What do you use for bedding?

Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

What do you use for bedding?

  • Shavings

    Votes: 74 50.3%
  • Carefresh

    Votes: 14 9.5%
  • Fleece Liners (with litter pans)

    Votes: 25 17.0%
  • Fleece Liners (without litter pans)

    Votes: 16 10.9%
  • Other

    Votes: 18 12.2%

  • Total voters
    147
I use aspen shavings. They tend to get everywhere, but Temp seems to like them!
 
I used to use Carefresh, but my chinnies ate some of it. The warning on the back of the pkg scared me (eating may cause bowel obstruction) so I stopped using it. Now I use aspen shavings. :)
 
I'm actually surprised to see so many people using shavings. All the pictures I seem to see have fleece
 
I voted "other" as I use a combination of bedding products.

Both of my chin cages have removable litter trays. In those I use Yesterday's News or an equivalent product. But, since the cage floor is wire in order to allow for the waste to fall into the drop pan, I have had to find something to use on the base of the cage as well so that there is no foot discomfort or possibility of injury. Therefore I've started using a thick fleece liner on one side of the cage floor.

I've tried using litter pans, but my chins have never picked up on it. However, they automatically use the non-fleece covered side of their cage to eliminate and this works well since I can spot clean their pull-out trays twice a day and then remove and replace the fleece liners twice a week when I do my more thorough cage cleanings. I do remove and shake out their liners each day when I spot clean, but I very rarely need to do more than that since the chins typically will only eliminate on the non-lined side of their cage. This bedding combination has really cut down on cost as well as cleaning time and I think it's been a positive change for chins and owner alike.

I've used Carefresh in the past as well as kiln-dried pine, aspen, and pelleted pine products. While the shavings did do a fairly good job at reducing odor, I found they were difficult to work with. And I was very disappointed in the way the Carefresh controlled odor. When I weighed the pros and cons, it was obvious that I needed to find something different that worked well, was cost-effective, and was readily available. And while I wouldn't consider using the Yesterday's News if I didn't have the pull-out tray, it works well for the set-up I presently have and it's a bonus that it is also what I use for my cats' litter pans.
 
Pine shavings here. I considered fleece liners but really don't have the time to make any and I'd be worried I'd screw up measurements if I asked someone to make me some fleece liners.
 
My poll answer is pine shavings, however

Does anyone else have tons of dust, due to the pine shavings?
(gets in my furnace, etc, even gets upstairs by way of my vents)
Aspen has less dust, I think.
My vet recommended shredded paper as bedding? any comments on that?
I do like carefresh, but that would be very expensive to use with 80 chins
 
I'm slowly (and I say slowly because that is how my mom is making them) moving to fleece liners.

I can't use carefresh cuz my chins eat it, but I love it because it's great with the smell. But I use shavings (aspin).

Jean
 
I guess I haven't seen the fleece liners?
Do chins chew on them?
Do you just wash them and reuse them?

Cindy
 
I have never had a dust problem with the brand of shavings I am using (dejnos) but I have seen it with other brands I would switch brands if I were you

and the fleece liners, yes you just wash them and reuse them
 
Shavings and a shop vac, and a damp cloth I use a mild bleach once a month and sand the wood surfaces as needed cleanings only take a few minutes.
 
Carefresh. The aspen shavings are too messy to get off the carpet, and more seems to get on the floor when I use it. Also, I just could not stand the smell.
 
I used to use carefresh, now I'm using Pine shavings and I looking into getting fleece liners!
 
I use Green Pet Aspen Supreme Pellets. I had a problem with my female constantly stealing the carefresh from the tray and this seems to work well.
 
Back
Top