Rat owners?

Question

Hi, just wondering what you use as substrate as i know u cant use sawdust and aslo were do you get it.
thanks.

I l ive in the uk, sorry for not putting that before

Answer 1

Anyone who tells you it's ok to use wood shavings for rats is seriously wrong. Not only are wood shavings dangerous because of their dustiness, and with rats having such delicate respiratory tracts this can be harmful enough, but also the phenols in the wood can cause skin irritation and liver disease which as you can imagine is NOT good for your rats in anyway. Please note though that hardwood shavings are ok, such as Aspen bedding, but do not use softwood shavings at all.
If you go to any good rat website they will say "no way" straight off to using wood shavings with rats.
There are loads of different alternatives depending on where abouts you live in the world.
You could use corn cob bedding, CareFresh, Megazorb, Aubiose, Chopped Cardboard bed (a favourite amongst rat owners), shredded paper, Biocatlet, and there is even a substrate which is basically the offcuts from the sides of what holds a tea bag together.
Basically as long as it's paper based it's safe - some horse beddings are also safe as long as they're dust free (Megazorb and Aubiose being two themselves). The same with some cat litters although clumping or wood based cat litters should be avoided.
Where you get it from depends simply on where you live, try looking up local stores in your area and seeing what they have that you could use. The most common ones around tend to be the corn cob and Carefresh beddings.
Hope this helps :)

Answer 2

I use Kay-Kob corn cob bedding for my rats. I get it in a huge bag at PetSmart for about $15, and for my 2 cages, it lasts around 2 months or so.

I also provide some hay, for nesting.

I've tried almost everything, and I prefer corn cob, because it doesn't produce an odor as quickly as others seem to, and doesn't cause them to sneeze, whenever new bedding is put down.

After owning a couple rats that had upper respiratory infection, I tend to stay away from anything that can even cause them to sneeze. I also stay away from wood shavings, due to the fact that mites can hide in wood, and I've had a mite outbreak once, a few years ago. NOT easy to take care of!

Answer 3

Pine or cedar bedding is very controversial, so why use it? Aspen is OK. Sawdust would be FAR too dusty, I think, as are most cat litters. Your best bet is to use one of the commercial bedding you find in pet stores, like Care Fresh. If you can get Eco Bedding over there (I doubt it) it is the BEST bedding ever, totally dust-free.

Or you can make your own bedding by shredding old newspapers. Or use fabric -- just be sure to wash it frequently!

Answer 4

I use wood shavings for mine... you just have to watch out in case your rats start wheezing. If you don't have any luck with shavings you can always try cat litter.

You can get the shavings from most pet shops. Make sure it is not from an oiled wood. Most of the time my rats are out and about running the house. Whenever they are tired they go back to their cage. They are great pets and I think you will get a lot of enjoyment out of them. If you only have one rat I would seriously suggest getting another one for company. They are very social animals and get lonely when they are left on their own. Make sure you play with them for a good hour a day.

Answer 5

You can get dust-free rodent substrate at most pet stores. Some is even special for rats.
Also, rats are tough and if you can't find anything, they will be OK on ripped-up paper, as long as it is NOT printed or written on, as ink is bad for them. It might be nice to give them some paper, anyway, because rats like to chew it up and use it to create their own beds.

Answer 6

Walmart carried a great litter made out of recycled newspapers. It is small gray pellets. It is a little more the the wood chips, but I really like it. Years ago my first rat had allergies to the wood chips.

Answer 7

We use the wood based cat litter pellets in our cages - the same as they use in Pets @ Home for their rodents.
You can get a really big sack for about £8 and it lasts an age!
Also, if you have male rats it's really good at keeping the smell down.
HTH.

Answer 8

hi, carefresh bedding is the best for rats i have two rats and one has a sevre reaction to sawdust, you can get it from pets at home (in the UK) and they usually have it on offer. hope this helps x

Answer 9

I put Aspen Bedding in the bottom of my cages as it has no wood oil, it has high absorbency and is ordorless, it's non toxic, dust free and is easy for them to tunnel through or whatever they may want to do with it. I buy it at Petsmart usually. Works great!

Answer 10

I've tried things that are made from natural stuff like wheat and found they are really bad on allergies. We use Critter Care bedding, it's made from recycled newspaper, you can even get it in colors. It is really absorbent and the odor control is actually pretty good for our two degus which are like miniature chinchillas, also called chillian squirrels. You can get it online from Petsmart or at places like walmart.