litters.

 

[William]

So thats what aubiose is! I always assumed it was a paper based bedding. Well if you guys have that why not use that instead? I was under the impression that the only shavings you had were pine and cedar. For hamsters I mean, or for people who use pine/cedar in litterpans for buns.

I wonder if we have hemp based bedding :? I use aspen for only $2 for a good sized bag which I'm happy with but I'd still like to try hemp based if we have any.

bunlover- I've never used megazorb so I don't know how well it absorbs but a lot of people here seem to love it.

 

[BattleKat]

So thats what aubiose is! I always assumed it was a paper based bedding. Well if you guys have that why not use that instead? I was under the impression that the only shavings you had were pine and cedar. For hamsters I mean, or for people who use pine/cedar in litterpans for buns.

It's awkward for a lot of people as it can be hard to locate, impossible to get delivered and you have to store a massive sack of the stuff.

Hemp isn't shavings, the two look similar but are quite different. Hard to explain really!

if you do find hemp bedding double check which brand it is, a lot of them have citronella which obviously isn't great for little critters. Rape is similar too so that might be worth looking out for

 

[clarebear]

I managed to swap my bag of shavings/sawdust for a bag of Back to Nature. It was very expensive and I am nearly through a whole bag in just a week! Might have to re-think this again!