# Bedding



## Adopter (Aug 24, 2012)

How does Carefresh bedding differ to sawdust ? 

I've just had a giant house made for my rescue gerbils that I'm collecting tomorrow from the rspca,all 6 of them (mother & 5 daughters) .
Their cage measures approx 1.5m length , 60cm depth and the ground floor of the cage where the bedding will go is approx 40cm deep.

Anyway, I've just bought the bedding on my way to work , ready to put in tonight but I've never used carefresh before and bought the Carefresh 60ltr bedding ( the £20 pack) , I also plan to put some of the Back to nature small animal bedding & litter in aswell, and maybe a tiny layer of organic soil as a very thin base layer. 

Should I put sawdust in as well as the carefresh ? Does the carefresh allow them to build sustainable tunnels that will last? Or shall I just put sawdust in and use the carefresh with my hamster?

What is best? SO many choices , so many decisions!


----------



## Teesside Hamsters (Aug 31, 2012)

Carefresh is better for odour control (though I beleive gerbils dont smell?), it absorbs more and my hamsters make great tunnels in it. Megazorb is like a cheaper carefresh and just as good IMHO. Aubiose is a hemp bedding and can be quite nice too, not sure how well it is for digging and tunneling though as I have only given it to hamsters who dont dig much. 

Some people avoid shavings as the dust from them can cause respiratory problems in some rodents (very much so in the case of rats who should never be on shavings), and shavings contain phenols which again have some problems linked with them. By avoiding the wood you avoid those potential problems. 

Agreed ... there are loads of choices and it took me ages to decide I prefer megazorb for my digging hamsters, rat (no longer with me) and rabbit litter trays, and finacard for my guinea pigs.


----------

