Are you risking your hamster's long term health by using the wrong, or even potentially harmful, bedding materials?

Choosing the right type of bedding for your hamsters may at first seem like a fairly straightforward matter. However, safety concerns have arisen in recent years over potential harmful effects of certain types of hamsters bedding and the subject has become a matter of much debate.

For many years, people have used woodshavings and sawdust as bedding for their hamsters and, judging by their ready availability in pet shops and stores, continue to do so. Two of the main wood types that are used in the manufacture of bedding material for hamsters are cedar wood and pine wood.

Woodshavings have been such a popular choice for many reasons. Their natural insecticidal properties help to reduce bacterial growth and the incidence of fleas, mites and parasites. They are relatively cheap to buy and are generally absorbant and good at reducing urine odour.

More recently, however, the practice of using this type of bedding has come into question, with many hamster owners and researchers questioning the safety of woodshavings and sawdust. The problems that have been identified are linked to the insecticidal chemicals within the woods, known as phenols. These chemicals have been linked, by some authors, to an increased risk of respiratory problems, cancers and liver damage.

The evidence that supports this theory has, in itself been the subject of much heated debate with some commentators strongly in favour, advocating a blanket ban on the use of both cedar and pine woodshavings as a bedding material for hamsters. Others, highlight stronger evidence that suggest cedar wood as the main culprit, whist there are many who feel that the arguements are weak and lack any firm evidence to indicate that we need to change current practice at all!

Where there is doubt, however, there will naturally be concern. For peace of mind, many hamster owners are looking for alternatives to woodshavings...and there are many other materials available. But what is best for your hamster?

There is a wide variety of different types of pet bedding available in the market place. However, there isn't one single type that is perfect for hamsters - all have their advantages and disadvantages. Some hamster owners will swear by a certain product that others would not even consider appropriate for their needs. A lot is down to personal preference. Unfortunately, our furry friends aren't in a position to tell us what they like best!

Megazorb - a dried wood fibre pulp which has it's origins in the equine world and is widely acclaimed as an excellent bedding material, not just for horses. It is dried, sterilised and dust extracted twice. With great absorbancy, hamster urine odours are kept to a minimum and, because of its biodegradability, it composts really quickly. Mezasorb has a pleasant texture that is soft to the touch and has very little odour of its own.

One of the main criticism of Megazorb, is its availability and packaging size. It isn't usually stocked in general pet stores, although is readily availble online and from larger farm and equine shops (UK based). At around £5.00 for an amazing 85 litres, it is certainly great value for money. Consideration is obviously needed for storage.

A similar equine product, Aubiose, is made from organically cultivated hemp and is popular amongst some hamster lovers.

Carefresh is another wood pulp bedding material that is highly recommended for small animals. Very similar in characteristics to megazorb, although not as readily available in the UK. Because it is more difficult to access and buy in larger quantites, it does work out more expensive.

Aspen woodshavings - for the die-hard woodshavings fans out there! Aspen woodshavings are a safer alternative to cedar and pine as they do not emit the harmful phenols that have been associated with health problems in small animals. Accessibility is a big problem and related mainly to whether the country you live in grows Aspen trees. So if you live in Canada, you're OK. UK residents - forget it! Can also work out a bit pricy too.

Finacard - is finely shredded, dust extracted cardboard bedding. A great material for allergy sufferers though again, not easily available in pet shops. It is highly absorbant and good for burrowing.

Paper-based cat litter- some hamster owners are using paper-based cat litters as a safe bedding alternative. It is said to be comparable to carefresh in its consistancy. Easily accessible in many supermarkets and very economical, this type of material is good in terms of absorbancy and for burrowing.

Caution needs to be exercised in its purchase to make sure that you are buying the right product. Some paper-based cat litters are not 100% recycled paper but merely have been produced from a paper source. You need to check that any product you buy is safe for small animals (some say so on their labels), i.e. that it is only paper.

A similar type of product is Yesterday's News, specially processed recycled paper in pellet form. It is claimed to be very absorbant, perfume free, with very low dust emissions. Some hamster owners may thinks that it's a little too firm underfoot for comfort.

Shredded paper - whilst very soft, comfortable and burrowable, fails to pass the test when it comes to absorbancy and can become very soggy. Probably a type of bedding that is best used in the sleeping quarters only.

It is widely thought that using shredded newspaper or any other paper that has ink on it, can be harmful to hamsters.

Bearing in mind the many different products available, it can seem very difficult to decide which type of bedding material would best suit your hamster. A recent survey amongst hamster lovers showed that opinion is widely split on this issue, with about 50% of those contributing still advocating the use of woodshavings!!

You can only do what you feel is right for you and your pet. We decided to err on the side of caution and have changed all our hamster's bedding (syrians and dwarfs) from woodshavings and now use megazorb.

Read the research and draw your own conclusions. There are plenty of bedding material choices out there to suit everyone and every budget.