For your hamster, their habitat is their home, so you want to make it as comfortable as possible. Therefore selecting a substrate that is soft, yet absorbent is really important.
Finding the best hamster substrate is key as you want the material to be dust free whilst providing a safe and odor less environment. Below we explain the differences in materials and give our recommendations on the best hamster sawdust available.
Below we review our top 4 hamster substrates:
- Small Pet Select Natural Paper Bedding
- Carefresh Natural bedding
- Kaytee Clean & Cozy
- Komodo Aspen Bed Terrain
What is substrate?
Substrate is the technical term for the material used to line the bottom of your hamsters cage. It should be used in addition to your hamster’s bedding, which they also require in order to nest.
A good substrate should be absorbent so that it soaks up your hamster’s excrement, soft enough for them to walk on without causing injury and able to disguise a multitude of smells.
Substrate is readily available to buy as wood chippings or sawdust. You must make sure that the material you choose:
- Is dust-free to prevent any breathing problems
- Has not been chemically treated
It should not matter which breed of hamster you own, whether you have a Syrian on a Dwarf, they all need a dust-free environment and a super soft, absorbent substrate to run around on.
Are wood shavings good for hamsters?
Wood shavings are commonly used for hamster bedding as it is cheap, widely available and can be delivered in large or small bags. Aspen is the best type of wood shavings to invest in but make sure you steer clear of pine and cedar wood, as these are incredibly dusty and can cause your hamster respiratory problems.
You should also avoid scented wood shavings, as these will have been treated and are likely to contain harmful chemicals.
Is sawdust safe for hamsters?
Sawdust is often used; however, it can irritate some hamsters eyes, nose and lungs and cause skin allergies.
Compressed paper bedding is a good choice if your hamsters is sensitive as it is softer, less harsh on small body parts and absorbs urine well.
That said, we have always used a particular brand of sawdust for our hamster and never had a problem. If you do change your substrate, I would recommend monitoring your hamster closely to check that they remain safe and healthy.
Always make sure that your sawdust is at least 3” deep so that your hamster has plenty to cushion them as they walk around, and that it is thick enough absorb any wee. If your hamster likes to burrow, then add a couple of extra inches for them to tunnel and play.
What alternatives are there to sawdust?
Wood pulp bedding is a good alternative for those seeking something other than sawdust. It is a safe and healthy option as it is made from reclaimed pulp waste, so is free from inks, dyes, clay and harmful toxins.
Some, such as the Carefresh brand, sanitize their bedding to 380 degrees to ensure that any bacteria, mold or fungus has been killed off before bagging.
Recycled paper is a great choice to line a hamster’s cage as it can absorb twice the amount of liquid than wood shavings or sawdust can, and helps to keep your hamster’s habitat fresher for longer.
Our review of the best hamster substrate
Most of the bags of hamster substrate that you find at pet stores will be manufactured with all of the above in mind. Below we review the top 4 brands that are readily available to buy in store or online.
Small Pet Select Natural Paper Bedding – Best substrate for reducing hamster odors
- Only the Best for You and Your Furry Friend: The ideal Bedding for your rabbit, guinea pig, gerbil, hamster, chinchilla, rat, or mouse; Small Pet Select Premium Small Animal Bedding Paper comes in the biggest sizes out there; Each bag expands 3x in volume from its packaged size; A high quality product at an affordable cost that will last
- 100% Unbleached Virgin Fiber: Made In The USA without any harmful chemicals or additives; The virgin Never Been Printed paper breaks down easily and organically for safe disposal in your garden, compost, or organic waste bin
- Comfy Is Key: Super cozy and soft but still super absorbent; We have developed this product for optimal absorbency which aids in odor control without any added artificial scents; Safe for your pets and for you!
- Recommended Use: Line the bedding inside the pet’s habitat; Remove and replace as used; Damp bedding can cause urine scald, so we recommend removing damp spots or soiled areas between changes and replacing the paper bedding every one to two days (or fluffing to prevent large damp areas where your animal stands); Store in a dry place
- Pawtastic Products for Your Pet: When it comes to pet care, quality should never be compromised; Small Pet Select is a family-owned company that handpicks each of our products with love; We aim to deliver the safest, most effective, and highest-quality pet essentials
If you have the space to store it, then this highly absorbent, soft natural paper bedding, is great value for money and safe for your hamster too.
