We have a paper shredder that we've been using for a long time. It's an
inexpensive one, very small, comes with it's own container for catching the
shred...."Sixty Two Corporation Cross Cut 2000". It's NOT the kind that
sits atop a garbage can, from which the shred is long, thin strips with
sharp edges.
The shred from ours comes out in short pieces, with rough, torn looking
edges. I agree with DebR and others that the normal shredded material is not
good for gerbils....having dealt with stinging, bleeding paper cuts on my
hands, I'd hate to see a gerbil in a similar situation. But I've used my
shredder to chop up construction paper, unprinted newsprint etc, and given
that to my gerils, with no ill effects. There are no sharp edges for them
to injure themselves on. When money has been particularly tight and there
just wasn't enough to buy packaged bedding material for Paige's and my
gerbils, I'd go to my local dollar store and buy pads of construction paper
and newsprint (2 for $1.00) and 12 packs of cheap white toilet paper ($2.50
or so) and with the shredder make my own bedding from the pads of paper, and
throw in lots of TP for nesting material.
They've loved it and babies have even been born in it, and done well. The
only downside is that is gets smelly faster than commercial bedding.
Ronni
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