Carefresh Original Brown Paper Bedding for Rodents and Rabbits

Carefresh Original – soft bedding in a natural brown colour

Carefresh Original is soft paper bedding for rodents and rabbits. The cellulose flakes absorb moisture and help control odours. Its natural brown colour makes it a lovely match for wood, cork and dried moss. Use the flakes as a complete bedding layer, mixed with another suitable bedding or as a natural finish for your scape.

This version is also known by its former name, Carefresh Natural. Looking for a calm bedding colour that works well with natural materials? The earthy shade of Carefresh Original provides a lovely base for hamsterscaping, gerbilscaping and ratscaping. Below, you can read how to use it and how many litres you need.

Why choose Carefresh Original?

The soft flakes provide a comfortable surface. Small rodents can move the material around and carry it to their nesting area. Mixing Carefresh Original with another suitable bedding lets you combine different materials in one layer.

The absorbent material takes up moisture where it lands. You can remove wet patches and replace them with clean flakes. This helps keep the bedding clean without replacing the entire layer at every small clean. Check beneath the surface too, as moisture is not always visible from above.

A natural scape with brown bedding and dried moss

The brown colour of Carefresh Original works beautifully with the shades of wood and cork. Add a little dried moss for hamsterscaping for a green accent. The contrast between the loose brown flakes and the moss brings variety in colour and shape.

For example, place a few pieces of moss around a wooden house or alongside a cork tunnel. There is no need to cover the entire floor. By finishing just a few areas, you keep the brown base and other materials visible. It is an easy way to create a calm scape with a woodland feel.

Mainly interested in the colour of Carefresh Original? Spread a thin layer over your existing bedding. The full burrowing layer stays underneath. Keep the moss dry and use it as a finishing material on top of the bedding.

Which animals is this bedding suitable for?

• Mouse: as soft floor bedding and material to carry to the nesting area. Also provide enough depth for digging.
• Dwarf hamster: as part of a deep burrowing layer or a brown finish in a hamsterscape.
• Hamster: suitable for Syrian hamsters as floor bedding and as an addition to a deep burrowing layer.
• Gerbil: for use in a deep, mixed burrowing layer. Combine suitable materials to help the layer hold together.
• Dwarf rat and rat: as absorbent floor bedding or a soft addition to a resting area. Also lovely as a base in a natural ratscape.
• Guinea pig and rabbit: as soft, absorbent bedding on the floor or in a toilet area.
• Chinchilla and degu: as absorbent floor bedding. Adapt the rest of the enclosure and the digging opportunities to the species.

How do you use Carefresh Original?

Loosen the compressed flakes with your hands and spread them over a clean, dry floor. Mixing them with another bedding? Distribute both materials evenly. Gently press down a burrowing layer to help it hold together. Check the depth afterwards and add more where needed.

Provide dwarf hamsters with at least 15 cm of bedding. For Syrian hamsters, at least 25 cm is a suitable starting point. A deeper layer offers more room for burrowing. For Mongolian gerbils, provide at least 25 cm, preferably around 40 cm.

Place heavy houses, sand baths and other heavy accessories on a firm base or a platform with legs resting on the enclosure floor. This keeps the furnishings stable when your pet digs underneath.

How many litres of bedding do you need?

The amount needed depends on the floor area and the bedding depth you want. Measure the inside of the enclosure and use centimetres:

Length × width × bedding depth ÷ 1000 = litres of bedding needed.

For a floor measuring 100 × 50 cm with a 20 cm layer, for example: 100 × 50 × 20 ÷ 1000 = 100 litres. The table helps you choose the amount and number of packs. These measurements are calculation examples rather than enclosure size recommendations for a particular species.

The number of packs has been rounded up. You can also combine the sizes. For 125 litres, for example, use two 60-litre packs and one 14-litre pack. Keep any leftover bedding for topping up later.

How much do you need for a brown top layer?

For a 2 cm top layer over a floor measuring 100 × 50 cm, you need around 10 litres of Carefresh Original. Over 120 × 50 cm, you need around 12 litres. One 14-litre pack is therefore enough for these examples. This finishing layer goes on top of the existing bedding.

The calculations give an approximate volume. How firmly you press down the flakes and how much space the furnishings take up affect actual use. Using Carefresh Original in a mixture? The calculated amount then refers to all bedding materials together.

Cleaning and storage

Check toilet areas, the bedding around the drinking area and other places that become wet quickly every day. Remove wet or dirty flakes and top up with clean material. Check beneath the top layer too, to make sure the bedding is still dry.

How often a larger clean is needed depends on the species, number of animals, available space and use of toilet areas. Follow the condition of the bedding rather than a fixed replacement schedule. Store the remaining Carefresh Original in a dry place and close the pack after use.

• Material: cellulose fibres.
• Colour: natural brown.
• Contents: 14 litres or 60 litres.

Useful when setting up your enclosure

• Browse all bedding and nesting material
• Compare paper and cardboard bedding
• Explore materials for hamsterscaping