Rat bedding and litter
bedding
Pine and Cedar - Never use softwood beddings such as pine or cedar. The aromatic oils (phenols) destroy lung tissue in small animals especially because their faces are always close to their bedding—and particularly mice and rats because of their delicate lungs.
So why do petsores sell it? Do tobacco producers care about the damage cigarettes do to human lungs? The answer is business. How else could lumber companies make a profit off the millions of tons of wood scraps that are unfit for much else? Many individual workers in the pet department do care about their animals’ conditions, or will not keep them on poor bedding for other reasons (who wants to buy a bunch of sneezing animals, right?). But that doesn’t stop them from selling it. This appeals to that portion of pet owners that are either ignorant of the needs of their new small pet, or are unwilling/unable to spend money on their needs.
Aspen - One safe wood bedding is aspen, a hardwood and my favourite. It comes in either chips, or a shredded state. I buy it in large 2.5-foot high bales from a feed and supply store for $11.
Carefresh is a bedding made from recycled wood pulp, but I find it very dusty, and very expensive for a recycled product.
Cloth – This does nothing for odor, and there’s always the danger of a baby getting its legs fatally caught in the threads. Adult rats are capable of quickly chewing themselves free in this situation, but fabric should always be discarded when it becomes holey and chewed down anyway.
Yesterday’s News, Scoops and other newspaper pelleted litter do a good job of reducing odor, as well as keeping bedding inside the cage, but apparently there’s the odd rat in a million that eats it and becomes very sick. Most rats don’t, and certainly none of mine. Because it’s somewhat expensive for my number of rats, I mainly use it their litter pans. If it’s used as bedding, it must be changed when it breaks down and becomes dusty.
Rabbit Pellets - an alfalfa pelleted litter intended for rabbit food, but also as cage bedding or litter among rat owners. It's quite safe, since rats don't eat alfalfa, but like other pelleted litters must be changed when it breaks down and becomes dusty. Sometimes it bothers certain rats or humans if it's high in protein and very green. It's obtained very cheaply at a feed store.
More on Litter Pans - Rats can be trained to more or less use a litter pan. While they will pee everywhere, they will prefer to poop in a litter pan or two on the levels of the cage. If they don’t automatically use it, put any stray poops inside, and physically show them what you’re doing if necessary. Litter pans can also be transferred from their cage to the area they will play in (eg. sofa).
Better to be safe than sorry...
Pine and Cedar - Never use softwood beddings such as pine or cedar. The aromatic oils (phenols) destroy lung tissue in small animals especially because their faces are always close to their bedding—and particularly mice and rats because of their delicate lungs.
So why do petsores sell it? Do tobacco producers care about the damage cigarettes do to human lungs? The answer is business. How else could lumber companies make a profit off the millions of tons of wood scraps that are unfit for much else? Many individual workers in the pet department do care about their animals’ conditions, or will not keep them on poor bedding for other reasons (who wants to buy a bunch of sneezing animals, right?). But that doesn’t stop them from selling it. This appeals to that portion of pet owners that are either ignorant of the needs of their new small pet, or are unwilling/unable to spend money on their needs.
Aspen - One safe wood bedding is aspen, a hardwood and my favourite. It comes in either chips, or a shredded state. I buy it in large 2.5-foot high bales from a feed and supply store for $11.
Carefresh is a bedding made from recycled wood pulp, but I find it very dusty, and very expensive for a recycled product.
Cloth – This does nothing for odor, and there’s always the danger of a baby getting its legs fatally caught in the threads. Adult rats are capable of quickly chewing themselves free in this situation, but fabric should always be discarded when it becomes holey and chewed down anyway.
Yesterday’s News, Scoops and other newspaper pelleted litter do a good job of reducing odor, as well as keeping bedding inside the cage, but apparently there’s the odd rat in a million that eats it and becomes very sick. Most rats don’t, and certainly none of mine. Because it’s somewhat expensive for my number of rats, I mainly use it their litter pans. If it’s used as bedding, it must be changed when it breaks down and becomes dusty.
Rabbit Pellets - an alfalfa pelleted litter intended for rabbit food, but also as cage bedding or litter among rat owners. It's quite safe, since rats don't eat alfalfa, but like other pelleted litters must be changed when it breaks down and becomes dusty. Sometimes it bothers certain rats or humans if it's high in protein and very green. It's obtained very cheaply at a feed store.
More on Litter Pans - Rats can be trained to more or less use a litter pan. While they will pee everywhere, they will prefer to poop in a litter pan or two on the levels of the cage. If they don’t automatically use it, put any stray poops inside, and physically show them what you’re doing if necessary. Litter pans can also be transferred from their cage to the area they will play in (eg. sofa).
Better to be safe than sorry...
posted by Lee at 7:43 AM
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