Photo by Andy Holmes on Unsplash

Bedding isn't just about absorbency - it directly affects the breathing of hamsters, who have very sensitive noses. Skip untreated pine and cedar shavings entirely, since the phenol oils in them can irritate the airways. Safer picks are unscented paper bedding, aspen shavings, or compressed paper pellets.

Aim for at least 15-20cm of depth so your hamster can dig proper burrows - that digging instinct really matters to them. Avoid artificially scented bedding and fluffy cotton wool, which can be swallowed or wrap around little legs. Spot-clean the wet patches every couple of days and do a full change every one to two weeks. 🐹

What bedding do you use for your hamster? Is yours an obsessive deep-burrow digger?

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