Bedding!

[mydeguboys]

Hey everyone!

im struggling to find a bedding for my degus. They did have wood shavings but I was getting allergies from it so I'm trying to find another source. At the moment they have shredded paper scattered over the top and bottom levels but I was after either an alternative or an addition to this. I'm a bit confused on newspaper. Some say it's ok and some say it isn't so I just don't know what to do! Help  

[moletteuk]

Newspaper in the UK is safe, but I'm not sure how useful it would be. Here is the bedding review thread deguworld.proboards.com/thread/8754/cage-bedding-reviews

You might need to try farm supply places (for aubiose) or mail order for cardboard types and fitch, which is great for allergies. There are loads of choices in the UK.

[titchycatnipsandwich]

I used newspaper for these last two weeks while River has been post-op, I can't say I noted any problems other than I usually give him newspaper as a nesting material and so he ripped it all up to make himself a new bed

[yasmin]

My favourite bedding is Carefresh which is made of paper but it is made up of little chunks of paper, not shredded paper.

[Karma]

I prefer carefresh as well but my vet really advocates newspaper and shedded paper .... (Canadian newspaper is dyed with vegetable oil so is completely safe). Carefresh does swells up when eaten were paper doesn't and she really doesn't like that and tied to get me to switch over. Sorry doc, I don't go through enough paper to shed my self and it does absorb enough!

[moletteuk]

I don't think the swelling of Carefresh is enough to worry about, it doesn't swell much, that's sort of the whole point of it that it is safe for small furries, as opposed to cat litter type paper products that do swell a lot.

[saddlers]

I find finacard really good and has been much better for my allergies than the wood shavings, it is definitely less dusty

[pthurg]

A lot of people I know use Repticard, that is the same stuff as Finacard, but sometimes cheaper, bizarrely as it's owned by the same parent company. I've used it for years now with no problems :-)
Repticard link
www.reptilebedding.co.uk/ReptiCard_Maxibale/p1685644_7865846.aspx
Finacard link
www.finacard-uk.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=51&products_id=147

[jos]

My vote would be for finacard as well. I line the levels with newspaper and cover with finacard. I tried Carefresh for them to use to make their nest with but they didn't take to it and far prefer to tear up the newspaper and make a nest with this and pieces of torn egg box

[klbishop]

loki is my shredder, he beds down with paper which he first tears up

[jamiee]

Both my goos are also of the "shred and drag" type. If I give them anything paperlike, both Jose and Diego will descend upon it, then drag it into their "hammock nest".

[pthurg]

For giggles, try putting a whole toilet roll in their cage, unravel half a metre or so to give them the idea then leave them to it. Lol

[saoirse]

Both Pumpkin and Nutmeg are in separate cages and neither of them sleep in their houses. Pumpkin slept in hers for the first 6 months and I used to use store bought shredded paper bedding as a base and then give her loads of kitchen roll and toilet paper and she used to spend hours making her own bed. Our house is not very warm so for winter I bought her a heat pad and 2 really soft, round tunnel hammocks (one inside the other) and from that day on, she has only used the house to store 'goodies' - it's now filled with Timothy hay. She drags toilet paper into the hammock and bungs up one end with it. We acquired Nutmeg about 3 weeks ago, put a house, heat pad and a hammock in her cage and she also only uses the heat pad and the hammock (she also drags toilet paper into it and bungs up one end). We have now started putting Timothy hay in her house as well.

[jamiee]

Despite having two houses, ours have never slept in them since we got the new cage, and a large rat hammock. The hammock is very comfortable and is lined with felt. When they started sleeping in it, I slowly added lots of hay, and they made a proper burrow in the hay. It has an entrance tunnel, then a big chamber lined with toilet paper, and they cuddle up in that.

[degumummy137]

I use a shredded cardboard bedding from a seller on amazon. It's a lot less messy because the pieces are bigger and it's completely undyed and dust free so safe.

[animalmadchloe]

We used financed to begin with but now we used newspaper and line the cage with it then shred loads and loads of it and fill up there levels they love it and it's free ) I've chopted up old fleece pjymas for there nest boxes and hammocks which they love to snuggle in and they love a big pile of hay to nest in and kitchen roll squares I buy cheap and cheerful bog rolls for them too lol

[klbishop]

how could i forget loo roll, loki will tell me off. loo roll is the best thing ever in our household

[EmilyMichaela]

I use carefresh bedding (found here) www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/small-pet/hamster/hamster-bedding/carefresh-animal-bedding-14l

It doesn't spread as much as sawdust, I was told not to use Newspaper as degus will eat it and the ink isn't healthy?

They have rolls and rolls of loo roll continuously! I went to blow my nose the other day and one of the Goo's gave me a look of outrage as I didn't put any in the cage!

[moletteuk]

UK newspaper is safe now as the ink is made from vegetable dyes apparently.

Now you have the bigger cage you might want to try Fitch, it's very similar to carefresh, but much cheaper. If you check out the bedding review thread linked near the top of this thread, I posted a review of it on the end of that thread and here is where you get it from www.fitchrecycling.co.uk/animal-bedding/fitch-pet-bedding.html

My Flossy lifted up my jumper to get to my jeans pocket to steal my tissue the other day.

[EmilyMichaela]

Ahh. I'll keep that in mind! Gives me something to use my metro for!

I'll check out the Fitch stuff thank you, anything to keep comfort but save cash ?.

The worst part is it doesn't come as a surprise to me that they would dig through pockets ha!