Soil Bedding - To Use or Not to Use

Question from Sandy:

"I just got a pair of pudding hamsters and i bought soil bedding from the pet store in suntec. i see them using this bedding in a couple of cages with hamsters inhabiting them.

But when i surfed around the net, many were saying that it is dangerous to use this bedding. Some say bugs will get in and live in the bedding, some say that it will have a lot of bacteria thus spreading virus, some even say the dirt will go into their eyes and burn the eyes of the hamsters.

I would like to know if what they say is true and if i should change the bedding in case my hamsters are suffering. Hope to hear from u asap"

Hi Sandy,

All beddings have their good and bad points. The key point is to change them regularly to make it hygiene and less impervious for bacteria to attack. Generally all beddings would attract bugs, bacteria and dirt. But you just need to clean the cage regularly and that will be fine.

Regarding the dirt getting into the hamster eyes, it is usually not a concern because hamsters being hamsters are adapted to filter dirt off their eyes with their eyelids.

The advantage of using soil bedding is in its higher absorbency and the "close-to-nature" feel. Hamsters can clean themselves while using the bedding too.

For a small tank, the humidity of Singapore could encourage the formation of fungi. Hamsters can die suddenly from inhaling fungal spores. Hence, they need well ventilated cages. It really depends on the size of your cage and how many hamsters stay in the cage. Perhaps you can show me a picture on that and I can offer you my suggestion. But 2-3 months is simply too long! 1 month is already too long actually.

If you find the soil bedding expensive, then perhaps you should change the bedding. If you're looking for more absorbent ones, you can try compact cat litter.

I can't definitely give you a period of time you have to clear the bedding but I'll just offer some warning signs. 1) If you see the growth of greeny algae, mushrooms, moulds, you must change the bedding. 2) Hamsters would usually pick a spot to urinate, so whenever you see a wet spot, you could just remove it. Definitely must change bedding if you see a huge big wet patch and the top coat of soil feels damp.