corn cob

[wolfsoul]

Has anyone here tried corn cob bedding? I heard that it molded quickly, which discruntles me, but I'm out of things to choose :( The petshops near me don't supply very much unfortunatly..I wanted to try carefresh or mountain fresh but they don't carry those :(

Any opinions? :) I'd like to know if anyone has had any trouble with corn cob, thanks. ;)

[Jessica12345]

this isnt much help but....i dont beleive ive even heard of it:confused: lol... I would suggest carefresh but you said they dont carry it. :(

;)

[Desert Arabian]

I do use corn cob bedding. I do not use it as my main bedding though, I use it in the ferret "potty", which it their wrestling box.

Here is a picture of what I am talking about. This is where I put the corn cob bedding:
http://www.petco.com/assets/product_images/4/4512562143B.jpg
This is the corn cob bedding I use:
http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/20030212212850/www.drsfostersmith.com/images/products/large/p_415683.jpg The Kay-Kob was only $1.49!

I like it a lot is aborbs a lot of urine and odors.

[wolfsoul]

I bought that Kaytee cob today, and it cost me two something, but I guess that's cuz I'm in Canada lol. It was pretty cheap compared to theother petshop's prices, they wanted six bucks! :eek:

[shellonabeach]

I've never used the stuff but have been told by people who have (for hamsters) that it moulds very quickly and is a hotspot for growing the deadly aspergillus fungus.

I have also heard that if ingested it can swell causing an internal blockage.

Personally for my hamsters I use carefresh and for the gerbils either shredded cheap toilet paper or paper horse bedding which is made out of toilet paper like stuff.

Are we talking about rats I guess? If so my friends use yesterdays news paper cat litter.

[wolfsoul]

Eep! Are you sure that's what it does?! :eek: I hope not, I have to use this stuff up! Grrr I shouldn't have bought it before I knew....
Does anyone know if this is legitamate?

I tried yesterdays news, and personally, I hate the stuff. It's hard, smells bad, and Frisco is allergic to it. So I won't be using that again.

[shellonabeach]

If YLL uses it for her rats then I would trust that it is ok. Rats are larger than hamsters so maybe ingestion is less of a problem.

As for the moulding, that can be solved by keeping the cage extra clean.

[wolfsoul]

It doesn't say anything about molding on the back, but I have heard that it is pretty bad for molding...Itdoes say on the back that it adversely reverses the effects of contaminates though ;)

I have one problem though; Icarus is eating it! He seems to think that it's a treat! And I know that corn is bad for rats, so what do you think? :confused:

[Aspen and Misty]

We use it in Julians Litter boxes. We have not had it mold and it sits in our bathroom for about a month and then again in teh litter box for about 3 days or so.


Ash

[Desert Arabian]

I have never had a molding problem, and the longest I've ever kept in the cage was for about 5 days or so (with some poopy spot cleaning). My rats have nibbled on it once or twice, and as you can see they are all alive and well. :)

[Desert Arabian]

This is what it says about the product (Kay-Kob) on the back of the bag:

"KAYTEE Kay-Kob is cleaner, brighter, and more aborbant than other cob bedding availiale today. From the start, the corn cobs used are stored indoors, which sets KAYTEE Kay-Kob apart from the others. Other cob beddings are usually left outside exposed to rain, snow, dust and other contaminants. Moisture and dust can produce bacteria, discoloration, and reduce the aborbancy in the cob bedding. Storing indoors insures Kay-Kob meets the industry's highest standards of quality and is the healthiest cob bedding for your pet."

This is one of the many reasons why I love Kaytee. I think they have the best products on the market, well, besides Super Pet. :p :D :D :D

[CathyBogart]

You do mean aside from their food products right YLL?????

[wolfsoul]

But remember what luckies4me said about their yogurt drops? They contain ethoxyquine:eek:

[Desert Arabian]

No, I like their food products and so do the rats.

