I clean my hamsters cage at least once a week. I have put newspaper in the bottom of his cage UNDER the shavings. After I did it, I thought maybe it might not be a good idea. Does anyone else do this? The bottom of the cage is getting this.. hard calcium stuff on it that I cant get out.. that is why I thought of newspaper. I have seen plenty of them in the store chewing on toilet paper rolls and such, but I am not sure about newspaper.. any suggestions? Will this harm him? Thanks for your quick response.. I just changed Squiggys cage.
2007-02-21 03:56:27 · 12 answers · asked by WestWife 3 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
I do not have cedar chips, but I do have the shavings made for small animals. I am not so concerned about not having to change the cage less often, just so that the bottom of the cage stays cleaner.. and of course keep down on the smell. YUCK!
2007-02-21 04:09:13 · update #1
The ink in scrap newspaper is not good for pets.
You can buy a product called "Yesterday's News" in many petstores; it is recycled newspaper, processed to be safe for animals.
You should also know that cedar chips are VERY bad for small pets. Cedar contains a natural oil that is toxic to rodents & small animals.
For best care of your pets, use a combination of Yesterday's News and alternative woodchips (pine & non-aromatic wood are best).
2007-02-21 04:02:16 · answer #1 · answered by Johnny Sane 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Newspaper is never a good idea for small animals or even birds though it is commonly done. The ink used to print these papers is toxic to animals if injested or absorbed through the skin. (It is also staining to your pets hair if the paper is damp...same with any dyed box or paper). The white crusty stuff IS a calcium type deposit from the urine and dampness of the cage. Try using a calcium/ lyme remover cleaner, they seem to work well with this kind of thing. If really a tuff layer, just let the cleaner soak a bit to soften it up. Then clean out normally to remove all traces of the cleaner. Should work well for you. As for the the bottom of the cage,one thing that is really absorbant and controls the oder would be ground corn cob bedding. Many places that carry the bedding will also have this. It is made of nothing but chopped corn cobs and is harmless to the animal even if chewed on. Pelleted bedding on the bottom also works. That is usually pine etc that is hard compressed into pellets and expands as it absorbs wetness( does ok with pulling oder away also. Just clean the cage then line the bottom with the cob or pellets then put a light layer of your regular bedding over it. Will help a lot.
2007-02-21 04:37:17 · answer #2 · answered by alpacalady72 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Newspaper could hurt the hamster some inks are toxic.Its actually a good idea to put paper towels(no ink designs) or even cardboard.This way you wont have to clean the bottom of the cage every week.Also he would get sick from the hard clumping stuff on the bottom if he ate it.
Giving hamster toilet paper or paper towel rolls is a great idea.The y can hide in them and chew on them.
2007-02-21 04:01:35 · answer #3 · answered by Love me or Hate Me! 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah you might want to not use newspaper...Hamsters chew on it and can absorb the ink from the newspaper into their bodies. It could poison them longterm. And those hard calcium stuff your seeing is their dried up urine, commonly called "Potty Corners" for Hamsters. They tend to go in one area of their cage. I used a screwdriver for scraping it off. And then I tried disenfecting the cage with a cleaner thats safe to use around animals to get their scent out of the cage. It juts takes them a day or two to remark it but its clean! :). My Female Teddy Bear hamsters did it all the time and I would stick my finger in the cage when I saw her moving the bedding, and she would flip on her back and screech at me. Don't worry she was very tame, and I thought that self defense noise they make is so hilarious! They like to move the bedding and pee right on the floor of the cage! Dummies... I saw some little litter boxes at the pet store that they make for small animals, but I thought whouldn't they just chew it up? Anyway, What bedding do you use? I would recommend Carefresh Pet Bedding. Its grey in color, and Carefresh Pet Bedding is the safest, healthiest bedding for your pet. It controls odors up to two times longer than traditional bedding. It even absorbs up to three times its weight in liquid, is made from reclaimed wood pulp waste, not recycled paper, and also has no chemicals and no pine or cedar oils. They also have a variety of colors to chooose from, which from experience and reading the packaging, last even longer than the grey kind. I got it at Petco, and don't know if other store have it, but I would think they would...
2007-02-21 05:13:12 · answer #4 · answered by Jessica♥sRRidgebacks 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Newspaper is fine in the cage but paper towels might be better if you worry about them consuming too much ink. (DO NOT use the colored pages, only the black and white). They love to shred it and use it for bedding. The towel rollers are great to hide in and wonderful also to chew. It helps so the teeth don't overgrow. The calcium build up is from the urine and it just happens. The paper helps to absorb some of it.
2007-02-21 04:03:18 · answer #5 · answered by mom tree 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Im sure the newspaper wont harm him .. but try using something else to line the bottom of the cage.Brown paper bags should be ok and they might absorb some of the urine.. do you have anything else in the cage like special shavings made just for hamsters....Any pet store had all that......If I was you I would ask questions of a knowledgable person in the pet store....
2007-02-21 04:03:10 · answer #6 · answered by goldensunshine48 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Ok so first off NEVER EVER use ceder with your pet. It is horrible for their respitory and will shorten their life.
Aspen is the best wood shavings. Also a product called Carefresh is fantastic.
As far as the newspaper goes you should contact the news paper and find out if they use non-toxic ink. If they do then it's perfectly fine.
2007-02-21 04:23:54 · answer #7 · answered by gitana_diosa 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Newspaper contains ink, which if he eats too much will harm him. Paper towels will work great under the shavings and absorb better then newspaper anyways.
The hard calcium like deposit is actually his dried urine. To remove soak it in hot water for awhile.
Good luck
2007-02-21 04:09:27 · answer #8 · answered by allyalexmch 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I read years ago that you were not supposed to use newspaper, as the inks can be toxic.
2007-02-21 04:01:47 · answer #9 · answered by luckyaz128 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He may eat it and may harm him so pls remove d newspaper beforevits too LATE
2007-02-21 04:28:03 · answer #10 · answered by A2 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