Carefresh Litter Prob

[mousie]

Carefresh can be dusty, and although my ratties tolerate it, I don't like it as when it's cage cleaning time the dust is pretty annoying. Please don't use cedar or pine as these may smell good to us, but they're not good for our little friends. I use aspen for the rats, and I like it! It's not too expensive and works well. Just choose something that your gerbil can burrow and dig in.

~abigail

[Christmas_Hamster]

Some bags of CF are dustier then others but the Ultra/coloured CF is usually much less dusty. I don't have problems with it.

Cedar, Pine and all soft wood shavings have phenols that are released and cause respiratory problems and other problems such as hair loss, skin irritation, sneezing, and liver (or kidney can't remember) problems. Some humans who work with the stuff for long amounts of time are even known to have problems with it. Soft wood shavings (including cedar and pine) are bad for all small animals.

My mom used pine when she was a kid and her hamster had no problems but when I used pine (before I researched more into it) my hamsters ere starting to have problems.

The problems don't happen right away bit with time although sometimes they show up sooner. Just like the effects of smoking on people sometimes it comes later and sometimes it shows up right away.

[IRescue452]

As a mouse owner, I look down upon carefresh because of the dust. Dust won't harm a gerbil. No worries about them getting respiratory infections really, it doesn't happen often. But, I also don't like using fiberous beddings with heavy chewers like gerbils.

Pine, when kiln-dried properly, is great. Cedar is not. Both have hydrocarbons that can harm the rodents. Kiln drying gets rid of the hydrocarbons. Cedar has an extra toxin though, which is not removed through kiln-drying, called cedrene oil. This oil is toxic enough to cause liver damage and damage to other internal organs just through breathing it in.

Kiln-drying is touchy though. You have to find a company that does it right. Improper drying can lead to harmful molds. Don't use Kaytee or walmart brands. I prefer to use kiln-dried pine shavings from the farm supply store. The kind of stuff they use for horse stalls.

If you don't want any risk at all, use aspen bedding.

Don't listen to anything people say about phenols. If they'd done their research, they'd know that phenols are the beneficial part of pine and cedar.

[Hellow]

Pine, when kiln-dried properly, is great. Cedar is not. Both have hydrocarbons that can harm the rodents. Kiln drying gets rid of the hydrocarbons. Cedar has an extra toxin though, which is not removed through kiln-drying, called cedrene oil. This oil is toxic enough to cause liver damage and damage to other internal organs just through breathing it in.

Yes, but my dad used cedar for all of his gerbils when he was growing up and he never had any problems?

[IRescue452]

Your dad just got lucky. And so did those gerbils. Some do ok with cedar, others don't. Why put them through that risk just to be stubborn? Did your dad ever do an autopsy and open up a gerbil to see what its organs look like after living with cedar?

[Hellow]

Your dad just got lucky. And so did those gerbils. Some do ok with cedar, others don't. Why put them through that risk just to be stubborn? Did your dad ever do an autopsy and open up a gerbil to see what its organs look like after living with cedar?

Well he obviously didnt know that cedar can harm his gerbils. But he did own 14 gerbils total over time. It seems unlikely that all those would go unaffected by cedar but they did, he never noticed a problem with any of them.

[Christmas_Hamster]

When your dad was a kid and when my dad was a kid, people were still learning alot about illnesses and what is bad for people but just because they did certain things that 'didn't do anything' doesn't mean we should do it now. There have been lots of studies that show the cedar is usually very harmful and really why take the risk when you could possibly be hurting your gerbils?

[critter crazy]

Yes, but my dad used cedar for all of his gerbils when he was growing up and he never had any problems?

Yeah and some people can smoke all their lives and never get cancer, but it dosent mean it dosent happen, sometimes people/animals just get lucky.

I myself stay away from Cedar, have no use for it. I would personally use the aspen or the Yesterdays news.