Yea, yea, yea, I know the "deadly" Ethoxiquin is found in KAYTEE food, but it is like 40th in the list of ingredients (meaning their is hardly any in there). My rats have never gotten sick/ill off of it, and they eat it like little piggys. In fact, it helped Peanut regain a lot of weight she lost when she got a serious case of pneumonia.

They eat the KAYTEE Fiesta Rat & Mouse, honey and berry sticks, chew biscuits, strawberry yogurt drops, tropical mix yogurt drops, and for extra bedding I use timothy hay, kay-kob, and aspen. All made by Kaytee.

[CathyBogart]

You also know then that seed mixes are very much recommended against when looking at proper rat nutrition. Yes it would be a complete diet IF they ate it all, but any animal will pick out the tasty stuff and leave the nutritious stuff behind. Lab blocks are the best store-bought diet for rats.

The problem with Ethoxyquin is not necessarily that it makes rats SICK, but that later in life in can cause them to develop tumars. So perhaps you just have yet to see the effects of this diet on your animals. It is cumulative, so the fact that there is very little in the food makes no difference.

I know many people who insist that they have used Pine or Cedar as bedding for years with no problems, but that doesn't make it okay IMO.

[luckies4me]

Thank you WolfChan! I've told her this a million times but she just pokes fun at it. You did see her signature right? The one about how she has 30 50 pounds of Ethoxyquin in her house? She obviously doesn't care so....:rolleyes:

[Logan]

It was suggested by our pet store, when we got our birds, that we use the corn cob litter at the bottom of their cages. Then, when I started reading more about birds, it was strongly suggested that we NOT use it, as a bird can get it caught in their crop. So, I use plain old newspaper.

With the hamster, we always used aspen shavings, then discoved the Carefresh, which we liked much better. I think the key to any "litter" is frequent changes. They all have a tendency to get stinky and moldy if they aren't changed often enough.

Logan

[luckies4me]

This is so true! ;)

"With the hamster, we always used aspen shavings, then discoved the Carefresh, which we liked much better. I think the key to any "litter" is frequent changes. They all have a tendency to get stinky and moldy if they aren't changed often enough. "

[Desert Arabian]

Originally posted by luckies4me
Thank you WolfChan! I've told her this a million times but she just pokes fun at it. You did see her signature right? The one about how she has 30 50 pounds of Ethoxyquin in her house? She obviously doesn't care so....:rolleyes:

DARN IT! How did you discover my secret? MAN! I thought it was so well hidden. Yes, yes...it is true I don't care for my animals at all. That's why I have my friend take them to the vet once a year for check-ups, or more if they become ill. I also put them in the smallest cage I could find (32"lx20"wx67"h). I made sure they have no toys either, I mean what the heck, its a waste of money. When I left for camp for six weeks I told my mom to never speak of them in her letters and don't bring them to the camp on the weekends to visit me. And when it comes to the cat, I make sure mom never gives him his Hearguard or Frontline. When he wants to go outside, I open up the door and let him out. We haven't scooped out his litter box in the past 2 months, oh well, his feces are rather small. The humane society wanted to put a chip in him, but we said "No, if we loose him, we'll just get another cat." I think the last time he went to the vet was when his other owners owned him- not to sure on that one. I do not care what happens to them, after all they are only animals. (sarcastic story)

(This is the true story) Ok, now I am going to be like you and brag about all the items I have recently bought my rats. Let's see, in the past two weeks I have spent over $103 with my own money. Mom has spent around $30-$40 or so. I just spend three hours cleaning both cages last night, scrubbin 'em real good. If I get a good report card this summer, mom is going to get me a brand spanking new PWC cage (can't remember the size, it is over 48").
I am also currently building them a run which is about 2 feet high and 5 feet long, so they can safely play in the grass this summer. When I go to summer camp, I am going to make sure mom sends me pictures weekly of the rats, and brings them up there to visit me, like she did last year. We are going up to the cottage next weekend, guess who's comming along- like always, they come with me everywhere. When the weather gets nice I need to put together their Ware rabbit hutch for them. Yup, I do care for my rats.

