Hamsters can be truly entertaining as pets, provided they have all the equipment they need to feel like they are kings in a castle. If you want to take care of a hamster in the best possible way, then you have to equip their castle with the best bedding for hamster to give your furry ball more comfort and safety.
Absorption quality, material, safety, and comfort are some of the features you will need to look at when choosing bedding. To make your research easier and simpler, we have provided you with our recommendations for the best bedding for hamster. Also, if you are wondering how often you should change your hamster’s bedding or what bedding you should not use, we have the answers below.
What bedding should not be used for hamsters?
Think about bedding for hamsters as tiles or bricks in your home. So, if you would choose the best non-toxic material to make your walls and floors, why wouldn’t you do the same for your beloved pet?
Besides being comfortable, the best bedding for hamster has to be safe and non-toxic. Your hamster can ingest pieces of bedding and if the material is not safe, it can be hazardous to your pet’s life. Also, since hamsters enjoy burrowing, it should be comfortable and safe to nest and burrow.
The best bedding for hamster is not scented
Hamsters have a sensitive respiratory system, so extended exposure to bedding with an artificial scent can cause a series of health problems.
You may want to get scented bedding to control odor, but this is unsafe for your pet, and potentially lethal.
Cat litter is for cats
As much as cat litter is great for odor control, it shouldn’t be used as bedding for hamsters. Some types of cat litter are clumping and if your hamster ingests this it can cause internal blockage in your pet’s organs.
Although cat litter which is made of wood or paper is safe to use as substrates, they are too dense or maybe not dense enough for your hamster to nest comfortably and shouldn’t be used as main bedding.
Shavings from pine and cedarwood
Pine and cedarwood shavings are harmful and toxic to hamsters. Toxic acids from the softwood shavings can damage the respiratory system of your little ball of love. Check the ingredients of the bedding you choose, and avoid brands that don’t specify clearly what type of shavings they’ve used.
Cotton, fluffy bedding
Cotton, fluffy bedding is another option that is not safe for hamsters. If your hamster ingests a piece of this type of bedding it can cause blockages because it can’t be dissolved in water.
Moreover, your furry ball of love can get its tiny feet or hands entangled which can lead to surgical amputation.
How often do you change hamster bedding?
There is no specific timeframe you need to follow for changing your furry friend’s bedding. If the bedding is soiled then you have to change it.
However, the bedding shouldn’t go more than a week without changing it. If you have been a hamster parent for a while you know that besides doing their business quite frequently, hamsters also enjoy hoarding their food beneath the bedding.
Since the bedding absorbs your hamster’s urine, leaving the hoarded food in the same soiled bedding can be an open invitation for bacteria to spread and grow. Not pleasant, right?
You can avoid this by removing soiled bedding from time to time without waiting for the entire bedding to be ready to be changed.
Furthermore, if your furry ball of love has been ill, you should change the entire bedding because its urine is filled with bacteria. Once your rodent has recovered, sitting in bedding with bacteria and the virus that made it ill can infect the little one again.
Do hamsters need a lot of bedding?
Your little ball of love will need a certain amount of bedding to be comfortable and burrow properly. Generally, it is recommended to fill the hamster cage up to four inches which are around eleven liters of bedding.
However, as you become more and more familiar with your pet and its habits you can vary the amount of bedding according to its liking. Your hamster will need enough to dig, burrow, and tunnel, as well as to feel comfortable.
What is the best substrate for hamsters?
As with bedding, some substrates can be toxic and not safe for hamsters. It comes in different forms and from various materials. It is crucial that you familiarize yourself with the ones that are safe so that you avoid putting your hamster’s health in danger.
The substrate is used to make a walking area that is soft for your hamster, and to create a clean and hygienic environment for the little one.
The substrate you choose has to be made of non-toxic material, it needs to be absorbent and control odor, and it needs to meet specific needs your pet may have. Opt for natural plant-based substrate or you can even combine different ones, for example, paper-based substrate and hay.
What is the best brand of bedding for a hamster?
The best brand of bedding for a hamster will mimic the natural habitat of the rodent. Below we will go through our top recommendations for the best bedding for hamster which represent a variety of top brands of bedding for hamsters.
We mentioned above that one of the features to look at when buying bedding is its absorption qualities, but you also need to consider how it affects your hamster’s skin and feet, and if it is dust-free.
Furthermore, besides mimicking the natural habitat of the hamster, the best bedding for hamster should soak up the urine well, while providing comfortable playing and sleeping place and eliminating odor.
Avoid bedding that contains artificial materials and harsh chemicals that can be extremely hazardous and potentially toxic to your pet’s health and even for you.
