Need help: Hay for Hamsters

[FluffyBunnyies123]

NOTE: I came on here because my question would be better answered by people who constantly buy hay, which I believe rabbits need on a daily basis. That’s why I have decided to post here instead of on a hamster forum.

Hello rabbit lovers,
Now I know that this is a rabbit forum, but I’ve come here with a question about hamsters (or rather, hay.) So I’ve been looking for a brand of hay to use in a future hamster’s cage. I’ll be using it as substrate, since it helps to hold together any burrows that a hamster may make. However I need variety in the hay (variety in size: so short pieces, long pieces, and in between) so that the burrows will hold together better.

I know that rabbits need a lot of hay, so I assume people here will know of a brand that sells hay like that. I and a lot of people in the hamster comunity don’t have any experience buying it, so I wanted to find help elsewhere. I’d want something with as little dust as possible, of course. Thank you for any replies, and I’m sorry if I’m not allowed to do this or if the topic is in the wrong section. I thought it would be worth a try

[Muchelle]

I used to keep hamsters Sadly I can’t answer about the hay cause the brand I use has pretty long strands, but I can tell you I used a mix of paper litter and shredded kitchen paper as cage filling. It’s cheap, less dusty, easy to clean and it works just fine if little ham-ham wants to decor its home.
I remember not using hay cause I was afraid that the little guys could poke their eyes or something, but I never seeked vet advice on the matter, so…

[Floppy]

Hello, I own hamsters and rabbits.

The hamster community does not agree on whether or not hamsters need hay or should have hay.

The biggest risk is if a hamster pouches hay or it pokes them in the eye. My hamsters have all had hay at some point and these things have never happened, although it is a possibility.

I would advice a soft Timothy hay. If you live in the UK the “Range” sells a cheap brand of Timothy hay that’s really soft, I can’t remember what it’s called sorry!

You want to remove any stiff or sharp bits, give them a little bit at first and make sure it’s ok.

To be honest my hamsters have never shown much interest

Shredded toilet paper is their favourite thing ever.

[LionelLop]

You could buy orchard hay, it has long strands like you want and is way softer than timothy hay.

[Author]

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