All I have to say to you Luckies is, don't you ever make another statment like that again towards me. Haven't you noticed I have never listened to your advice, and never will. For a good reason. I care for my rats more than I do myself, and for someone like you to make a comment "she doesn't care" makes me BEYOND angry. It's a good thing I don't make it to the west coast that much!!!!

http://members.aol.com/OrliBloom177/peany.jpg
http://members.aol.com/OrliBloom177/fredder.jpg
"Please somone help us, ma doesn't care for us, we are so abused! Can't you tell!!- Peanut (top), Fred and Nugget (bottom)
Mr. Pudgy (Oscar) is sleeping in the Comfy Cube and that is why it is sagging so low. Hehehehehehe. Fatty! hehehehehe. :p

[popcornbird]

From what I know, rats that eat Kaytee live 2-3 years. Rats that eat other foods live the same lifespan. If Kaytee was so bad wouldn't they die far before their already short lifespan? :confused:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is what I believe. I do not believe Ethoxyquin is as dangerous as some people say. My vet is known to be one of the best avian vets in the area. I asked him about Kaytee and ethoxyquin, and he said it has never been proven to cause any harm or threat to birds (don't know about rats). He said its just an assumption and that his own birds eat Kaytee seeds and Zupreem pellets. I also asked breeders and people who have been raising birds for decades on the tiel forum I'm on, and they said that in the decades they've had their birds, not once have they have a problem with ethoxyquin, and their tiels lived happy, healthy longs lives of 25-35 years.

Again, I don't know about rats, but I've always heard of Kaytee to be a good brand until I met Luckies4me. :p

Ps. Logan, I'm glad you found out that litters are bad for birds early. Birds do not need any litter in their cage at all, nor should they be there. The best thing to use is black and white newpaper (colored can be toxic) or paper towel. Some people use nothing and just wash the cage tray everyday, but I go with the newspaper. :)

[Desert Arabian]

Bowing down at your feet PCB. Finally, someone else who is smart and believes the same thing about Kaytee.

DUH- if it was killing millions of pets, they'd get sued in 2 seconds and be out of business. Are they, NO!

[Nomilynn]

I don't understand why anyone would assume that YLL did not care for her pets. That's stupid! Her animals are her main concern, and that's pretty obvious.

[Desert Arabian]

Oh yea, I forgot to mention to you WolfChan, I mix lab blocks in with their Kaytee. They love em!

P.S. Thanks Nomilynn :)

[luckies4me]

I never said she didn't care about her pets, I said she didn't care about feeding them Ethoxyquin, if she mistook that post oh well. Oh yes, YLL I would LOVE to see you come here, how old are you again? 15 hahahah that's pretty funny. :rolleyes: Oh wait, here I go again, listen up everyone, YLL doesn't ever care for her animals, ever! Now what are you going to do? Come here and beat me? hehe



PCB, why do you always bring up birds? This is about rats. If you want to feed that food go right ahead, no ones stopping you. I do believe I have mentioned several times that we fed our tiels Kaytee while I was younger did I not?

[Desert Arabian]

Here is a picture of silly Mr. Pudgy/Oscar taking his Yogies into the corn cob box. :D Not like he needs anymore treats! :p

http://members.aol.com/OrliBloom177/osky.jpg

[luckies4me]

Yes you can get mad if you want, I don't care, but if I think a rat is cute I will comment. Afterall, I can dislike the owner and like the pets so.....HE IS HUGE! That's all I am going to say. :p

[Desert Arabian]

And here is Little Pea snatching Oscars left-behind treats from the cob box. :D :p :D

http://members.aol.com/OrliBloom177/littlepea.jpg

[luckies4me]

How old is she?? She looks older....cute pic though. :)

[Desert Arabian]

She was born August 24, 2001. She is a "senior rattie".

