>I'm using aspen as bedding for my gerbils>
First, get rid of the aspen.
> How come it starts to smell so rank so quickly?>
It dosen't allow the urin to dry. Hence the smell.
> Any other suggestions?>
I find corn cob to be the best. It absorbs and dries the unin very well.
You may also want to try some of the pelleted beddings as well. These are
made form recycled paper, grass, and aspen. The latter probably isn't
much better than what you are using now. There is also a bedding called
Care Fresh made out of nonpelleted recycled paper which also works well.
> mixed with a little construction paper for color (it looks pretty!)>
I really don't recomend using construction paper for bedding. While it
may look pretty, it may contain chemicals or other contaminants. I don't
think it would hurt the gerbils in their short life span, but why push
it?;-)
Cinthia A. Dunn-Izquierdo
