For rat bedding can I use fabric?

Question

If I could then I would buy the $1 a yard fabric. Would that be ok for the bedding?

Answer 1

Info. below came from two different sources so I listed the links below. Please go with the one you feel you can trust the most.


Cage Bedding & Litter

Back to Environment
Choosing the litter and cage bedding for your rat’s environment is important. Whatever product you decide to use be sure that you change it often to keep your rat healthy. The build up of ammonia and fecal bacteria can be extremely harmful to your rat’s respiratory system. Occasionally rats will be allergic to certain types. If this occurs then try different products until you find one that does not cause a reaction. In cases of severe allergies cloth (old T-shirts, towels, etc.) can be used as a substitute for conventional bedding. Although there are many excellent choices there are also some that are dangerous for your rat.
Unacceptable Cage Bottom Bedding Choices
Cedar or Pine
Cedar and pine are choices that you want to avoid. Unfortunately they are usually sold in pet stores right next to the rodent supplies. Tests have shown that the phenols (aromatic hydrocarbons) that are found in these softwoods are toxic to rats and other small animals. This toxic substance is what makes the litter have the strong smell, which covers up the odors of urine but at a hazardous cost to your rat. It is the oils containing these phenols that you find in many household cleaning products like pine-fresh and pine-sol.
If you use pine or cedar you are jeopardizing your rat’s health in several ways. Long term inhalation of these chemicals can compromise the rat’s immune system making it more prone to respiratory problems such as mycoplasma. It has also been scientifically documented that the phenols in these softwoods alter the levels of the liver enzymes, which can lead to liver disease and even liver failure.

Clay Cat Litter
Clay cat litter is too dusty to be used to line the entire bottom of a rat’s environment. Use only small amounts of large granule, non-dusty, non-clumping clay litter in litter boxes.
Corn Cob Bedding
When wet, corncob bedding tends to rot and grow mold causing an unpleasant odor and an increase in bacteria within the animals environment. If you opt to use corn cob on the cage botton then keep in mind that it has to be changed often. Corn Cob is best used in the litter box itself.
Preferred Cage Bedding Choices
Shredded Paper
Shredded paper can be used for your rats bedding. It must be changed often as it tends to get mushy when wet. Make sure that if you use shredded newspaper that it is printed with non-toxic soy or vegetable ink. Keep in mind that light colored rats will end up with dirty looking fur from the ink.
Aspen
Aspen is a very good choice for bedding. Being a hardwood, there are no toxic phenols in it making it a safe choice for your rat. The only problem with aspen is that it can be messy and difficult to vacuum.
CareFresh
CareFresh is made from paper pulp. It has the appearance of shredded gray egg carton material. Rats seem to like this product although some owners complain about its odor being unpleasant, especially when wet.
Pellet Bedding
The most popular used pellet bedding is Yesterdays News. It is manufactured from recycled newspaper and was originally intended to be an alternative cat litter. Many pet owners use it satisfactorily. The one problem with yesterdays News is that it does tend to crumble and get dusty after it has been wet and then dried out.
Other pellet bedding products on the market are made from different materials such as compressed aspen, wheat grass, and cellulose fiber (Cell-sorb Plus).

Cloth
Cloth is a useful alternative to conventional cage bedding especially if the rats, or their owners, have allergies. Old, clothing, fabric diapers, towels, and remnants make good choices. Be sure to use cloth that does not unravel easily. Long strings can get caught around the rat’s appendages and cause injury. This is particularly a concern with babies and young rats.
Wash the fabric bedding with a hypoallergenic laundry detergent using warm or hot water. Occasional washing with a small amount of bleach is fine as long as the load of laundry is washed again using detergent only or put through two rinse cycles. If you can detect any bleach odor after washing then please run them through another complete cycle.

Cloth used in nest boxes will need to be changed more frequently if you have rats that urinate in their beds.

Litter Boxes
Keeping litter boxes in your cages will help with maintaining overall cage cleanliness. Rats are, for the most part, easily trained to use a litter box. Some suggested litters are soft corncob litter, crushed walnut shells, Swheat Scoop, and certain cat litter products. When using any cat litter products make sure to avoid those with deodorizers, clumping agents, and dust. If using clay litter be sure to choose the large granule litter (which is usually the least expensive) and avoid using the dust litter found at the bottom of the bag. Bedding materials can also be used in litter boxes as long as it is not the same type that you use on the cage floor. Using a different material in the litter box will help the rat differentiate between it’s floor and its toilet area. Unfortunately most rats will not urinate in their litter boxes regularly. But even if it only catches the feces it is still a great aide in helping your rat’s environment stay cleaner. For Litter box training go refer to this article.
http://ratguide.com/care/environment/cage_bedding_litter.php

Bedding:


Be very aware of what bedding is safe and unsafe for rats.
Pine & Cedar bedding is extremely harmful to rats. The wood contains phenols and can have toxic effects on rats respiratory systems. (Pine and Cedar are softwoods)

Rats kept on pine and cedar bedding are likely to have Poryphin (Red/brown discharge) staining coming from their eyes and nose, wheezing, gasping, sneezing and possible nausea.
Most pet store employees have no idea what is and isn't safe for your animals, do not take them at their word, if they try to tell you Pine and cedar is safe for rats -do not listen to them.

