Fillers for rodents

Domestic rodents delight their owners with funny behavior, cute appearance. They are unpretentious in everyday life, however, small pets need care and care. To prevent unpleasant odor, maintain cleanliness and ensure a comfortable existence of the animal, you need to choose the right filler.

An important role in maintaining healthy hygiene of domestic rodents is played by the type of filler. Properly selected flooring helps to maintain a good mood of the domestic animal, and the prevention of parasites. Flooring helps to clean the coat and serves as insulation.

Before the appearance of the finished formulations, the following excipients were used.

• Paper. Cheap flooring, it absorbs moisture poorly, can not cope with an unpleasant odor.
• Sand. Effective in eliminating odor, absorbs moisture well, however, it must often be changed.
• Clay. The substance copes with the smell and absorbs moisture well, but sticks to the paws. The composition may contain silica dust, which is unsafe for health.
• Hay. The natural component of plant origin effectively copes with the smell, but does not absorb liquid. Hard stems can injure the skin of the pet.

Modern fillers are made on the basis of:

• organic materials: corn, wood, grain waste;
• mineral components for example silica gel.

The filler based on wood is in great demand. It consists of small particles that are made from compressed sawdust.

The advantages of this type of litter include the following points:

• effective absorption of moisture;
• quick odor neutralization;
• profitability;
• the material prevents the emergence and spread of bacteria;
• the composition is dominated by natural ingredients.

Disadvantages:

• uncomfortable for small rodents and babies who like to delve into the litter;
• in the presence of wood dust, an allergic reaction is possible;
• you should be careful when choosing a tree species - not all species are equally suitable for one or another type of animal.

For the production of litter, components of recycled wood are used. They are ideal for small animals.

Among the advantages:

• naturalness of the composition;
• environmental friendliness;
• availability of chip size;
• reasonable cost;
• can be disposed of in a garbage chute.

Such a filler also has certain disadvantages.

• Excessive lightness. Sawdust easily scatters in different directions, so you will often have to clean.
• The material does not absorb moisture well enough.
• Poorly neutralizes unpleasant odors.
• An allergic reaction is possible. To avoid this effect, it is recommended to sift the floor before use.
• The presence of hard chips can be dangerous for the rodent. It may be injured or scratched.
• Short effect.
• You should be careful when choosing a tree species.
• Wood particles easily get stuck in wool.

Litter is considered the safest for small pets.

Among the advantages are:

• lack of an allergic reaction;
• the material does not get stuck in the fur of animals, and does not create any inconvenience to them.

Among the shortcomings are noted:

• volatility - the material is easily scattered in different directions;
• low efficiency in the absorption of unpleasant odors;
• difficulty in acquiring - these types of floorings are rarely imported into pet stores.

Corn cobs based filler is considered the most high-quality, convenient and safe. It is suitable for both large and small animals.

Positive qualities of the material:

• effective absorption of moisture;
• quick elimination of unpleasant odors;
• lasting effect;
• security;
• the material does not get stuck in the wool, does not scratch the skin of the rodent;
• It does not negatively affect the health of a little friend.

Negative sides are also available:

• cost;
• the animal will constantly scatter the filler;
• like cellulose, such material is difficult to buy.

Flooring is recommended to be purchased at pet stores. It is better to choose proven brands, because a poor-quality product can cause irreparable harm to a pet. When choosing, it is important to consider some characteristics.

• The size of the pet. For small animals, litter with small granules will be comfortable. Larger granules will appeal to you. You can test several types of flooring and see what the animal likes best.
• The ability of the filler to absorb moisture and unpleasant odors. This is especially true if the house contains a lot of animals.
• The safety of the composition. It is important to remember that the presence of synthetic impurities, wood dust and aromatic substances can cause allergic reactions. It is recommended to give preference to natural compounds. With a tendency to allergic reactions, you can choose a composition based on cellulose.

When buying wood flooring, you should remember that any species of wood is suitable for rats. Chinchillas prefer dry sawdust of any breed. But guinea pigs, most likely, will choose large sawdust from soft breeds, for example, alder or poplar.

You will learn more about rodent fillers in the next video.