bedding

[whopoopwrasse]

What do you guys use for bedding at the bottom of the cage?

[island rehabber]

For my squirrel cages I use a layer of the interlocking foam flooring you can get at Home Depot, covered with a layer of Timothy Hay. I know some here have said timothy hay breeds insects or something but I've never had that problem. It cuts down on odor beautifully and doesn't fly out thru the bars of the cage the way aspen bedding does.

[4skwerlz]

Paper towels or newspapers work. I've used a roll of brown paper too. A nice layer of branches/leaves also makes a good bottom layer...it smells good and is more natural, and when it gets dirty you can sweep it back into your yard.

[PBluejay2]

For my squirrel cages I use a layer of the interlocking foam flooring you can get at Home Depot, covered with a layer of Timothy Hay. I know some here have said timothy hay breeds insects or something but I've never had that problem. It cuts down on odor beautifully and doesn't fly out thru the bars of the cage the way aspen bedding does.


I wouldn't try to second guess you for anything, IR, but hay can have all kinds of microspores (molds and such) in it that cause respiratory problems in rodents, especially if not changed almost daily, if not daily.

[Fallinwhisper]

I use what 4s said, Newspaper and some natural things from outdoors (branches, leaves, etc). Pip has her food and water trays at the bottom of her cage too, so I have to clean it about once a day, or once every two days. Shes a messy girl and LOVES to make a mess of her food and constantly splashes around in her water bowl! :shakehead I tried shavings, etc once and never again ... gets everywhere outside the cage with my little angel. :poke

[island rehabber]

I wouldn't try to second guess you for anything, IR, but hay can have all kinds of microspores (molds and such) in it that cause respiratory problems in rodents, especially if not changed almost daily, if not daily.

hmmm...maybe I should re-think the hay.....
See, newspaper scares me because on another board someone posted that their squirrel ripped up a whole Sunday NY Times (they thought it was SO cute) and stuffed his nest box with it. He worked on it all day and then went to sleep in his newly paper-stuffed box; the next morning they found him dead. You think I ever let newspaper come near my babies after that? :shakehead May have to go back to the aspen bedding which quickly becomes the aspen floor tile covering....aspen couch covering.....aspen in my hair treatment....aspen seasoning flakes on my food.....:D

[4skwerlz]

hmmm...maybe I should re-think the hay.....
See, newspaper scares me because on another board someone posted that their squirrel ripped up a whole Sunday NY Times (they thought it was SO cute) and stuffed his nest box with it. He worked on it all day and then went to sleep in his newly paper-stuffed box; the next morning they found him dead. You think I ever let newspaper come near my babies after that? :shakehead May have to go back to the aspen bedding which quickly becomes the aspen floor tile covering....aspen couch covering.....aspen in my hair treatment....aspen seasoning flakes on my food.....:D


What a mess! :D Supposedly they use nontoxic inks for the black-and-white parts of newspapers now, but that's a scary story. I found the brown paper to be cost-effective. You can buy a big roll for a few dollars and cut off as much as you need. I'd do the paper towels before the aspen stuff I think. I really prefer the natural stuff: pine needles or autumn leaves. We used to carry a plastic grocery bag with us on our walks and gather all kinds of stuff like that to put on the bottom of H&H's cage. You need to find a non-dog-infested bit of woods though.... Sometimes we used pine bark nuggets, the big ones, untreated and undyed. Smells nice and really cheap (around $4 for a huge bag). They also like to nibble on them.

[Ardilla]

OK, now I'm scared. I'm been using a recycled newspaper/magazine product. They take the newspaper and magazines and make them into little pellets. Suddenly paranoid.

[island rehabber]

Ardilla no worries, that stuff is fine -- Tomo uses it. Our vet recommended it, too. It's just that for me in my remote outpost it is a pain the a** to find....gotta go to the mainland to the one and only Petco around (crappy neighborhood too) and hope that they have a bag that isn't split opened already....:shakehead

[Ardilla]

I'll try to calm down, but that story about the squirrel dying after stuffing his nest with the NY Times made my heart stop.

It's not Yesterday's News, but I can't remember the name. I'll post it when I get home. I *think* I got it in the cat litter section (at Petsmart). She seems to like it. She digs in it and buries leftover snacks in it, which is adorable. It's only on the floor of her cage. She has fleece "blankies" and natural cotton fluff for inside her pouch/nest.

[FallensMommie]

I don't use anything....never thought they needed anything :thinking

Fallen is in a 6x4 cage that sits on a base that is another 1 1/2' with two slid out bird pans...I just pull them out and wash them. Then he has a large cat play house thing that sits on the bottom of the cage and in the other corner his litter box and then some toys to bouncy off and play. He never is on the bottom of his cage unless to hide a nut or pee in his box, other than that he is in his loft with his big cozy cat bed, his hanging soccer hammock or on one of his many natural oak tree branches all sprawled out chilling.

So now you all have me wondering...do I need something for his cage flooring...I like having it open as the poop, some of his litter and some foods leave through the holes and into the slid out bird pans :dono

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a320/floridatlc/Family%20pictures/DSC01263.jpg

At the bottom are the two pull out trays
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a320/floridatlc/Family%20pictures/DSC01264.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a320/floridatlc/Family%20pictures/DSC01269.jpg


I know when Fallen was in his other cage I always kept fleece at the bottom and cleaned them on a daily basis, but with this large cage that would not be practical.

