Many hamster owners remember spending evenings as a child shredding toilet paper to use as bedding for their precious little hamster. Care advice has changed a lot over the years, and people have now realised that many things used in the past were unsuitable or dangerous, and things like small cages, hamster balls, wood-shaving, cottons are a big no -no but should be banned. So what about toilet paper? Surely that can’t be harmful, after all it is just paper…right?
Is toilet paper safe? What happens if your furry friend eats it? Shall you use it at all? Let's have a look.
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Should I Worry if my Hamster Eats Toilet Paper or Toilet Roll?
It is very unlikely the hamster actually EATS the toilet paper or cardboard roll. They enjoy destroying them, or shred them to pad their nest.
What you are likely to see is them stuffing their pouch to transport the nest material, or to redecorate their cage as hamsters are fussy little fur balls. They are also known to chew paper, or any material, a normal hamster behaviour to ready material to build their nests.
If they eat a little bit of paper, it shouldn't cause any harm – unlike eating kitchen roll which can cause blockage.
Is it Safe to put Toilet Paper in a Hamster Cage?
Unscented paper bedding is the safest type of bedding you can use for your hamster.
You can find many different versions in pet shops, the popular brands for owners are Carefresh, Kaytee Clean and Cozy and Full Cheek (recently rebranded from All Living Things).
Shredded Tea bag paper bedding, which can be sold in packs of 10kg, is also safe and often recommended as it works out quite cheap in the long run.
Toilet paper, as long as it is plain and unscented, is one of the safest and best option for your little friend. You can simply shred it in strips and make a pile in his cage for him to burrow in and sleep. You will quickly see them selecting the best bits to line their nests with.
It might be a bit time consuming to shred the paper to have enough to fill their cage or tank with a good 6 inches high so there is enough to burrow in, but it is a good temporary solution if you are out of bedding, or if it is the cheapest option you found.
You can mix with other beddings to help the hamster build more solid tunnels and hide.
Can Hamsters even Eat Paper?
Hamsters will know the difference between food and bedding, it is very unlikely they have any interest in eating paper. They might nibble on a few pieces of paper while they are busy transporting their bedding back to their nest.
Is Toilet Paper Safe for Hamsters?
Toilet paper is absolutely safe for hamsters as long as it is unscented and plain.
What are the Negatives of Using Toilet Paper as Bedding?
Toilet paper is not the best bedding in term of absorption or odour control. You will need to do spot clean much more often, but if the bedding in the sleeping nest gets spoilt, you will end up destroying the tunnels and habitat more often to be able to remove the spoilt paper and get rid of the urine smell.
Are Toilet Roll Tubes Safe for Hamsters?
Robos and Dwarfs are small enough that toilet rolls make perfectly safe to make tunnels and toys.
Syrian hamsters can get chunky and risk getting stuck, so use with caution once they are adult. Simply precut across the length of the tube to make sure they can easily get out and don't get stuck.
Boredom Breakers with Toilet Roll Tubes:
Toilet rolls are very useful to keep and can be used in many ways to create cheap enrichment:
For example, you can cut a few holes on the sides, fill with bedding or hay and hide food treat, the hamster will have to search and forage for the food.
You can simply put some treats in the toilet roll, add hay or bedding if you wish, then fold both ends.
You could also cut the toilet roll along the width to make several bands of slightly different size, build a cube, or treat ball, with 3 or 4 of these bands to hide treats.
Dip the end of your toilet roll in safe glue – made from mixing flour and water – then dip into a pot of food mix, or flower mix, or forage box and let it dry. It's a very cheap way to make great boredom breaker.
Make a treat puzzle. Fold 4 toilet rolls, then put them in another full tube, fill the gaps with treats.
Is it Safe to Use Newspaper as Bedding in a Hamster Cage?
Hamsters can eat newspapers, meaning it's not the best option as they contain high levels of ink which can be toxic. It's best to avoid using newspapers as bedding and instead use shredded tissue paper or other safe materials.
How Can you Make your Own Hamster Bedding?
You can make your own hamster bedding by shredding toilet paper or tissue paper. This is a safe and affordable option that your hamster will love. You can also add some shredded paper to their regular bedding to help them build nests and burrows.
How often should you change your hamster's bedding?
You should spot clean the cage or tank frequently, even daily, to remove the urine. If you add a sand bath, most hamsters will use this a toilet and make it much easier for their owner to find and clean frequently without messing up with the nests and tunnels.
Remember that over-cleaning their cage causes a lot of stress.
What is the Best Bedding for Hamsters?
The best bedding for hamsters is unscented paper bedding or shredded tissue paper. This is safe and affordable, and your hamster will love it. You can also add some shredded paper to their regular bedding to help.
What can you Use for Hamster Bedding?
They are many different types of bedding you can safely use
- Paper based bedding
- Teabag bedding
- Soft granule paper based bedding
- Aspen wood shaving
- Hemp shaving
Ideally you can even use several, either alternating layers to help the hamsters make solid burrows, or putting different types in different places and let the hamster.
What hamster Bedding to Avoid?
Even if they are marketed in shops towards them, any of these beddings are dangerous and must not be used for hamsters:
- kitchen roll: it doesn't dissolve well in water, so will create blockage if ingested.
- softwood bedding (such as cedar or pine), because they cause chronic damage
- any scented bedding: hamsters are extremely sensitive to smell so not only will it be unpleasant for them, it could also make them very ill by irritating their respiratory track.
- cotton and kapok beddings, which can cause intestinal blockage if ingested. Anything that can get tangled and cut the circulation.
- anything containing glue, paint, or other toxic substances.
- any bedding made from saw dust and honey
In conclusion
So, what is the best bedding for hamsters? The answer is unscented paper bedding or shredded tissue paper. This is safe and affordable, and your hamster will love it. You can also add some shredded paper to their regular bedding to help them build nests and burrows. Keep in mind that you should spot clean the cage frequently, even daily, to remove the urine.
There shouldn't be any need to worry if the little pet seems to eat toilet paper, or if the hamster pouches a lot of paper, but if the behaviour looks very unnatural or change suddenly, always ask for advice and consult your veterinarian if needed.