Switching from pine shavings for hamsters

Good instinct doing that research — pine and cedar shavings release aromatic phenols that can genuinely irritate a hamster's respiratory tract with prolonged exposure. You're right to switch. Before I point you to something better, it helps to know: what species do you have (Syrian, dwarf, Roborovski?), how old are they, and how deep is your current bedding layer? Hamsters need at least 15–20cm to burrow properly, so the bedding you switch to matters a lot in terms of volume too.

For a Syrian, you'll want to work up to at least 20cm of bedding — burrowing isn't just enrichment for them, it's a genuine welfare need and affects their stress levels quite directly. The good news is that sorting the bedding type and depth in one go is straightforward. I'd go with Carefresh Natural paper bedding. It's unbleached, virtually dust-free, has no added fragrances or phenols, and is soft enough that a Syrian can tunnel through it properly. It also holds burrow structure reasonably well compared to looser paper options. It's widely available on Amazon UK in large bags, which you'll need once you're filling to the right depth.

It's a fair concern but easy to manage. Mould happens when bedding stays damp — the fix is to do a partial spot clean every few days around the toilet corner (hamsters tend to use one spot consistently), and a full change every three to four weeks. Carefresh absorbs well enough that if you're on top of spot cleaning, mould isn't a real risk in normal conditions. The key thing is not to let wet patches sit. As long as you're doing that, paper bedding is genuinely one of the safest options available — respiratory-wise it's a big step up from pine.

It depends on your cage footprint, but for a typical 80x50cm base filled to 20cm you're looking at roughly 60–70 litres of bedding. Carefresh sells a 60L bag on Amazon UK which is usually the most cost-effective option for a setup like yours — it's enough for a full initial fill with a little left over for top-ups between changes. If your cage is smaller, the 30L bag might see you through two full changes, which can work out similarly priced. Worth checking the dimensions of your enclosure before ordering.

You're all set — and honestly, once she's got proper depth to burrow in, you'll likely notice a difference in her behaviour fairly quickly. Syrians that can tunnel properly tend to be noticeably calmer and more active in a natural way. Good luck with the switch.