Introduction
Hamster bedding also known as substrate is one of the most important things you place in your hamster’s cage or tank. Unfortunately many big chain pet stores and supermarkets advertise many materials as safe or natural when they have been known to cause harm, or even create life-threatening illnesses.
One major issue which is still ongoing is the sale and promotion of “fluffy bedding”. In this guide we highlight what this form of hamster bedding is, and address its safety concerns and why you should avoid purchasing fluffy bedding for your hamster.
Table of Contents
Summary: Fluffy bedding, often marketed as safe and natural for hamsters, poses significant risks including leg entanglement, respiratory issues, and life-threatening blockages when ingested, leading to strong recommendations against its use by reputable animal welfare organisations. Instead, safer alternatives such as paper and aspen bedding are suggested to ensure the well-being of pet hamsters.
What is fluffy bedding?
Fluffy bedding is aimed towards hamsters and can include a wide range of materials including cotton wool, cotton, kapok, and bamboo fluff to name a few. You’ll often find big chain pet stores and even supermarket brands advertising and selling fluffy bedding as a safe and comfortable solution for your hamster, or leaning towards marketing fluffy bedding as natural to give hamster owners the impression that it is a safe alternative to other substrates and bedding.
Is fluffy bedding safe for hamsters?
Fluffy bedding is unsafe for hamsters regardless of how it is advertised. Not only can fluffy bedding get wrapped around hamsters legs, the materials used in this form of bedding can also create respiratory issues when entering the lungs. Fluffy bedding can also be fatal when ingested by hamsters as many of the materials used, including cotton can cause a life-threatening blockage. It’s believed that hamsters store fluffy bedding in their cheeks where it can become stuck and later ingested.
Numerous animal charities including The Bluecross, Royal Veterinary College, The RSPCA, and PDSA highlight the dangers of hamster bedding. In their most recent guide “Creating the right home for your hamster“, The RSPCA point out the following:
“Do not provide them with nesting materials that can separate into thin strands such as cotton wool or similar ‘fluffy’ bedding products. They pose a serious risk to the health and welfare of your pet.”
This is further addressed by PSDA in their guide “The ideal home for your hamster” where they discuss the health implications that can be cause by hamster bedding:
“Fluffy beddings – such as cotton wool, kapok, and bamboo fluff, these are often marketed as safe for hamsters but can cause injuries by getting wrapped around their legs, and life-threatening gut blockages if ingested.”
We strongly advise against purchasing any fluffy bedding for your hamster. Big companies will aim to advertise fluffy bedding as a safe and natural bedding for your hamster because the ingredients used are synthetic and can be created in larger quantities for a much cheaper price to increase their profits.
There’s a wide range of other bedding materials you can use for your hamster without breaking the bank whilst ensuring you offer the safest alternative for your loveable companion. Below we highlight the safest hamster bedding options and alternatives to dangerous fluffy bedding.
Fluffy bedding alternatives
It’s important to offer deep and natural hamster bedding to encourage natural behaviour that they would experience in the wild. Hamsters love to burrow so it’s important to provide at least 6-8 inches of bedding to offer the ability to burrow and create chambers underground like they would do in the wild.
Safe Paper Hamster Bedding
Paper bedding is one of the most recommended bedding materials for hamsters whilst also being one of the safest options, especially if you’re first starting out with owning a hamster. Paper bedding materials are available in a wide range of colours and textures and are great at holding up burrows which hamsters love digging through the night.
The best and safest paper bedding to look out for are Carefresh, Kaytee, or Fitch as these are also the easiest to get hold of at a pet store near you. Other great alternatives to these are unscented toilet paper or teabag paper bedding, but you’ll find this harder to get hold of.
If you’re on a budget, you can even make hamster paper bedding yourself by placing unscented tissue paper through a shredder. However, please ensure that you do not use paper with ink, dyes, or scents for your hamster as these can cause health issues.
Safe Wooden Hamster Bedding
As a general rule of thumb, sawdust should be avoided as they can cause eye irritation alongside respiratory problems in the long run. However, if you are keen on the idea of offering wooden textures in your hamster tank or cage, then Aspen is the safest alternative as this does not contain the dust found in generic sawdust and will not cause eye irritation if fresh.
Although Aspen can be a great alternative bedding option, please note that it will not hold a burrow as much as other paper bedding. With this in mind, we only advise using Aspen alongside other bedding, or combining it with safe bedding materials to offer the best environment possible for your hamster.
Conclusion
It’s strongly advised to avoid fluffy bedding for your hamster. Although the materials used in this type of bedding may seem like a comfortable solution for your hamster, there are too many risks associated with it and many unfortunate stories of hamsters dying due to choking on the materials used.
If you’re looking to offer the best hamster bedding possible, then we strongly advise looking at the textures above we’ve highlighted, or even creating a combination of safe wooden and tissue textures to create the best and safest environment for your hamster.
Have you had any issues with fluffy bedding, or have any great ideas on hamster bedding ideas? Please be sure to leave a comment and share with others what bedding your hamster loves the most!
Frequently Asked Questions
It is strongly advised to avoid using cotton wool as hamster bedding. Although it is often advertised as safe, this form of “fluffy bedding” can cause injuries to hamsters by wrapping around their legs, or in more severe cases get caught if swallowed and create life-threatening gut blockages.
No, wool is not safe to use as hamster bedding. The thin strands of wool can pose a serious risk by catching and tangling around the legs of your hamster. There are even worse scenarios where hamsters have ingested wool where it has later caused gut blockages or choked hamsters.
Although cotton bedding is advertised as safe, it can cause life-threatening injuries by getting caught around hamster’s feet, or cause blockages if swallowed which has been known to cause death in many reported cases.
No, Kapok can cause the same issues found with cotton wool or other “fluffy bedding” where it can tangle the feet of your hamster or cause gut blockages if ingested. It’s strongly advised to avoid using Kapok within your hamster cage or tank.
Although bamboo itself is considered safe to be used in your hamster’s environment, bamboo fluff should not be used. The stranded material can be a choking hazard if ingested by your hamster. The strands can also get tangled up around the feet of your hamster which is a cause for concern.