New Pet Bedding Materials?
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- And got the T-shirt
Wood pellets. Cheapest by a long, long shot. Needs changing very seldom -- I'm on six months with what's currently in my cage, and I've got at least six more to go before they have to be changed.
You can get the pellets at a place that sells supplies for pellet stoves, but just be sure not to get any that have an accelerant added. Also avoid any that have a strong pine smell. Or, you can get the pellets used for horse stall bedding. I use those -- TerrAmigo brand. Either kind should cost you less than $8-$10 a bag.
The disadvantage of pellets is that they're heavy. But I just put a heavy garbage sack in the garbage can and roll it up next to the cage when i get ready to change. They're also a bit dusty when you pour them in the cage, but since I do that so seldom, it really doesn't cause a problem.
You can get the pellets at a place that sells supplies for pellet stoves, but just be sure not to get any that have an accelerant added. Also avoid any that have a strong pine smell. Or, you can get the pellets used for horse stall bedding. I use those -- TerrAmigo brand. Either kind should cost you less than $8-$10 a bag.
The disadvantage of pellets is that they're heavy. But I just put a heavy garbage sack in the garbage can and roll it up next to the cage when i get ready to change. They're also a bit dusty when you pour them in the cage, but since I do that so seldom, it really doesn't cause a problem.
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- Let Sleeping Pigs Lie
How does using wood pellets as bedding work? Do you put something on top of them (like a piece of fleece)? Can the dust be irritating and cause sneezing? I think using wood pellets would be good, but I don't understand exactly how you use them.
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- And got the T-shirt
You fill the bottom of the cage with them. Some people use fleece over them (I do), but others don't.
They're only dusty when you pour them in or stir them. In a very short amount of time, the urine makes the top layer dissolve into sawdust, which is packed in like a floor and can even be brushed. That layer stays absorbent for a long time, but the pellets will occasionally need to be stirred.
If I had a kitchen loft, I wouldn't bother with the fleece. But mine drag their food all over the cage, and I think lettuce covered in saw dust isn't very appetizing.
I've used wood pellets for years, and wouldn't change for anything short of a truly self-cleaning cage that I didn't have to touch. At this point, I haven't changed the pellets in nearly six months, and am not close to needing to change again. The last change cost me less than $16, so I'm on track for a year's worth of pellets for less than $35.
They're only dusty when you pour them in or stir them. In a very short amount of time, the urine makes the top layer dissolve into sawdust, which is packed in like a floor and can even be brushed. That layer stays absorbent for a long time, but the pellets will occasionally need to be stirred.
If I had a kitchen loft, I wouldn't bother with the fleece. But mine drag their food all over the cage, and I think lettuce covered in saw dust isn't very appetizing.
I've used wood pellets for years, and wouldn't change for anything short of a truly self-cleaning cage that I didn't have to touch. At this point, I haven't changed the pellets in nearly six months, and am not close to needing to change again. The last change cost me less than $16, so I'm on track for a year's worth of pellets for less than $35.
Wow, that sounds great! I'm pretty sure I"ll be getting a C&C cage soon, so I really want to try that, rather than messing around with making MORE fleece pads that will no doubt just be burrowed under.
- RavenShade
- Thanks for the Memories
Mine don't eat the fleece, but they do sometimes pull back the corners, so whatever's underneath should be OK for them to eat, just in case.