Aspen is safe to use for rats. (Aspen is a hardwood.)

When looking for a bedding to use, look at the package and consider how much dust the bedding contains.
Dusty bedding can cause your pets to have sneezing and breathing troubles.
Some beddings that claim to be dust free, still contain dust, as the bedding settles in the bottom of the package and/or cage.
Also do not use bedding that has a strong scent, this can irritate your rats nose and lungs.
Do not use cotton fiber bedding, (Looks like cotton balls)(Specifically Cloud 9 bedding) it has come to my attention that the rats can get tiny fibers wrapped around their bodies barely visible to the human eye and can cause injury, eventual amputation or even death (*Especially harmful to babies.*)
Store bought bedding can sometimes contain small bugs & mites living in it, which is not good for your rats, so be aware and examine the bag closely.
One way to avoid bugs in the bedding is to put the bedding in the freezer for at least 2 days.
Newspaper bedding is a great option -usually much cheaper than store bought bedding and easy to clean up.
No need to worry about poisonous inks as almost all newspaper these days use soy ink which is safe and non toxic.

You can also use other scrap paper, such as old notebook paper, junk mail, or rolls of brown packaging paper.
You can lay flat sheets of newspaper on the bottom of the cage and then shred some strips of paper to put on top. The shredded paper on top will help soak up urine and give the rats material to build nests and houses with.
Rats get cold too. So, having blankets and towels for them to hide in or under is also recommended.
Blankets:
Fleece blankets are recommended as they have no strings or stitching your rats nails or toes could get caught on.
You can buy a blanket and cut it up or buy bulk fabric from the fabric store.
When using cloth towels make sure there are no loose strings or large holes in them. Be very careful on what fabric you use if you are going to drape it over a box to cover a doorway -rats are well known for chewing holes in them and then trying to walk through the newly chewed hole and getting stuck.
Blankets, scarves, & old clothing also works well for rat blankets. (Remove zippers and buttons if the clothing has any.)
Paper towels & Napkins also make good bedding and nesting material. -Especially for Pregnant females.
http://www.80stoysale.com/rathouses.html

Answer 2

Fabric For Bedding

Answer 3

Rat Beds

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
For rat bedding can I use fabric?
If I could then I would buy the $1 a yard fabric. Would that be ok for the bedding?

Answer 5

This is exactly what I tell everyone to do when they ask 'what is the safest bedding'. Although I never tell anyone to go out and specifically buy a yard of fabric, I just tell them to root around in their drawers and closet for old cotton t-shirts or flannel p.j.'s.

For smaller animals like rats, hamsters, gerbils, mice, etc. you will probably want to shred the t-shirt or at least cut it up in smaller pieces. Best part of all is the material is washable...of course. You will never have to buy bedding again. Plus, if you are like me, you probably have a hundred old t-shirts around. Its almost a lifetime supply.

Just make sure when choosing your 'bedding' you go for something that is cotton or mostly cotton. Even a rotten old pair of jeans would work here. Make sure if the item has buttons or zippers that they are removed before putting them in the cage with your little fuzz-ball. Change the bedding like you normally would, except for throwing it in the trash you can throw it in the washing machine or a sink-full of hot soapy water. After its completely dry and cool throw it back in.

Answer 6

If you plan on useing fabric that is fine...however, use cotton like a t-shirt or fleece fabric..also you will have to wash it at least every other day, so make sure there is enough there to make several changes. Yes a rat will chew on fabric but they will not eat it. make sure that there are no strings or anything that they can get snagged in, I almost lost a fuzzy because of thread. I would stick to no pill fleece and cotton t-shirts no sewn threads, and change them often!! Shaz

Answer 7

The healthiest bedding is Carefresh.... anything else even pine bedding is a risk. the pine bedding although one of the cheapest beddings can cause respiratory problems in small animals. As for paper, if it has ink it can be poisonous, but im not sure about regular white paper. However I have cleaned MANY rat cages and Im pretty sure paper would be very messy to clean.

Enjoy your pet rat they are wonderfully smart!

Answer 8

I would be careful with fabric. Make sure the dyes are safe. Be sure that if the fabric is chewed it does not "string", my degu almost strangled himself when a string from fabric wrapped around his neck.

I would just stick to a paperbased bedding, it is safer.

Answer 9

i had a pet rat i cut the sleeves off of a sweatshirt and he loved to sleep in it but i think a thin layer of bedding would still be able to keep odor in check better then the fabric. rats are awesome pets though you can teach it its name and tricks lots of fun

Answer 10

It would be okay---I guess if it would be okay for you, it would be okay for the rat. I'm not sure how you plan to do it: wash it when it's dirty, or throw it out and put fresh in? I'd tear or cut it into strips for the rat's convenience. See how it works.

Answer 11

My daughter's rat (and we have had few) have wood shavings in their little cage. She put in a small face cloth and they have slept on that for the past 6 months. We just wash it once in a while.