Hamster advice

MadDad

Hi

Anyone know of good value hamster food and bedding suppliers

The paper bedding seems a good option

Open to ideas

baby and crumble

In my experience, hamsters are pretty easy going re: food and bedding, so costs can be kept down, but you need to get them the nutrients they need etc.

My hamster is admittedly spoiled rotten, but I've found the best value food is Harry Hamster- most pet shops stock it and it's about €4.50 a bag. Bag lasts maybe 2-3 months. Isabella prefers the bigger 'bits' that HH has, as opposed to the smaller bits you get in other brands. It's also a good idea to stick with one brand if you can, and if you are switching, don't just finish one and start another. Mix them together for a few days if you can. And make sure you get the right food if your hamster is a dwarf- they need specific food because they are prone to diabetes and as a species are really sensitive to sugars.

As for bedding/ substrate, I find most wood shavings you get in pet shops are perfectly adequate- although watch out for excessive sneezing, I found out Isabella is allergic to the brand 'Plospan'. At the moment I have Isabella in with wood chips that are designed for reptiles, but she seems to really like them, plus I cannot believe how they are keeping smells down. I'm very pleased that the guy in the pet shop recommended them! If you can, try toilet training your hamster to go in a big box or jar of sand you keep int he cage- bedding will last much longer without having to be changed, which works out cheaper and it doesn't stress hammies out as much if it's not being changed loads.

When it comes to actual BEDDING please don't use the cotton wool bedding that you buy in bags in the shops. The threads can get wound around little paws and legs and cut off circulation very quickly. They are also very hard to digest so if your little fella swallows some when he's pouching it to make up his bed, it could cause a blockage. I've long since decided that the best bedding is torn up tissues. I get a big box of them in Lidl and shove a load in anywhere in the cage- Isabella will shred them herself and do her own thing with them. Some of them will be ripped up before I put them in, but tbh that wouldn't even be unnecessary.

MadDad

Thanks for the detailed info appreciate it...

The reason I was asking about bedding is because I read on a few sites that the wood shavings are not good for the hamster's breathing, so wanted to check this out for alternatives

baby and crumble

MadDad wrote: »

Thanks for the detailed info appreciate it...

The reason I was asking about bedding is because I read on a few sites that the wood shavings are not good for the hamster's breathing, so wanted to check this out for alternatives

The main thing is to make sure that you don't get cedar or pine shavings, and make sure the ones you do get are dust free.

At te moment I use Fit & Fun brand (from maxizoo) shavings along with monkfield nutrition quality reptile bedding. Seems to work well for mine.