smelly babies :(

[Two_Sheds]

I think you're right not to use newspaper because of the ink. I used it for a hampster once when I was much younger and the poor thing just wouldn't wake up one day. It was stone dead and only then did people tell me not to use newspaper for animal bedding....

Hamsters store stuff in their cheek pouches. Other animals don't, not even chickens
I've used it for donkey's year for my birds (they shred it for fun) and my guinea pigs, with no harm done.

PS. Hamsters only live for 2-3 years anyway ... it didn't necessarily die of newspaper

[lynda66]

but chickens have a crop, which is just like a pouch ....isn't it? hamsters usually fill their pouches and empty them somewhere safe, like in bed for midnight snacks, chickens, fill their crop, then it slowly goes down to the stomach..... oh i dunno, i think i'll stick with the shavings and straw.

[Birdie Wife]

I see your point - although they use the pouch/crop in different ways. Hamsters will use their pouches sort of like shoopping bags, to store food that they collect until they get back to their house and then they cache it. Chickens use the crop to grind up food before it goes into the rest of the digestive system, to get the most nutrition from hard foods like seeds and corn. My little wyandotte bantam ate most of her shredded paper bedding while she was brooding her chicks, I hadn't even thought about the possibility that the chicks might be eating it too!! I won't use it again now!

[lynda66]

they try to eat everything ....... including fingers and cats noses

[Irie Jan]

they try to eat everything ....... including fingers and cats noses

Hi Lynda!

I like that! As much as I love cats, sound like it is a case of more fool the cat that gets too close to your baby chicks! Survival of the fittest or the fastest! lol

In the past, I have had cats that have been bitten on their noses by pet terrapins and pet mice! Once bitten twice shy! Never happened again, cats never went near again! lol

[lynda66]

whenever cleo is in she sits in front of the fire, staring adoringly at them (either that or waiting for one of them to be lunch) she does try to get as close as possible ..... but sometimes she just falls asleep, and her nose attaches to the mesh ..... dead funny when they peck it and she wakes up

[Irie Jan]

whenever cleo is in she sits in front of the fire, staring adoringly at them (either that or waiting for one of them to be lunch) she does try to get as close as possible ..... but sometimes she just falls asleep, and her nose attaches to the mesh ..... dead funny when they peck it and she wakes up

I can just see it now, makes me laugh how daft animals can be sometimes!

My daughter has a Boxer dog Toby, he is about 2 and half now. Then about 8 months ago she bought a kitten! From day one she has taken the No one spot in the house, Chloe the cat smacks Toby on the nose, bites the loose skin at the side of his jaw sometimes until he wines with pain! She drinks from his water and pinches his food and his bed but Toby loves Chloe! They play together all day, sometimes he will smack her back with a heavy paw on the top of her head, somehow they never really hurt each other that much. Often they will cuddle up and fall asleep together! They are sooo sweet with each other.

[lynda66]

wish she would cuddle up with the chickies ....... unfortunately, she'd be too busy trying to eat them