It can take years for cedar poisoning to show problems in an animal. It can shorten the life of gerbils by about a year and a half, and although they seem perfectly healthy the whole time, they die early because of liver toxicity from the poisonous chemicals in cedar. I kept gerbils on it for years before I knew. But I now believe my gerbils lives were shortened due to it, and their reproductivity was also shortened from it... I mean the length of time they were able to keep having litters.
Animals will seem fine on cedar, till they reach near the point of death. Just like a person with gradually worsening liver disease will seem normal and healthy to the rest of the world until the latter stages of the disease. Jade --- Jean M Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I ran into a guy at the pet store today who bought > cedar bedding for his > guinea pig. I told him the mailing list says cedar > bedding is poisonous > and so it's not a safe bedding for small critters, > but he said he's used > it for years without having any problem. Is he just > lucky, or is it all > a matter of opinion about the safety vs. unsafety of > cedar bedding? The > pet store clerk, too, said he'd never had any > problem with it. > > The guinea pigs sure looked cute. He said someone > with allergies > shouldn't have any trouble with guinea pig fur > unless he picked it up, > but I even doubt that. My husband doesn't have to > pick up a cat to still > have allergy problems from it. Guinea pigs would be > a problem for him, > too, right? > > Of course, I won't consider trying guinea pigs while > I have my sweet > gerbils and hamsters. I ran into a lady and her > teen daughter today who > were having trouble finding teddy bear hamsters, so > I gave her the phone > number of the woman from whom we'd picked up ours. > They were elated. > > The gerbils and hamsters seem to be doing fine right > now. Gerbils > definitely *are* more active during the day than > hamsters. > -Jean __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com
