I was watching a person on YouTube and she had her guinea pigs in sawdust (I don't know what kind) and said that her guinea pigs LOVED it and saw no difference than when she used fleece.
When I ever get a rat or hamster or guinea pig, I would like to use what she is using. What is the best sawdust to use? Is aspen okay for them? I heard cedar and pine wasn't.
Now how do I clean it? Do I just scoop up the spots where there is soiled bedding and poop? I don't want to waste bedding, so I don't want to put the whole thing in the trash. I just don ' t know how to clean it out (I never had any of these animals so I am doing as much research as I can).
Thanks, I really appreciate it!
Sawdust of any sort is a really poor choice since it can cause all sorts of respiratory problems because it is so dusty and the small particles irritate the nose and lungs. Pine or aspen SHAVINGS, on the other hand are fine provided that they are not dusty. We have been using pine shavings for our guinea pigs and rabbits for well over 40 years with absolutely no problems whatsoever!!! Do not use ceder because the ceder oils can cause problems.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com You should change cages no less frequently than weekly. If you are lucky, your pig will use a corner of its cage as a toilet and all you will need to do is scoop out the soiled area between weekly changing. When you do the weekly change , dump the bedding out of the pan into the trash, brush out any loose bedding, wash out the pan, dry it and refill.
I use poplar shavings or shredded cardboard (BOXO Bedding) for my rats. My boys are not very good about using their litter box so I just cover the floor of their cage with the bedding and dump it every Friday. My females are litter trained and only use their litter box, which I fill with the shavings and also dump once a week. Want to save on bedding and reduce waste? Litter train your GP or Rat. Rats especially are quick to pick up on using a litter box and maintaining it is very easy.
Aspen is fine, and no, you can't use cedar or pine, because they could cause respiratory problems. All you have to do is dump out the bedding every week and put in fresh bedding. But if you don't want to waste it, I guess you could just scoop out the soiled bedding .
don't use cedar or pine, because they can cause respiratory problems use aspen or carefresh. empty the cage out 2 a week and fill with new bedding. Clean out poop and wet spots daily
You are correct on using aspen, soft wood sawdust like pine or cedar is really bad for respiratory systems. As for the cleaning (this is what i do for my rats, but is basically the same for hamsters or guinea pigs.) Look everyday and clean out the wet/soiled spots. Every week you should change the whole bedding. If it stats to smell before the week is up you still need to change it (dont worry about being wasteful, because the cleaner the litter the healthier your pets!)
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com As for getting rats, i noticed you did say rat (singular) if you decide you want rats you need to get two because they are very social creatures. They get depressed and tend to get sick more often if kept alone, not to mention you need to take them out of their cage for at least 3 hours a day or more if they live alone (all though we all want to play with are rats that long we are often busy and cant)
Good luck with your new member of the family!: D
Cleaning is pretty easy - just scooping and putting into a bag:) you can buy special scoops in pet stores for this, or a pooper scooper with tiny/no holes works just as well.
Personally, I wouldn't use any types of wood shaving or sawdust for rodents. Well, I use a small bit in my guinea pigs' hutches. Too much might make them start sneezing!
In my opinion sawdust and wood shavings shouldn't be used in rats' cages - as you probably know, rats are prone to a number of illnesses, and respiratory problems. Sawdust can set these problems off, after your pet inhales some of the dust . The same goes for wood shavings. I used aspen when I first got rats (seems distant!) but had to change it after a few days because my rats were allergic to it. The aspen caused them much discomfort and they sneezed a lot. I would recommend compressed cardboard beddings, something like Carefresh. Carefresh is the best bedding I've tried.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com When you buy your pet, ask the store worker/breeder what bedding they use for their rats. This might be a good choice to go for, if they use it for all the rodents.
At the end of the day, it really is up to you what you use for your pet. But I do suggest using something other than shavings and sawdust for the safety of your animal.
Good luck and have lots of fun with your new pets! ((Rats most definitely to be kept in pairs !)))
:)
