When you buy a hamster cage for your adorable little pets at home, you also need to think about how you can make their new home comfortable for them. Just buying a hamster cage is not enough, you also need to think about getting comfortable bedding for your hamsters. Your hamsters will be very uncomfortable and anxious if you simply keep them in a plastic cage, so getting the right kind of bedding is very important.
Here is everything you need to know about getting the best cheap hamster bedding for your little pets at home.
What materials can you use for hamster bedding?
There are quite a few alternatives you will find when you are looking for the best hamster bedding for your little furry friends. Here are some of the best options:
- Paper: You can always use paper for your hamster’s bedding. However, you need to be very careful about the kind of paper you are using. While you can always give them some toilet paper which they will tear and make bedding out of on their own will, you should steer clear of newspapers and other printed papers, as the ink from these papers is toxic for your little hamsters. You will also find several packaged hamster beddings in pet stores which provide you with the option of paper-based bedding material.
- Aspen: Aspen is the best, cheapest, and the safest material for hamster bedding that you can find on the market for your little pets. You can find Aspen bedding material in several brands of products in all your pet stores. The bedding material is cheap and readily available. It also does not have any small dust particles or sharp ends which can hurt your hamsters or cause any problems in case your hamster chews, nibbles or ends up even swallowing the material.
- Cellulose fiber: You will also find several brands of hamster bedding which are made of cellulose fiber material. The material is very absorbent and does not contain any kinds of chemicals, dyes, inks or scents, which can be an irritant for your hamsters. You will find several brands selling this kind of hamster bedding, of course, as a pet owner, you will have to explore the different brands to find the right one for your pet at home.
What materials should you avoid for hamster bedding?
You will find many brands selling other kinds of materials for hamster bedding, however, as a careful and safe pet owner, you should know exactly what kind of materials to steer away from for the safety of your little pets.
You should never buy cat litter as bedding material for your little hamsters, as they contain clay and sand, which is very dangerous for your hamsters. They also contain a lot of ammonia, which can cause irritation.
You should not use wood shavings, mainly pine and cedar as bedding material, as the volatile oils from them are harmful to your hamsters. Wood shavings can have sharp edges which can hurt your hamsters, so steer clear.