[polishrose]

shredded paper as bedding-just bog standard paper from the shredder-can I still do that?I have a lot of letters/magazines that get shredded and chucked away-with 2 syrians, 4 rats, 2 roborovskis, a gerbil and 3 mice I could use it all in their cages...

 

[salemsparklys]

I know a few ppl who do use it and normal newspaper shredded too. My guys like loo roll or kitchen roll, they dont like the cheap scratchy stuff though, they prefer soft

 

[polishrose]

I would mix mine with soft like I used to before-would save loads on buying-I could mix in megazorb and the finacard I got recently and some hemp stuff and the shredded paper with some soft kitchen roll/toilet roll for them to make into bedding.

 

[Nat88]

I used shredded paper for my rats, they don't seem to mind at all. Shredded newspaper mixed with the soft cotton-wool type bedding you can buy (not sure what it's called lol) for their houses and they seem comfortable enough. They tend to sleep in their hammocks anyway.

 

[polishrose]

Ooh that cotton wool type bedding isn't safe as far as I'm aware-maybe it makes a difference if it's mixed with paper though?

 

[salemsparklys]

Nope wool bedding isnt safe, I use Finacard for substrate as they all kicked the Megazorb out the cages, I use shredded loo/kitchen roll and shredded paper that you buy in pet shops for bedding, they take the Finacard in as well sometimes and I find the babies burrowed under it in little groups sleeping too

 

[polishrose]

Cage cleaning due today so will be giving them a mix of shredded paper, finacard and the hemp stuff I got to try as well as some straw/hay,paper bedding/toilet roll/kitchen roll.Phew what a mixture.I ran out of the megazorb and as I was ordering anyway from rat rations I thought I may as well get some from there and save on delivery charges.

 

[salemsparklys]

I am really lazy, we have horses but I never look when we pick up feed, I order my Finacard from RR cos I love getting a few extras snuck in when my lovely husband isnt looking

 

[thedogsmother]

I use shredded paper for the rats, mice and multis, but I use shavings for the gerbils, I found that the shredded paper wasnt great for their little tunnels and didnt hold the smell very well. The shavings are perfect for the job and were reccomended to me by a lot of gerbil owners, they dont seem to suffer from the same respiratory problems as rats and mice so normal shavings are ok for them.

 

[polishrose]

Thanks tdm I didn't know that shavings were OK for them Just as well as I have half a bag to use up and didn't know what to do with it.

 

[thedogsmother]

Thanks tdm I didn't know that shavings were OK for them Just as well as I have half a bag to use up and didn't know what to do with it.

GerbilNik, who I trust totally for all things gerbil related uses them and she says they are fine, its easier for me since shavings are much easier to get hold of than a lot of the other things I use, and when I do a clean out of all the gerbil tanks it uses 2 whole bales of shavings

 

[kodakkuki]

GerbilNik, who I trust totally for all things gerbil related uses them and she says they are fine, its easier for me since shavings are much easier to get hold of than a lot of the other things I use, and when I do a clean out of all the gerbil tanks it uses 2 whole bales of shavings

huh! thats LOADS!! in saying that though melin my mums gerb uses a whole small bale at every cleaning...

by boys get shredded paper every now and then, and you'd think it was christmas bless them; they love anything unusual- even plain paper! the wee pets :001_wub:

 

[thedogsmother]

huh! thats LOADS!! in saying that though melin my mums gerb uses a whole small bale at every cleaning...

by boys get shredded paper every now and then, and you'd think it was christmas bless them; they love anything unusual- even plain paper! the wee pets :001_wub:

I like to have the tanks filled deeply so they can make loads of tunnel systems, and the tank with the 3 boys in is enormous, 3 adults struggled to carry it, that one alone takes a whole bale. Gerbils are amazing pets though, at least they dont need cleaning out as often as the rats or mice/multis do, it would cost an absolute fortune if they did

 

[kodakkuki]

I like to have the tanks filled deeply so they can make loads of tunnel systems, and the tank with the 3 boys in is enormous, 3 adults struggled to carry it, that one alone takes a whole bale. Gerbils are amazing pets though, at least they dont need cleaning out as often as the rats or mice/multis do, it would cost an absolute fortune if they did

oh i hear ya!
sounds like a great wee gerb house... i want one... and more gerbs

 

[polishrose]

It takes a fair bit to fill the gerbil's tank too so as shavings are OK that's great as they are cheap I'll give her a mixture of the other stuff too as she will have fun with it

 

[kathateria]

I bought a bale of hay,for £4.Lasts for months.They eat it too,which they cant with shavings
I completely ram the tank full of it.i have put a glass shelf in for the food,(glued in with aquarium sealent)and the bottle hangs above it,off the wire top,so the hay doesnt get wet.but they still drag loo roll inserts,into the food bowl

 

[kathateria]

Some pics

 

[GerbilNik]

GerbilNik, who I trust totally for all things gerbil related uses them and she says they are fine, its easier for me since shavings are much easier to get hold of than a lot of the other things I use, and when I do a clean out of all the gerbil tanks it uses 2 whole bales of shavings

Thanks for the compliment Gill

Yes woodshavings are fine for Gerbils, however be careful as to which ones you buy. Some can be very dusty so aviod these types. The type I use which I would recommend if you can get a hold of it is Bedmax woodshavings. Woodshavings have always formed part of my mix of substrates, as it has with many people in the Gerbil world. I've never once had an adult Gerbil suffer from a respiratory problem in 15 years of keeping them. But that's a whole other debate which I'm tired of going over

Onto the original question as everyone has said shredded paper is a good extra to add to your substrate mix. All mine really enjoy this!