Review of the Ecotrition Snak Shak Natural Hide Away

This product is a great concept, but it didn't work out that well for me and my rats. My rats took to it right away as a hide away, and nibbled a bit at the straw roof, but otherwise never chewed it. However, after a couple of months, my imperfectly litter trained rats had soiled the hut, and I found the smell unbearable. The large hut is marketed for guinea pigs and rabbits and these animals might fare better with this product as long as it doesn't become soiled. However, for the price, I was rather disappointed.

I purchased the large Ecotrition Snak Shak Hide Away for my rats. Ecotrition (by 8 in 1) has produced a line of similar products, including smaller hideaways, logs, furniture, and treat sticks. The large hut is made for guinea pigs and rabbits, though the opening size probably limits it to small dwarf rabbits. The smaller size is listed as suitable for rats, but seemed too small especially for multiple rats that like to huddle together.

Ingredients
The Snak Shak line of products is heavily promoted as being edible. The packaging on mine advertised that it was made from "fresh alfalfa and golden honey" making it sound quite appealing (though I generally recommend avoiding sweetened snacks). However, the full ingredient list is pine wood shavings, cassava starch, alfalfa, straw liquid mix (water, sodium alginate, potassium sorbate, propionic acid, honey, glycerin, propylene glycol), cotton thread, bamboo, straw, and paper cord. The alfalfa may explain why it was not so appealing to my rats as an edible chew toy (rats tend to not like alfalfa and are said to not be able to digest it well). Looking at the list of ingredients, I think I would stick with plain, untreated wood products for chewing value, especially for rats.

What Other Reviews Say
Though the product was not a hit with me and my rats, it does receive very favorable reviews elsewhere, particularly from hamster owners. It seems perhaps the smaller products aimed at hamsters and other smaller rodents might represent a better value.