Minuette's Product Review

Hunt Club Animal Bedding

Minuette and I went shopping at our local TSC® in the Michigan area and found a bedding product we have never seen before. Minuette got excited when she saw it and whispered in my ear that we should purchase some and she would help me put it to the test.

I got excited when I saw the price of $5.68 for 4.2 cubic feet or 113 liters, as compared to Minuette's other choice, Carefresh for $13.98 at Soldans Pet Supplies, for 50 litters. Soldans is the cheapest I've been able to find our Carefresh product, normally Petland, Pet Supply Plus and Meijers stores want almost $20 for a bag of it and the bag only lasts us two weeks.

The name of the new bedding product is, Hunt Club Animal Bedding. It appears to be made out of recycled cardboard box chips. Though it appears the primary users of this product are horses, they also recommend it for pet rats. The product uses an additive called Sweet PDZ that reduces the ammonia levels. This product makes the following claims.

Eliminates Dust
Reduces Odor
Absorbs Moisture
Provides Cushioned Comfort
Environmentally responsible

It has several US and International Patents. To find out more information on this product you may contact them at: www.huntclubinc.com or give them a call at: 1.800.622.1862.

Minuette's housing unit does not come in direct contact with any actual bedding material so Minuette suggested if I put it in one of the young rats units she would go and visit it each day and test it for smell and softness.

Below are Minuette's comments translated from fancy rat language into English, and my comments on Hunt Club Animal Bedding.

Minuette's Review:

Minuette says, she still likes the Carefresh product the best because it is soft and warm and easy on her feet. She says the "gray fluffy stuff" is "snuggly." She says this new bedding is easier on her feet than the corn cob bedding though. She says she didn't notice any odor with it like the corn cob bedding and it was much easier for her to dig in so she could hide her food. She said being able to hide her food was very important to her, and that is another reason she really likes the gray fluffy stuff, but she says sometimes it does too good of a job hiding her food and she can't find it later. She said the new litter did not appear to be wet or damp on the surface when she walked around on it.

She thinks this new bedding is a good product and rates it a A-. She still rates the Carefresh an A, and she gives the Corn Cob a C- rating.

Kathryn's Review:

This new bedding is very cost effective and it lasts a surprising long time between having to change it. A full two weeks in fact. During this two week period it never got wet or soggy and didn't have a strong smell of ammonia. When I went to clean it out it was easy to clean. Nothing was stuck to the bottom of the housing unit. And it hides the rats droppings very well it never look soiled or dirty. It had a padded texture to it but wasn't as soft as the Carefresh, Minuette is correct there. The pieces were small enough that they didn't cause a problem with the vacuum cleaner picking them up off the floor.

I've decided to keep three kinds of bedding on hand for three types of situations. I use the Carefresh bedding for the birthing units, babies and nursing mothers, and in my healing units for sick or injured ratties.

I'll use the corn cob for the housing units with pull out trays on the bottom and use this cardboard bedding in the weaning units, where my rats between five and twelve weeks old live.

I agree with Minuette's overall rating of the products. She said she had fun helping me with this review and can hardly wait to do another one. She asked me if her next review could be that we try some new foods, as her lab blocks are really boring. She asked me if I would try one, so I did. She is right they don't taste very good. I told her I give them to her because they are healthy and good for her. Her reply was, "Mom don't they make stuff that is healthy and tastes good too?" Humm...there's a concept. :>)