[PBluejay2]

When I was at DART training the instructors said something about colored newspaper being toxic, but almost all newspapers seem to have color in them now on almost every page. I still use newspaper, but I don't use any of the glossy type paper (such as ads and magazines use for inserts). For some reason I have it in my head that the glossy stuff is what's dangerous, not anything on regular newspaper stock.

[PBluejay2]

This is what I've found from Ohio State University (albeit the focus is on livestock). Apparently what I had in my head about the inserts was correct. How it got there . . .


http://ohioline.osu.edu/cd-fact/0136.html

Myth #4 Newspaper Ink is Toxic to Animals and Humans
One major concern for livestock producers and consumers is the safety of livestock bedded on newspaper containing inks. Until 10 years ago, lead, cadmium and other toxic heavy metals were commonly used in paper inks.

Now, however, most publishers use organic pigments. Most of these pigments are the same as those used in tattoos, lipstick, hair coloring and other cosmetics.

You may have seen the "soy ink" symbol on a newspaper, which tells the reader that the newspaper company is using soybased inks for printing. Soy inks are derived from soybeans, one of Ohio's largest cash crops.

A Pennsylvania State University study of beef steers bedded on newspaper for 140 days revealed no detectable traces of heavy metals in the blood or liver tissues of the animals. It was noted that the paper used was primarily "blackon-white" newsprint and contained a very limited amount of colored inks. Cornell University researchers fed pelletized newspaper at rates of up to 10 percent of the total diet to dairy cows and found no significant risk to human or bovine health.

The newspaper industry has made great efforts to generate a non-toxic waste stream. Printed matter from advertising inserts, catalogs and magazines, however, is not subject to the same voluntary controls of ink quality. Unregulated paper products for bedding of animals that provide meat and milk should be used with caution.

[4skwerlz]

PB, I can see you're gonna be mighty useful around here.....:D

Thanks for the info.:thankyou

[Ardilla]

The brand I use for Penny is Sun Seed Fresh World Bedding.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3058629#prodTab1

The product info says:

Non-toxic, phenol-free and color-safe! This highly absorbent bedding is ideal for all small animals and is made entirely out of recycled newspapers and magazines.

Directions for Use:
Cover bottom of cage with Fresh World bedding to a depth of 2-3 inches. Clean on a regular basis (at least weekly). To clean, remove all soiled material and refill cage with fresh bedding.

Made in the USA.

Opinions? Safe? Unsafe?

[Frickster]

Frick and Frack had a bird cage too....with nothing really on the bottom. There were a couple spots with cardboard just so they could sit with out having the rungs....but I left some open spots for the pee and poop to go down in. Frick was good about going to the open spot but Frack always peed on the cardboard next to their little bed - which was a cut off milk carton with blankies. I lined the tray underneath with newspapers because it wouldn't directly touch them.

[whopoopwrasse]

Thanks everyone! lots of good info! I didn't know squirrels used litter boxes.
I a little worried about what to use since I'm trying to get her sore to dry up (which I think it is) and I'd hate for stuff to stick to it.

[4skwerlz]

Thanks everyone! lots of good info! I didn't know squirrels used litter boxes.
I a little worried about what to use since I'm trying to get her sore to dry up (which I think it is) and I'd hate for stuff to stick to it.

I've seen pics of your set-up and don't think you really need bedding. Why don't you just put a layer of paper towels on the bottom if you feel you need something.

[FallensMommie]

Thanks everyone! lots of good info! I didn't know squirrels used litter boxes.
I a little worried about what to use since I'm trying to get her sore to dry up (which I think it is) and I'd hate for stuff to stick to it.


Squirrels tend to use one corner of their cage so all you have to do is put a pan in the corner the squirrel pees in with some (Rachel told me this brand) Swheat Scoop, I get it from Publix. Just soak up some urine with a tissue and put it in the litter box and cover it a little with the Swheat Scoop and they should get the hint that this is where they will pee in. Rachel has small litter boxes (made from cardboard) all around the room so when her Bean is out playing he can use them to pee, and believe me I have seen him go from play to jumping to one of those boxes and use it :alright.gif Now with Fallen beings he was released for 6 weeks before his accident it's been more of a challenge to train him but he does use the litter box in his cage....but not all the time but he is learning. Now if I could get him to use it outside of the cage :alright.gif However when he is out he has full range of the house so that sure would be a lot of litter boxes around :sanp3

[squirrel princess]

I use newspaper never use the parts printed in color and then put an old towel in and change it everyday or so:D

[whopoopwrasse]

thanks guys!
It's not that I feel a need to have bedding it's just that the less she drags her leg over rough stuff the better. I guess newspaper ink might rub off on her sore so maybe a clean piece of fabric everyday or two could do it! I'm a seamstress so I don't have a shortage of scraps :thumbsup
I'll try a peepee box and see how that goes.:)

[FallensMommie]

thanks guys!
It's not that I feel a need to have bedding it's just that the less she drags her leg over rough stuff the better. I guess newspaper ink might rub off on her sore so maybe a clean piece of fabric everyday or two could do it! I'm a seamstress so I don't have a shortage of scraps :thumbsup
I'll try a peepee box and see how that goes.:)


Softest material with no loops is Fleece. I get fleece scraps etc. at walmart. The plain fleece is really cheap like a dollar and some change for 1 yard. You can cut the fleece with no need to sew the ends etc. Cheapest way to go :alright.gif Fallen only gets fleece in his cage! Very soft material!

[digiandchipper]

I second (or third!) the fleece! I get scraps - anytime I see them at WalMart or JoAnnes....