Switching from fleece to carefresh for the winter?

[ReneeM]

With winter coming I was debating switching my chins to carefresh for a few months. I normally take fleece outside to spray it off with a hose before washing it. It is becoming to cold to take it outside and spray it off anymore.

I have never used carefresh with my chins, it has always been fleece. Terrance/Mira and Jett were caged on some type of wood shavings before coming him with me, but Marika had never been housed on shavings.

Do chins take the switch well? They would be housed on fleece again once warmer weather hits.

Also, would it be safe to use colored carefresh? A local small animal shop sells colored carefresh at the same price as regular. I use pink for my hamster

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[ChinnyMom]

carefresh is not safe for use with chins (or any other caged animal in my opinion). because it swells when wet, if they eat it they can get impacted.

you could use shavings for the winter, or just get a large garbage can to shake you fleece off in, and then go over it with the vacuum to get off hay bits before washing.

 

[ReneeM]

Is aspen the best choice then? I used it years ago for rabbits. I've always assumed carefresh was safe. I know my hamster has never chewed it. I'm not sure I would trust Marika though. Will aspen hurt them if they chew it?

 

[Pikaia]

No, aspen won't hurt if they chew it. You can either use kiln dried pine or aspen for wood shavings. I used to have aspen bedding, but then I switched to KD pine because it was softer. Just a preference, both are fine.

 

[Frost11]

I use Carefresh and it works fine. I however, do not use the colored kind. Just the regular. I haven't had Solar long but he hasn't tried eating it or even taking a nibble as of yet *fingers crossed*. We used it in the vets office I worked for and it worked fine then too. However, this is just my own personal opinion. :hmm:

 

[Tillygizmo]

This is funny, i switch from shavings to fleece in the winter so I can stay indoors and do the laundry as opposed to going out and dumping the pans in the barrel

 

[javachin]

If you're going to switch, just use pine or aspen. Its way cheaper. I haven't heard of any health problems from using Carefresh personally, but if people on here have, then consider that. Otherwise, Carefresh is very overpriced in my opinion.

 

[Rockka]

I have been using carefresh for years. I too never buy the colored carefresh. I don't like wood shavings because they get kicked out of the cage.

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[Narcissus]

I use both fleece and KD pine, I have a couple chins that chew fleece. I personally would never use carefresh.... any risk is too much for me.

 

[ticklechin]

Carefresh is gross when soiled, that and when its put in fresh chins think its a buffet. When I used bedding, pine worked the best.