My hamster is eating his bedding...i have the carefresh kind and the color of it is green....is this ok for him to do??? And if its not ok, how do i stop him????
2007-01-26 09:26:20 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Hamsters don't teethe! Teething is when a new tooth is causing discomfort as it pushes through the gums. Most people can picture a baby or a puppy teething. Hamsters and all other rodents have teeth that continually grow. They need to gnaw on hard objects to keep them at a healthy length. This is not what you hamster is doing.
Your hamster is most likely stuffing the bedding into his cheek pouches to move it to another spot in the cage to build a nest. You have probably noticed a heap of bedding now that he's sleeping in. You can also tear strips of unscented toilet paper or tissue paper and give it to him. It's fun to watch them stuff their pouches with those.
It will be hard to tell if he's ingesting any. Ingestion could be a problem depending on the bedding. Ingestion is safe only if the bedding is marked "made from natural plant fibers" or "made from reconstituted cellulose". If it is not and is being ingested, it is not easily digested and can lead to internal blockages.
I personally do not like the Carefresh type bedding. I have over 100 hamsters at any given time and have observed that given a choice most did not like it. I have observed a higher mortality of litters reared on the Carefresh as the pups would become lost in it and die. I also don't think it's as effective with odor control and causes severe matting in longhaired hamsters. Granted, I bred for show so the longhair on my animals is longer than the hair on pet store hamsters so that may add to the matting problem.
I would suggest using the product called "Yesterday's News" for bedding or aspen shavings. There is also hemp bedding but I don't have any experience with it to recommend it one way or another.
-Janice
http://www.holmdenhillhaven.com
2007-01-28 20:52:11 · answer #1 · answered by radiocricket 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He might be just chewing it up to make a bed. My hamster did this every time I put in fresh bedding. Then he would pull it out like a long soft rope and make his bed! I use facial tissue or toilet tissue as bedding because even the reccommended types of bedding have threads that can get tied around a hamster foot or toe and amputate it. Not a pretty sight! Use the unscented kinds of tissues. They're cheap and safe.
2007-01-26 09:38:54 · answer #2 · answered by cally 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My hamster has the same CareFresh bedding but hers is blue. I dont think you should worry about it because my hamster once got into some plastic and she never ate it. She just kept it in her cheek pouches. So don't worry too much! Theres hope.
2007-01-26 09:40:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
he very well may not be eating it. hamster's like to stuff a lot of things in there"pouches" aka..there cheeks...just be careful, he maybe planning an "running away" and using all that stuffing as his bedding in a dark corner somewhere..but call pet-smart or a pet store and ask them..good luck.
2007-01-26 09:43:36 · answer #4 · answered by gomez227 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is he eating it or just stuffing it in his cheek pouches? My hamsters used to put their bedding in their cheek pouches... it seemed to make it more "formable" for when they were making their nests.
I wouldn't advise him eating it... although it's probably safe anyway. Might try calling the company... the number should be on the bag.
2007-01-26 09:55:42 · answer #5 · answered by kittikatti69 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not going to harm him in any way. The just seem to do this. I use to breed rats and they would do all sorts of weird things with their bedding. The good thing is you are using a good bedding and it is not harmful to your pet in any way. That is a good company. Don't worry.
2007-01-26 09:35:52 · answer #6 · answered by Shawna M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he's truly eating it, and he doesn't stop, I would definitely recommend switching the bedding. It's not toxic to them, but it WILL cause impaction and blockages in his digestive tract. That will kill him. But see if he stops eating it on his own, first...
2007-01-26 10:01:19 · answer #7 · answered by Tazwell 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
is he digesting it or just chewing? If he's actually digesting, you might want to get a different color or different smell of bedding. chewing is good for teeth though
2007-01-26 09:32:53 · answer #8 · answered by Cora 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
he is teething. get him a wood block to gnaw on if dont already have one. for now i suggest different bedding that doesn't smell and the color should be yellowish tan. no newspaper... the ink is bad for skin and the smell of ink will harm him if he smells it too much.
2007-01-26 10:37:31 · answer #9 · answered by ツsmiley face 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
He is eating the bedding because it is green. He might just think it is grass or something...
2007-01-26 09:38:42 · answer #10 · answered by Alex 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