# Which is the best litter to use?



## spazzy_sparx (Sep 8, 2009)

*Kaytee Wood Pellet Bedding
*Aspen Bedding
*CAREFRESH Bedding and Litter
*Corn Cob Bedding

My mice seriously need a change of bedding, but I don't know which one is best. Please help! My mice seem to have some serious allergies. There will be babies in the cages as well.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

I use Kaytee Aspen Shavings after having tried almost everything else. I love it.


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

I, too, love aspen. It's cheap, reliable, only very VERY rarely produces allergies (in people or mice) and makes great compost for the garden after it's been used.

If you're in the US or Canada you can get big bales of it at farm stores, as it's sold for horses, for really cheap. I don't know for sure about the UK and Europe, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were available over there like that as well.


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## spazzy_sparx (Sep 8, 2009)

Aspen isn't cheap where I live! It is actually the more expensive choice and I cant seem to find and feed stores that supply it.

Has anyone tried the other brands?


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

I've had experience of Carefresh carrying mites so I've never bought it again, and since then I've read that a lot of other people have found the same thing. Freezing it would kill the mites I suppose, but I don't really like it as a bedding anyway. I've never used Corncob myself, but I have read in various places that it can cause ringtail in rodents, sometimes resulting in tail loss, due that fact that it's overly absorbant and will dry out the air. I'm not a fan of wood pellets, I don't know the particular brand that you've listed but the ones that I've used have crumbled to dust as soon as they got wet. Aspen is the choice I would make out of the four options you have listed, but wood shavings are my personal preference anyway.

ETA: Where do you live? That might help people come up with a good option for you!

Sarah xxx


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Recycled paper based bedding has been found to be contaminated with mold spores, and when it gets even remotely damp, the stuff can grow and give off toxic fumes.

How big are the bales sold for use with horses? I like to buy in quantity. Gotta find out about that.


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## spazzy_sparx (Sep 8, 2009)

SarahY said:


> I've had experience of Carefresh carrying mites so I've never bought it again, and since then I've read that a lot of other people have found the same thing. Freezing it would kill the mites I suppose, but I don't really like it as a bedding anyway. I've never used Corncob myself, but I have read in various places that it can cause ringtail in rodents, sometimes resulting in tail loss, due that fact that it's overly absorbant and will dry out the air. I'm not a fan of wood pellets, I don't know the particular brand that you've listed but the ones that I've used have crumbled to dust as soon as they got wet. Aspen is the choice I would make out of the four options you have listed, but wood shavings are my personal preference anyway.
> 
> ETA: Where do you live? That might help people come up with a good option for you!
> 
> Sarah xxx


I have no idea what type of wood pellets I want, and im not a fan of ringtail. I have already had mites and it sucks! Thanks for all your help.


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## spazzy_sparx (Sep 8, 2009)

moustress said:


> Recycled paper based bedding has been found to be contaminated with mold spores, and when it gets even remotely damp, the stuff can grow and give off toxic fumes.
> 
> How big are the bales sold for use with horses? I like to buy in quantity. Gotta find out about that.


Good to know that is gross! ...but what if you change it about 2 times per week?

I don't know how big since I can't find it in bails yet. The people I have talked to so far dont even know what aspen is. lol!


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

Are you in the US - it sounds like it from the options you've listed...


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## spazzy_sparx (Sep 8, 2009)

MouseBreeder said:


> Are you in the US - it sounds like it from the options you've listed...


yup!


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## MarlaAlVutha (Nov 7, 2009)

I get my aspen from a place called Tractor Supply. I only pay 10.00 for a large bale (sorry I cant remember what size it is exactly and I thre my last bag away). If I am in the city and need to pick it up I get it from PetCo for 13.00 for the same size.

All aspen should be frozen or baked before use. It has a high chance of carring mites. A trick I found cause I dont have freezer space is to put it in a large black tote box. In the summer heat the black heats up and will kill the mites. In the winter it will freeze.

I knew a woman who had kids that had gotten lice and some of their bedding had to be placed in black garbage bags and left outside for a couple days to kill the lice on it. I would assume this would work for mites as well.

I used carefresh when it first came out, but it always to me, smelled like something died. I much prefer the aspen, I love the scent when you are handling it (while its sitting in the cages you cant realy smell it), I love the warmth my animals get from it. Some of them shred it to make it a little more comfortable.

I hope this helps

Brightest of Blessings To You
Brenn


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## spazzy_sparx (Sep 8, 2009)

MarlaAlVutha said:


> I get my aspen from a place called Tractor Supply. I only pay 10.00 for a large bale (sorry I cant remember what size it is exactly and I thre my last bag away). If I am in the city and need to pick it up I get it from PetCo for 13.00 for the same size.
> 
> All aspen should be frozen or baked before use. It has a high chance of carring mites. A trick I found cause I dont have freezer space is to put it in a large black tote box. In the summer heat the black heats up and will kill the mites. In the winter it will freeze.
> 
> ...


Thank you. I am pretty sure I am going to go with aspen.


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

Brenn, I have gotten those too. Unless I'm mistaken it's four cubic feet.

I prefer the smaller-shredded aspen available at Walmart, though. It's $2.86 a bag and I usually buy 10 at a time.


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## MarlaAlVutha (Nov 7, 2009)

Jack Garcia said:


> Brenn, I have gotten those too. Unless I'm mistaken it's four cubic feet.
> 
> I prefer the smaller-shredded aspen available at Walmart, though. It's $2.86 a bag and I usually buy 10 at a time.


Four cubic feet sounds right but I am not 100% sure. 
One of my neighbors who keeps horses was telling me that she gets a huge bag of aspen for about 13.00 where she gets her horse feed. So the next time I go downriver I will check it out. I do not remember the brand or the size of that one either. I just dont have a head for numbers. 
I try to give Walmart as little of my hard earned dollars as possible. I hate the customer service at Walmart for one and I dont know about where you live, but where we live Walmart changed a lot of their stock around to carry a majority of name brand products instead of the generic ones that made them a more cost efficient alternative. I am not trying to prompt a political debate so I will not say any more about them 
Brenn


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

I am very much a free trade capitalist and I proudly support Walmart because they are good at what they do!

And their aspen is better (it comes from a laboratory company, only re-packed to sell to pet owners).


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