[luckies4me]

She came from the petstore right? That's a good age for a pet store ratty! You should be happy! :D My friend just lost her petstore ratty who was 2 1/2 years old.

[Desert Arabian]

No, she was born here at my house. Her mom was Skittles, who came from the pet store, who was pregnant when I bought her (along with Oreo and Nugget), she has eaten KAYTEE food her whole life, and has battled a bad case of pnemounia (sp?).

http://petoftheday.com/archive/2002/September/29.jpg

This is a picture of Peanut (l) and Skittles (r).

[luckies4me]

Originally posted by YellowLabLover
No, she was born here at my house. Her mom was Skittles, who came from the pet store, who was pregnant when I bought her (along with Oreo and Nugget), she has eaten KAYTEE food her whole life, and has battled a bad case of pnemounia (sp?).


Is Nugget still alive? I know Oreo passed away. YLL we are not saying every rat who gets fed Kaytee is going to develope a tumour or what not, I imagine it is very rare but some people don't want to take the chance. Just do what you feel comfortable with, their your rats obviously, feed what you want and may they live a long life.

Whenever there is a pet forum there will ALWAYS be differing opinions so if you are comfortable the way your rats are living than that's great! Just some people chose otherwise. We are all different. How fun would this world be if we were all the same? :)

[Desert Arabian]

Oh, I know, I just wanted to proove that rats do live long on Kaytee. :D She's the one who eats it like a piggy. :p

Yes, I still have Nugget (and her daughter Sweet Pea). Oreo, Skittles, and Punkin have passed away. Oreo was Punkin's mother, and Skittles was Peanut mama (as mentioned). I got brand new grave markers for Oreo, Skittles, and Punkin- they are so pretty. :)

[luckies4me]

Are they burried in your backyard? That's cool that they have little graves, do you have pics of the stones? I would love to see them. :)


BTW I am sure a lot of rats live long healthy lives on that food, but well you know where I stand lol. Just glad your ratties are doing fine now. ;)

[CathyBogart]

YLL, just so you know...I'm coming over and stealing Oscar!! ^_^ BWAHAHAHA! He's darling!

I'm glad they eat the lab blocks too. We just got a donation at work of a VERY fat rat who was fed only the Volkman mix and apparently only ate the Sunflower seeds. >.<

I promise not to pester about Kaytee anymore. I apologize, I do tend to get my mind stuck one one thing and then see things only in black and white until someone smacks some sense into me. ^_^

[Desert Arabian]

LOL, its okay about the Kaytee thingy. Stealing Oscar is going to be quite tricky, he weighs as much as a sandbag. Just kidding of course, though, he is rather beefy.

I just weighed him and he is 15.7oz :eek: :eek: :eek: Talk about S.S. Ship! OI! That is so weird, he doesn't get fed more than the others...lol. He is my little chubby boy! :D

His nicknames

Mr. Chubbs
Mr. Tubbs
Mr. Pudgy
S.S. Battleship
Chicken Chalupa....don't ask :p
Mr. Tubby-Wubby

Oh yes, his favorite song is "I'm to sexy".

hehehehe, lol! Mr. Chubbs says thank for the compliment (he is in the corner, he gets bashful when women like him :D )

[Desert Arabian]

http://members.aol.com/OrliBloom177/Pudge.jpg

There is a reason for this picture being so large: make it any smaller and it takes away his cuteness.

"Ma says it cuz then you wondent see my whiskey (his word for wiskers, not the drink!! lol!!) holes, my butterfly shaped nose, and my big seed eyes. I is to cute to be schrunk! I love mamas sweater pockey, its warm and fuzy" -Mr. Pudge

He looks like a badger!!

[CathyBogart]

LoL, that is precious. I have a similar pic of Chloe only she's sticking out of my cleavage! 0.0;;;