# What Substrates reduce odor by a lot?



## Mc.Macki Mice (Nov 24, 2012)

I currently am using Carefresh, but it only has good absorption, it doesn't help at all with the smell? Is there any other substrate I can mix it with..like Cedar, Pine, or Aspen. Which ones do you guys prefer as the best.
. Also is it possible to potty train mice, to go to the bathroom in a corner, and if so what litter do u guys recommend..?


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

I used aspen primarily. I find it's OK at odor control, and pine and cedar are toxic for mice anyway. The phenols in the wood make it harder for the mice to breathe.
I have some females that go potty in the corners...but it's really more of a happy accident. They can't all be trained, but generally, if you notice them starting to use one corner, wait a day or two to clean it and then leave a tiny bit...and hope they go back to it. I also have a tank of females that use a cottage cheese container on it's side as a potty, they started that on their own. When they use the corners it's usually for urine, not poop. They are designed to poop mostly anywhere! I don't know if there is a foolhardy way of training them.


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## littlelovesmousery (May 19, 2012)

I've found that mixing alfalfa pellets does wonders for oder. If I put my bucks on alfalfa pellets, even a week later, they dont smell like bucks! It's fairly inexpensive here too($9/50lbs). You can get it at most feed stores.


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## Mc.Macki Mice (Nov 24, 2012)

Okay if I switch the diet to Alfalfa pellets/mixed diet will it possibly keep the mice from smelling as bad? I am going to get Aspen and mix it with my Carefresh for odor control, and absorption. Im glad I didnt pick up Pine or Cedar, that would be costly.


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

Well the Alfalfa is a bedding for the mice, not a food, really. It can be mixed with the aspen.

Littleloves, can you link a pic of the bag you get??? All the alfalfa pellets I find seem to be about $14 for 25 lbs...too expensive to really use as much as I would use it.


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## Mc.Macki Mice (Nov 24, 2012)

My bad, but I swear I have seen Alfalfa pellets as well.. Hmmm must be losing my mind. Okay so I will try a mixed bedding of Alfala, Carefresh, and Aspen. Hopefully that will do the trick.


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## littlelovesmousery (May 19, 2012)

tinyhartmouseries said:


> Well the Alfalfa is a bedding for the mice, not a food, really. It can be mixed with the aspen.
> 
> Littleloves, can you link a pic of the bag you get??? All the alfalfa pellets I find seem to be about $14 for 25 lbs...too expensive to really use as much as I would use it.


A picture won't help ya much, We get ours at a local feed mill in Pratt. If you want to try some, let me know and I can pick up a couple bags and bring them in January. I'll call tomorrow to get a current price. My husband just said he thinks it was $9.50 a bag last time he was there.


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## Mc.Macki Mice (Nov 24, 2012)

I think we have some in my local petstores, but thanks for the offer. I live in the U.S., so I don't know how u would ship it to me?


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

I use strictly alfalfa pellets for bedding, unless I have pregnant/nursing does/bubs...then they get some aspen to nest with. It is cheap, super absorbant (moreso than carefresh), not dusty at all, and has very very good odor control. Personally I would ditch the carefresh all together....it stinks, is really dusty (if you're using the regular stuff), and is expensive. The alfalfa pellets you should be able to get at any farm store...if they have them at a regular pet store they are probably goign to be waaaay overpriced. I get mine at Tractor Supply


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## littlelovesmousery (May 19, 2012)

Mc.Macki Mice said:


> I think we have some in my local petstores, but thanks for the offer. I live in the U.S., so I don't know how u would ship it to me?


Sorry for the confusion, when I was talking about picking up some I was responding to tinyhartmouseries's comment.(She lives near me). It would not be very cost efficient to mail sacks of horse feed across country :-D Like Stina said, check your local tractor supply or livestock feed store, they should carry it.


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## Mc.Macki Mice (Nov 24, 2012)

Haha I'm sorry my bad


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## mystic (Dec 17, 2012)

to help with smell my friend and i put 100% pure vanilla extract in their water, i mix the water and vanilla extract until its a golden color, it cuts the males smell about 50% i also use corn cob bedding. it also helps to have the males in a different room then the females for us, because it seems the males smell the females and mark more. you can also help reduce smell by sprinkling some of the old bedding in on top of the new bedding so they still have their smell and don't feel the need to mark as much.

these are the tips i have been given anyway hope it helps!


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

I personally think Carefresh smells awful when mice have been on it for a couple of days. Generally I use Breeders Choice, and when I can get it, a specific version for small animal bedding. I'm keen to try alfalfa pellets though, but haven't been able to get any in local pet supplies.

I tried vanilla extract a couple of years ago and didn't find it made a noticeable difference to male odour.

Mice adapt naturally to toilet training. They will tend to use one corner in their enclosure, usually furthest from where their food is located. You can help them along with this. If you notice they favour one particular corner or area, when you change the bedding and clean the enclosure, retain a tiny bit of the old bedding from where they've pooped. After you put the fresh bedding in the enclosure, place the bit of soiled litter in the corner that they normally would use. This encourages them to poop and urinate in that corner from the start, rather than doing the business everywhere while they try to decide where they're going to use before they make up their minds and settle on a spot.

Mice are naturally clean and neat in their personal habits including toileting, so the encouragement should bring good results relatively quickly.


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## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

I wish mine were like that.. Food/food bowl = toilet


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

maybe you give them food in a bowl large enough for them to sit in while they eat? I used to do that, with the same result - food bowl = toilet. Now I either just sprinkle their food on the substrate in a little pile. They generally get a bit of food, then moce away to eat it. Sometimes when they have a chunk of food that will take them some time to get through, they carry it to the toilet corner and eat it there. I also use mini hoppers for their food - they can't sit in them.


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