Is palochina wood ok for hamsters? The short answer is no, it is best to stay away from palochina wood to ensure the safety and good health of your pets.
Before you buy a pet hamster, the very first thing you need to do is to get as much information about these animals as possible. This short guide is meant to help new and existing hamster owners to help ensure that their hamsters stay comfy and healthy all the time.
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What is palochina wood
Palochina is a type of recycled wood that is sourced from wooden shipping crates. This material is now used all over the world for making furniture because it is said to be rigid, strong, and doesn’t deteriorate easily.
Are wood shavings safe for your hamster
The simple answer is a no and a yes at the same time. The specific type of wood will play a big role here. For instance, pine and cedar wood shavings are not considered safe for hamsters. Most of the time, these wood tend to be shaved too fine that may cause respiratory issues. So far, the safest and most recommended choices for hamsters are aspen shavings.
Are palochina wood shavings safe for your hamster
Based on the above, it is safe to say that palochina wood shavings may not be recommended for hamsters. To keep your hamsters safe and healthy, it is best to stick with aspen shavings and other safer and recommended options.
Unsafe types of bedding for hamsters
There are several types of beddings that you should never use if you want your little fur babies to stay safe all the time.
Cedar or pine wood shavings
Cedar or pinewood shavings are never the ideal kinds of bedding for hamsters. While the local pet store might say otherwise, they might not be aware of what is best for your pets.
Cedar and pinewood savings might splinter and end up wounding your hamsters and that is the last thing you would want to happen. Aside from that, once the hamsters urinate on wood shavings, this may lead to a chemical reaction that may give off toxic substances that could be dangerous for hamsters.
Corn cobs, cat litter and other types of animal litter
The feet of hamsters can be very delicate and this is the reason why it is never advisable to use a cat or any other type of animal litter since it may end up hurting them.
Corn cobs, on the other hand, tend to get moldy quite fast and as everyone knows, mold has dangerous toxins that can pose harm not only to your pets but also to you.
Fabric
It is not recommended to use any type of fabric material as bedding for your hamsters. Hamsters, for one, can chew on pretty much anything their teeth can sink into. The moment the fabric gets in their mouth, they might even feel tempted to eat it that may cause some ill effects on your pets.
The fabric also has thin strings that can get caught on the nails of hamsters and lead to a foot injury. One more good reason to avoid using fabric is that it can become smelly, which means you need to clean the cage more often unlike if you are using the right hamster bedding.
Newspaper
There are a lot of hamster owners out there who are guilty of using newspapers as bedding when the truth is that it should be a big no-no. Newspaper ink contains some toxic substances that could make hamsters ill. Shredded toilet paper or blank paper can be used but never newspapers.
Sawdust
A lot of people use sawdust as cage bedding for their hamsters. However, this is not recommended. Hamsters tend to be very active during nighttime and if they run and burrow here and there, the air will be filled with dust particles that may lead to suffocation once inhaled.
Scented bedding
While scented bedding might be great for your nose, the same thing doesn’t apply to the lungs of your hamster. The chemicals responsible for the good smell may be toxic to animals so non-scented pet bedding is more recommended.
What is the best and safest hamster bedding
Aspen wood shavings are among the most popular beddings for hamsters. This is absorbent that makes them ideal to keep the cage of your pet dry. Aside from that, aspen wood shavings are also cheaper than other types or brands of hamster bedding so you can be sure that will never end up hurting your pockets that much. Before using wood shavings, see to it that it is not that fine to the extent that it is almost like sand.
Tips to choose the right bedding for hamsters
When you are a hamster owner, it only makes sense that you want your pets to live a long and happy life that is free from harm. When your pets live in extremely uncomfortable conditions, it might be impossible for them to live for a long time. There are several good reasons why you need to pick the right type of bedding for your hamster.
1. Safety
There are certain types of hamster beddings that might cause harm instead of making them feel safe and secure. Some beddings may cause painful wounds and splinters to hamsters that may lead to infection. There are also some with dangerous substances that might make them sick or even lead to death because of suffocation. Always go for safe beddings to keep your hamsters safe all the time.
2. Comfort
Just because something seems comfortable to you doesn’t necessarily mean it will also be comfortable for your hamster. Before you shop for hamster bedding, always ask yourself if it will offer the comfort and coziness that your pet needs and deserves.
3. Little to no scent
It can be tempting to go for beddings with pleasant scents to prevent your pet’s cage from being smelly. However, these beddings don’t help. Scented beddings contain chemicals toxic to hamsters. They may even give off smells that may cause breathing issues to your pets. Your safest bet will always be unscented bedding.