I Need Help With Bedding!
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I Need Help With Bedding!
by Oreoandfriends Sat 19 Jan 2019, 5:05 pm
I need to find the cheapest possible (safe) mouse bedding! I’m currently using 1/2 aspen and 1/2 carefresh or clean and cozy. The paper bedding is becoming far too expensive for me to keep up with while doing routine cage cleans and daily spot cleaning. Do spare shredded newspapers work or is it dangerous? Could I shred up paper towels/ toilet paper? If you know about those options or cheap store bought bedding PLEASE let me know as soon as possible! Any help is appreciated, thank you 
Oreoandfriends- Sr Member
- Join date : 2018-07-22
Posts : 107
Re: I Need Help With Bedding!
by Sparrow Tue 22 Jan 2019, 12:31 pm
What I do that works well for me is buy hemp bedding in bulk (100 litres for only 25 euro, lasts me about 3-4 months) and mix in shredded paper towels or toilet paper. I sometimes make colorful paper bedding using a washing machine, a cushion cover and an over or dryer if I want the cages to look extra interesting.
Hemp is generally cheaper than aspen and works a bit better in terms of odour control (brilliant for my male mice), its soft, absorbent, cheap and holds up burrows pretty well. It's also dust free and 100% safe. For people living in Europe, you can buy it on zooplus, for people anywhere else, it is also sold on Amazon in 300 litre bags.
Kitchen towels and toilet paper and great and cheap, very good to keep your mice warm and provide them with that extra bit of softness for nesting. It is very cheap and safe as long as it's not scented. I don't like to use too much of it in a cage as while it's very absorbent, it does not have any odour control properties, in fact, the more I use it, the more "stinky" my cages get.
Homemade colorful paper bedding is very cheap and easy to make too, but it can be time taking. Just like tissue paper, it has no odour control so I would only recommend using it as decorative layer on top of your regular bedding. You can get colorful napkins, construction paper, children's colorful paper and so on, as long as it's non-toxic, not shiny, metallic or glittery. You can make it into any color you want, which is a nice option. It's also warm and soft, so perfect for mice to use as nesting material.
Hemp is generally cheaper than aspen and works a bit better in terms of odour control (brilliant for my male mice), its soft, absorbent, cheap and holds up burrows pretty well. It's also dust free and 100% safe. For people living in Europe, you can buy it on zooplus, for people anywhere else, it is also sold on Amazon in 300 litre bags.
Kitchen towels and toilet paper and great and cheap, very good to keep your mice warm and provide them with that extra bit of softness for nesting. It is very cheap and safe as long as it's not scented. I don't like to use too much of it in a cage as while it's very absorbent, it does not have any odour control properties, in fact, the more I use it, the more "stinky" my cages get.
Homemade colorful paper bedding is very cheap and easy to make too, but it can be time taking. Just like tissue paper, it has no odour control so I would only recommend using it as decorative layer on top of your regular bedding. You can get colorful napkins, construction paper, children's colorful paper and so on, as long as it's non-toxic, not shiny, metallic or glittery. You can make it into any color you want, which is a nice option. It's also warm and soft, so perfect for mice to use as nesting material.
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- Join date : 2018-09-20
Posts : 72
Re: I Need Help With Bedding!
by MouseLover Wed 23 Jan 2019, 5:56 am
I personally never found paper bedding like carefresh to be very good at odour control, meaning that you end up cleaning the cage and replacing it more often. Then you get over-charged for the brand name. I tried shredded newspaper when I first got mice, and it's perfectly safe (provided it's non toxic ink) but it's rubbish for odour control. So I like to give a small amount of paper-based bedding or shredded tissues for their nests, because they like it and it's cosy, but I don't use it for their main litter.
If you really want to use a carefresh-type bedding, try looking around on Amazon. You can sometimes find the same thing by a less popular brand for cheaper. Sometimes they will be marketed towards different animals but if the ingredients are just paper it's safe. In the UK for example there's Fitch, which generally gets good reviews and is very affordable (or at least this was true a few years ago, when I last used it).
Then there's paper-based cat-litter pellets (or small animal bedding, it depends on the marketing). It's generally cheaper than carefresh, and I found these much better at keeping the smells down. You can spot-clean soggy/ smelly bits (especially in corners) and replace with fresh, and you can get away with doing a full cage clean less often, which helps keep costs down. I don't know which brands are available to you, but I know of Bio-Catolet and Back 2 Nature in the UK. You may be able to find it in either the cat litter isle OR the pet bedding isle. If you're not sure, check the ingredients. It should just be paper. Nothing clumping, no chemicals or scents.
I've not tried hemp bedding but I've heard good things, and as it's often marketed towards horses, you often buy a really big block of it which makes it really economical. You can often get it on Amazon.
But again, if you use the paper cat litter or the hemp one, I'd make sure you offer something a bit soft and cosy for their nests, such as ripped up tissues, toilet paper etc (plain/unscented of course).
If you really want to use a carefresh-type bedding, try looking around on Amazon. You can sometimes find the same thing by a less popular brand for cheaper. Sometimes they will be marketed towards different animals but if the ingredients are just paper it's safe. In the UK for example there's Fitch, which generally gets good reviews and is very affordable (or at least this was true a few years ago, when I last used it).
Then there's paper-based cat-litter pellets (or small animal bedding, it depends on the marketing). It's generally cheaper than carefresh, and I found these much better at keeping the smells down. You can spot-clean soggy/ smelly bits (especially in corners) and replace with fresh, and you can get away with doing a full cage clean less often, which helps keep costs down. I don't know which brands are available to you, but I know of Bio-Catolet and Back 2 Nature in the UK. You may be able to find it in either the cat litter isle OR the pet bedding isle. If you're not sure, check the ingredients. It should just be paper. Nothing clumping, no chemicals or scents.
I've not tried hemp bedding but I've heard good things, and as it's often marketed towards horses, you often buy a really big block of it which makes it really economical. You can often get it on Amazon.
But again, if you use the paper cat litter or the hemp one, I'd make sure you offer something a bit soft and cosy for their nests, such as ripped up tissues, toilet paper etc (plain/unscented of course).
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Re: I Need Help With Bedding!
by j.n379 Sat 26 Jan 2019, 8:38 pm
There is a corn cob based bedding that is much more cost effective than paper, and has been a miracle for odor control. I keep my (male) mice in my living room and I can't smell them unless I put my face right up to their lids.
I had 5 of them in here at one point, 5 cages, and still no smell.
Get the biggest bag though. With 5 cages going I only used up the big bag every 3 or 4 months, it's really great. The pet store near me only had this, wood shavings and paper bedding, it's not super specialty, I think it's a normal bedding for birds because that's what is on the picture.
The only thing is you need to protect it from moisture. If you have a drippy bottle, I have set up a section with little pebbles fenced off from the corn cob before. Then a little shredded paper towel on top of the pebbles for comfort. That keeps the drops from getting to the cob bedding.
I had 5 of them in here at one point, 5 cages, and still no smell.
Get the biggest bag though. With 5 cages going I only used up the big bag every 3 or 4 months, it's really great. The pet store near me only had this, wood shavings and paper bedding, it's not super specialty, I think it's a normal bedding for birds because that's what is on the picture.
The only thing is you need to protect it from moisture. If you have a drippy bottle, I have set up a section with little pebbles fenced off from the corn cob before. Then a little shredded paper towel on top of the pebbles for comfort. That keeps the drops from getting to the cob bedding.
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