Small Pet Select pride themselves on using the highest quality natural paper that is 99% dust-free. The bag itself 3x in volume (so you get plenty of bedding for your buck) and the substrate itself is squishy and odorless.
Pros:
- Cheap
- Sold in large bags
- 99% Dust-free
- Reduces hamster odors
Cons:
- Some complaints over the packaging
Carefresh Natural bedding – Best substrate for allergies
- Small Pet Bedding: Our natural paper fiber bedding makes the softest, driest most comfortable home for small pets and is packaged in four compact, lightweight bags for added convenience
- Pillowy Soft: Comfyfluff natural paper bedding made from scratch is gentle on sensitive feet with perfect texture for burrowing, tunneling, nesting, or creating a hamster hideout; ideal rat, mice or guinea pig bedding, rabbit litter or for small pets
- Exceptional Odor Control: Ideal for use as hamster bedding, guinea pig habitat lining, or bunny bedding, our pet-safe, proven odor-control formula suppresses ammonia odors for up to 10 days
- Ultra-Absorbent: 2X more absorbent than shavings, our natural paper bedding keeps small pets and their homes warm and dry with no more soggy messes to clean up
- 99 percent Dust-Free: Free of harmful chemicals and synthetic dyes, our high performance bedding is virtually dust free so your pet can enjoy a cleaner, healthier home. Biodegradable and compostable means better for the planet too
Carefresh is one of the top brands for manufacturing hamster bedding. What we like about this particular bag of substrate, is that is made from natural reclaimed wood pulp so is safe and comfortable for your hamster. Especially those with allergies.
Its odor control formula suppresses ammonia and can absorb up to 3x its weight in liquid. Hamsters enjoy burrowing in this material as it is super soft on their tiny paws.
Pros:
- Cheap
- Super absorbent
- Dust-free
- Reduces hamster odors
- Good for burrowing
Cons:
- Small pack size
Kaytee Clean & Cozy – Best substrate for absorbency
- Super soft, odour control bedding safe for pets and won’t stain their cage
- Highly absorbent – absorbs 6 times its weight in liquid, 2 times more than wood shavings
- Clean & Cozy Bedding is 99.9 percent dust free, which helps prevent respiratory issues and helps keep a cleaner cage
- Highly condensed for easy storage, this pack expands to 72 litres
- Clean & Cozy’s soft and fluffy texture makes it perfect for small animals to burrow
Kaytee Clean & Cozy small pet paper bedding is a lovely, fluffy yet absorbent bedding. Able to soak up to 6x its own weight and 2x more liquid than wood shavings, its super absorbency means less odour for you to endure. Plus this substrate is 99 percent dust free and is made from long fibre strands that do not contain any harmful chemical or by-products and are biodegradable.
Its paper-like texture comes in a variety of colors and sizes that are perfect for brightening any hamsters habitat.
Pros:
- Incredibly absorbent
- Dust-free
- Biodegradable
- Reduces hamster odors
Cons:
- Not as soft as other brands of substrate
Komodo Aspen Bed Terrain – Best Substrate for burrowing
Although this is marketed at snake owners if you have a hamster who likes to burrow then this is the substrate for you. Made from 100% natural materials, it encourages burrowing behavior whilst still managing to retain its shape.
Therefore your hamster can tunnel and make dens underground, just like they would in the wild.
Made from Aspen, this material is recyclable and biodegradable, plus it is light in color which makes it easy to spot clean daily.
Pros:
- Cheap
- Great for burrowing
- Made from recyclable and biodegradable materials
- Ultra-absorbent
Cons:
- Slightly dusty compared to paper-based substrate
Conclusion
There are lots of different substrates available, that often finding the right one for your hamster can be overwhelming. But as long as you pick a brand that is safe (no Cedar or Pine), contains little dust and is softs on their paws, then your hamster will soon make themselves at home.
Just remember to combine the substrate with a good handful of nesting material, so that your hamster can create a comfortable bed.
If you have a large cage, then you may want to consider a variety of substrates to encourage your hamster to use the different areas of their habitat. This could include a sand bath, burrowing area and den.
