Mice, newspapers, and wood shavings

Question
Hi Natasha
thanks for your previous answers to my questions they were very helpful. As you know i don't have mice yet and i was wondering if mice are allergic to newspaper and woodshavings because i heard somewhere that they can be harmful to mice but other people have said that they use newspaper and woodshavings with their mice and have had no problems. I personally would prefer to use newspaper and wouldshavings as i have plenty of woodshavings used with previous pets and i find them much easier to find in pet shops i also have loads of old newspaper lying around. i've always used newspaper and woodshavings with previous pets (hamsters and guinea pigs). is it true that mice are allergic to newspaper and woodshavings or is it just a myth? and if they are allergic to them is there a high chance by using them they could cause problems
thanks for answering my question.

from Verity :-)

Answer
Dear Verity,

The only wood shavings that you can use with mice are aspen. Other woods like pine or cedar contain oils which trigger respiratory problems and illness. However, aspen is pretty easy to find in pet stores. Newspapers are fine so long as the ink is soy based. You can call your paper and ask. These days most newspapers do use soy based inks, but the other kinds are toxic, so it is important to know. However, newspaper has about zero odor neutralizing properties, as well as being yucky when soggy, so you would need to clean the cage pretty often. I recommend the aspen wood.

Have you watched my video "My First Mouse?" The address is in my profile; you just need to cut and paste into your browser window. It is only a first try and doesn't include everything, but you will definitely learn from it. Just don't expect your mice to be as calm as mine. I have an awesome breeder who just breeds the sweetest mice to the sweetest mice and they pretty much sit there.

Squeaks n giggles,

Natasha