Our top recommendations for best bedding for hamster
Natural Bedding For Small Animal By Carefresh
The Natural Bedding for Small Animal by Carefresh is made from a natural reclaimed paper fiber, comfy fluff. It is eco-friendly, compostable, and biodegradable.
This is an excellent choice for hamster parents who want a product that is better for the environment and safe for their pets.
If you or your pet have respiratory issues, this bedding is almost completely dust-free, and its formula has powerful odor suppressing properties that will fight urine smell for up to ten days. Also, the pieces don’t fall apart and stick to the bottom of your hamster’s cage, so your clean-up won’t be difficult.
Pros
- It is made of natural, non-toxic material
- The reclaimed paper fiber is compostable, biodegradable, and eco-friendly
- It produces almost zero dust
- It has powerful odor control qualities
Cons
- It may be hard and crusty, not very easy to burrow
- It may have an unpleasant smell in the packaging
Clean And Cozy Bedding For Small Animal By Kaytee
Kaytee is one of the leading brands when it comes to products for pets. This particular bedding is made of paper approved by the FDA, it expands up to three times its size and is twenty percent more absorbent.
Furthermore, the Clean and Cozy Bedding for Small Animal is nearly fully free of dust and has exceptional odor control.
Also, it is safe for the environment and your little ball of love. The hamster will enjoy burrowing and nesting in its castle.
Pros
- It is made of eco-friendly paper approved by the FDA
- It is twenty percent more absorbent than other leading brands
- It is nearly entirely free of dust
- It eliminates and controls odor from your pet’s urine
Cons
- Its quality is inconsistent
- It may become soggy and messy
Fresh World Ultra Strength Bedding for Small Animal by Vitakraft
This bedding by Vitakraft provides a healthy, clean, comfortable, and dry living area for your hamster. Its formula contains an odor blocker that controls odor for up to fourteen days.
Moreover, the moisture from the hamster’s urine is absorbed rapidly and efficiently.
The Small Animal Fresh World Ultra Strength Bedding is made of soft paper crumbles that absorb almost three times its liquid weight. It is virtually dust-free and it is safe for you and your pet.
Pros
- It is made of recycled paper that is non-toxic, unbleached, and safe for your hamster
- Its odor control qualities will keep your and your hamster’s home stink-free
- It is virtually dust-free which means less cleaning and sneezing for you
- It is soft for your pet’s feet and skin
Cons
- It leaves a sandy layer on the bottom of the cage, it is not easy to clean
- The packaging may be loose
Natural Corn Cob Bedding For Small Pet And Bird By Sunseed
Sunseed’s bedding for small pets and birds is made of USA-grown corn cob that is entirely biodegradable. It doesn’t contain additives, harsh chemicals, or artificial dyes.
It is safe for you, your pet, and the planet.
The bedding is packaged in resealable to preserve and maintain freshness.
Furthermore, it is easy to clean, there is no dust, and it is comfortable for the hamster to walk on it.
Pros
- The bedding is made of USA-grown corn cob
- It is natural, biodegradable, and eco-friendly
- It makes cleaning time easy and it doesn’t create dust clouds
- It is comfortable for the hamster
- The packaging offers a prolonged time of freshness
Cons
- It may not be as absorbent as another type of bedding
Paper Pellet Litter For Small Animal By So Phresh
So Phresh’s bedding provides hamster parents with a product with phenomenal odor control and excellent absorbency.
This Paper Pellet Litter for Small Animal is made of natural paper fibers and baking soda that helps with odor control and neutralizes unwelcome ammonia smell.
Moreover, the paper pellets will absorb the liquid but they won’t break down or cake together on the bottom of your hamster’s cage. Thus your pet’s home will be cleaner, more hygienic, and healthier for the furry ball of love.
The paper used to make this bedding is recycled making it biodegradable and safe for the environment. It is safe to use it as compost or landscape mulch once you remove it from your pet’s habitat.
Pros
- It is made from reclaimed paper, making it eco-friendly and biodegradable
- It controls ammonia smell and doesn’t create dust
- It has great absorption qualities
Cons
- Baking soda may not be good for your hamster’s health
- It is not very comfortable for your hamster’s feet
What you need to remember
It is important to choose the best bedding for hamster because the bedding makes the rodent’s home. Some points you need to remember are: the bedding you choose has to be safe and comfortable for your hamster, natural material that is not toxic for the little one is the best choice, odor control, and liquid absorption are the top qualities to look for, and no matter what bedding you choose you have to clean your hamster’s habitat frequently to maintain a clean and healthy living area for your pet.