I have carefresh. I thought it was a decent bedding at first. Now I'm reading things about it causing sneezing and other types of problems. And coincidentally, one of my rats does sneeze. Ive also heard it described as one of the best.
Aspen on the other hand has only been described as the best from what Ive read.
What are the real facts so I can make a final decision?
Answers:
Both Aspen and Carefresh are good beddings. Carefresh *is* generally more dusty though. Although, unlike pine and cedar it doesn't pose a risk to your pets health. It's really your decision. Personally, I like Aspen, due to the fact that it is cheaper and I can use the extra money on ratty toys and treats, which they like better anyways! :)
I used aspen for my rabbits and they do not wheeze or sneeze anymore! Cheers,Cathy
I use carefresh. It cost a little more but I thing it smells better and is better for the feet of the animal.
I have only heard that pine is bad for hamsters, guinea pigs etc..
www.caveycages.com is a great site for this kind of info
I actually use both for my guinea pigs. I put about 2 inches of a base of Aspen, then a thin layer of Carefresh in spots they tend to lay and go to the bathroom. Aspen is cheaper and lasts longer (meaning more in the bag than in Carefresh) than Carefresh alone, and my pigs don't really notice much of a difference. Aspen isn't as dusty as Carefresh, and it doesn't have any odors like other wood beddings.
From workin in a petstore and having pets of my own I am a firm beliver in care freash. Its a little dusty but it does not harm your pet. If your worried about the dust there is also care freash ultra its nice and soft. I have seen too many pet owners who had bad experiances with other bedding and have converted back to care freash hopes this helps
i would suggest using aspen bedding *its not bad for rats/rodents like cedar and pine* all over the cage, then in spots where they tend to sleep and go to the bathroom *usually corners* put a pile of care fresh, its a little dusty but i think they like that better to snuggle in :) you can also give them some toilet paper or kleenex to nest on with the carefresh
Both of them are considered good bedding for rodents. I use aspen, but many of my friends who also own rats use carefresh. It really comes down to personal choice.
Carefresh can be a little dusty, but there is a "dust free" version which is available in most pet stores if you want to stick with Carefresh.
Aspen, as others have pointed out, is much cheaper and just as good.
When you do research on the internet and find some new information, don't rely on just that one source to be truthful. Check out numerous websites and see if they all agree. The information is likely to be more reliable that way.
The internet is a wonderful thing, but it also has it problems. One person can build a website professing to be the world's leading expert on rats and gives false information. Another person who knows nothing about rats goes to that site and reads the claim about being an expert and says to him/herself "wow, this person must really know what they are talking about I'm going to do exactly what they say." Then that other person builds a website using that same false information.
See where I'm going with this? I'm not saying that every site on the internet is filled with bad information, just that you should not rely on only one or two websites for your information. If you check out a dozen or more websites and they are all consistant, then chances are the information is pretty solid.
Whether you decide to stay with Carefresh or switch to aspen is entirely up to you, but don't let one comment from one website scare you into changing the way you care for your pets. :) If you are still really concerned about your rats, switch to aspen, but remember that all rats sneeze occassionally and sometimes it has nothing to do with the type of bedding they are kept on. :)
Good luck.
I am a bit of an expert on this subject and these people that recommend carefresh must go to very clean pet stores (I wish they all were) but I'm having to pay a $100 vet bill next week because 3 months ago I was short on cash and went to walmart and bought carefresh for my rats instead of my usual yeasterday's news (the best litter in my opinion). 3 weeks later they were balding and were infested with mites. I don't know how long that stuff had been sitting on the shelf, but it was INFESTED with mites. I have been dusting them with sevin dust, their hair has grown back, but they still have mites and they still get sores, their coats look aweful, and the bottom line is I have to take them into the vet next week for shots to kill the parasites. BUY YEASTERDAYS NEWS OR SIMILAR LITTER
Beddings consisting of wood shavings can generally contribute to upper respiratory problems in guinea pigs and rats. However I have heard that Aspen *(this brand name only)* is the exception.
I only use carefresh for my rats and have recently switched to the white carefresh (not the dyed ones). It's a lot less dusty than the gray.
You're on the right track, Aspen and CareFresh are both great bedding choices.
I personally use CareFresh because I can get the big 50 liter bag, and I like getting things in bulk. :P CareFresh CAN get very dusty, so you can always freeze it overnight to eliminate lots of the dust.
Aspen's great too, although rats can kick it out easier than CareFresh. :P
Good luck! And if you got more rat questions, visit Goosemoose.com, were a rat forum. :)
I used to use aspen bedding, but my son and I are allergic to it, and, coincidentally or not, I lost three rats to respiratory illness.
I now use ground corn cob bedding, suggested to me by the pet shop employee and fellow rat owner. We all seem healthier.
I've never tried Carefresh.
ASPEN! ALL THE WAY!!
I have used and always will use Aspen...it is the best bedding for almost all small animals...
The wood shavings that are dangerous are Pine and Cedar, they contain toxins that can be fatal in small animals...Aspen doesn't...
Aspen is also cheaper than Carefresh and all the other wood shavings...
Carefresh is a TERRIBLE bedding!! Carefresh is very dusty and actually smells bad...right out of the bag, let alone with animal waste on it...
I have worked in a Pet store who switched to Carefresh because of some contract with the company...we have lost more rats to Carefresh than anything else...including regular medical issues..
Carefresh holds in amonia from urine and lets it into the air that the rats breath, the dust also gets into their lungs, causeing many respiratory problems...killing them...
Carefresh is extremely over estimated and rather dangerous...PLEASE use ASPEN!!!
Hope this helps...GOOD LUCK!!
i have the same problem my baby's are sneezing allot and i use care fresh but i have also used another kind that when pee touches it it gets big because it is shaped like a ball but that is dusty to so i dont know which one
I use Yesterday's News. The BEST IMO litter. It gets a little dusty towards the bottom of the bag but it's super at odor and moisture absorbtion.
My girls all came on Aspen and they were a bit sneezey. Aspen was light and fluffy and frequently got fluffed out of the cage. YN stays in the cage unless someone gets really wild or starts pushing it out through the bars. They are also less sneezy with it.
TIP: Don't get it in the small animal section. You will get a better deal if you get the Unscented from the cat litter section.
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