# Carefresh concerns...



## RobinG (Dec 14, 2015)

Hey all,

I've recently started using Carefresh natural in my cage because I heard good things but there seems to be a lot of people out there with bad opinions of it. I just wanted to get some feedback on whether people have used it with any problems?

The set up I have is;

Shredded paper in their house and nest-box

Paper pellets in their litter tray
(It's what they used to have so they've immediately started using the litter tray properly about 80% over the course of the day. Hooray!)

And Carefresh natural in the base of the cage.

So effectively, they will dig in it a bit and walk around in it but they don't sleep in it (apart from the odd bit they pick up and carry into the house). Ironically they've sneezed a lot less since I put it in than they did on the original paper pellets.

Do people think it's ok? Has anyone had good/bad experiences with it?

I only ask because my friend and the person I follow on Youtube (reputable channel) both swear by it for the cage bottom...


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

I didn't like it because when I cleaned the cage you could see the dust.


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

I have tried it once and wasn't a big fan. It is just kindof messy IMO. But I prefer fleece honestly.

Alot of people use it with no issues but on the other hand some people find it quite dusty. 

I think it is just personal preference. If you like it, dont find it too dusty & it works well for you - then I wouldn't worry. Or you could try other things and see how well they work.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

What kind of shredded paper are you using? I once tried to shred paper myself to use as litter but it was SUPER dusty so I didn't go ahead with it. I now use Eco Bedfi g which is a crinkled kind of shredded later but it is 100% dust free.


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

i used my own shredded paper and it wasnt absorbing the pee so i went to carefresh


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## mis.kay (May 29, 2015)

My girl used to fling carefresh like a psycho. She seriously went crazy one night and I woke up the next morning to nearly all her carefresh within a two foot span of her cage and her just perched on the shelf like nothing happened. I have used fleece ever since lol. But its up to your rats really!


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## Zoreo (Jan 19, 2016)

I find that Carefresh (especially the new formula) can be really dusty. IDK, it might just be the stuff around here, but it almost gave one of my boys a respitory problem! Since then, I have switched to fleece in my CN. Just thought I'd share my experience! ;D


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## RobinG (Dec 14, 2015)

I use bags of shredded paper that cost £1 from Pets at Home. I tried a few different ones but the more expensive stuff was a little dusty. Ironically, the cheap stuff is working fine and they seem happy with it 



mis.kay said:


> My girl used to fling carefresh like a psycho. She seriously went crazy one night and I woke up the next morning to nearly all her carefresh within a two foot span of her cage and her just perched on the shelf like nothing happened. I have used fleece ever since lol. But its up to your rats really!


My boys will occasionally shift the carefresh around and it will be piled up in various places in the morning. By the next morning it's all moved again.  When I first got it, Wilson would go mad and pile it all in one corner then sit on the pile while the others tried to put it all back. 

They also seem to push the paper bedding out of the house after a while. I take that as a sign that they have soiled it or it's not as fresh any more and just clean it out for new stuff at that point.


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## Augustine (Nov 14, 2011)

I used CareFresh some years back so my opinion is probably irrelevant, but overall, it was a decent choice. I used the regular colored stuff for my cage; it wasn't particularly dusty and while it was soft and well-liked by my boys, I felt like it fell short in the absorbency department.

My bedding of choice used to be aspen, but the dust level tends to range from moderate to severe. So once I got my sickly rats, I had to stop using it.


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## Britastic Gremlin (Nov 19, 2015)

When I had my first cage several years ago, I used Carefresh and I found it to be a very nice, absorbent bedding with little to no dust. My boys enjoyed digging in it and stockpiling food under great mountains.

However, since I started using it again for the litter boxes I've found it to be extremely dusty and caused multiple myco flare-ups, not to mention it caused a mite infestation several weeks ago which was very costly to fix. It can also be very expensive if you're not careful about how much you use and where you buy it... where I live, one large bale costs £30 - not too bad if its for small cages or litter trays and lasts you a couple months, but for larger cages there are better options.

My boys also liked to fling the Carefresh from their litter boxes - poop and litter everywhere! It also made cleaning the cage an even messier job than it needed to be. Not fun!

All I can say is, if you do go with Carefresh, exercise some caution. Freeze portions of it for 48 hours to eliminate any chances of a mite outbreak, and maybe try sieving it to get some of the dust out. I've since stopped using the stuff since I don't want to be shelling out +£80 for vet bills and mite treatment, and my boys are just as happy using the litterbox without any litter so its less hassle for me.


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## Kelsbels (Aug 12, 2015)

My family used it for our first rats many years ago and it worked well for us, no issues with it whatsoever... however like others on here my opinion is moot because they've probably changed the formula a few times since then. 

If you're finding that your rats are doing well with it and not getting sick I think it would be alright.


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

turns out i'm allergic to new carefresh, without the baking soda... imagine what it must do to the rats


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## Mene (Mar 13, 2015)

Hate carefresh. It's dusty and messy.


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## InuLing (Dec 26, 2015)

I prefer flece myself because the ability to wash it is easier on me financially than the expensive pet store beddings which you continually have to replace. For their litter boxes I use a paper cat litter which is cheaper to buy in bulk and works better for absorption in my opinion. My vet says cat litter is safe for them as long as you make sure it is 100% paper and perfume free.


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