Shredded paper as bedding?!

[BSLMichael]

I was shredding a bunch of paper today and was just thinking about the amount of money I could save recycling the paper by using it as bedding for the snakes.

Has anyone tried that? What are the concerns and what kind of paper I SHOULDN'T use?

I saw that someone had asked the question a LONG time ago but there were no conclusions.

 

[acetone]

I say yes but would clean it out a lot more frequently than with aspen substrate. The paper won't be as absorbent or deal with odors as well. As far as I know modern papers and inks are non-toxic, make surr there are no staples that snuck in.

 

[AliCat37]

I doubt it would hurt, but it would be much more difficult to clean.

 

[insomniac101]

I say yes but would clean it out a lot more frequently than with aspen substrate. The paper won't be as absorbent or deal with odors as well. As far as I know modern papers and inks are non-toxic, make surr there are no staples that snuck in.

+1

I've used shredded paper before, temporarily, when I was out of aspen. It is not absorbent, and when it gets wet, it hardens into a Paper Mache type of stuff. Not something I would ever use long-term, although I've used it at shows as a different bedding for display animals.

I suppose if you're diligent about keeping it clean, you could get by with it. I worried about the snakes ingesting it while feeding, so I fed them in a separate container. All in all, a bit of a hassle.

Kathy