Pet rat bedding and litter sometimes get confused with one another. Bedding is the material upon which your rats sleep and Litter is used for where your pet rats urinate and defecate. As you can see, Litter and Bedding have distinctly separate uses, making it wise not to use the same material for both.
Because it’s SO important, let’s start with….
What NOT to use for bedding or litter:
- Cedar and pine shavings – They’re toxic! It’s amazing that cedar and pine shavings are still sold in pet stores. Because they’re sitting there on the shelves ready for purchase (as well as readily available online), many people have no clue about how dangerous these wood shavings are for rats. Cedar and pine shavings contain phenols, the same compound used in Lysol and Pinesol. Their caustic fumes can irritate a rat’s nasal passages, throat and lungs which, in turn, make them vulnerable to bacteria. Exposure to phenols can also damage their kidneys and liver and even suppress a rat’s immune system.
- Corncob litter – Very dusty. The dust can be inhaled, compromising respiration.
- Clumping cat litter – Risk of ingestion and, as a result, possible obstruction. Also often dusty, causing risk of inhalation.
- Shredded newspaper or printed paper– The ink on the paper is not healthy, it comes off quite easily and transfers onto rats’ hands, feet and fur. The dust that comes from the ink can also be inhaled. Sure, the ink may be made of soy, but it’s not food grade and there may be other chemicals mixed in with the soy.
Many people like to use Yesterday’s News or Carefresh. While not as bad as some of the bedding/litter mentioned above, there is still a fair amount of dust that gets stirred up when using these types of litters. From what I’ve read, aspen shavings seem to be okay. Any hardwood, in general, is supposedly safe.
Covering your pet rats’ cage floor
Your rats’ cage floor must be covered. There are two reasons for this:
- Covering your cage floor protects it from getting wet in case your rats urinate outside their litter box. This makes it easier to clean and disinfect during your weekly cage cleaning.
- Excessive standing on a bare cage floor can cause “bumblefoot”. Bumblefoot can affect one or both hind feet. Symptoms include inflamed and/or infected sores or lesions which can become bloody and/or abscessed. Treatment can take weeks to months to resolve bumblefoot. Sometimes the condition becomes chronic. It’s so much better to prevent bumblefoot than to have to treat it.
Cage floor liners
Many companies make cage floor liners. Some are the exact dimensions of a Critter Nation cage. If you have another type of cage, you can buy 12” x 12” or 24” x 18” liners. These can be laid down like tiles to cover each of your cage floors. If you have a guinea pig and/or a guinea pig cage, these liners made by LuftPets are wonderful. All these cage liners are very well made and can be easily washed and disinfected.
Cover your cage floor liners with a fleece blanket. (For the best value buy queen size and cut it in half or even smaller to fit your cage. These fleece blankets are thicker than most and hold up longer. When using a fleece blanket, you can pull the corners of the blanket through each corner of the cage. If the fleece blanket does get urinated on, simply swap it out for a clean one. In most cases, the liner beneath the blanket doesn’t get wet. If it does, you’ll want to swap out the liner for a clean one, too
Pet Rat Bedding & Litter
Bedding
Bedding is like the mattress on each of your rats’ beds. This can be inside their boxes, on top of a hammock or inside a hanging hidey bed.
The bedding I like most is soft cloth such as old or new T-shirts, sweatshirts or fleece blankets. (Cut up fleece blankets into smaller squares.)
It’s extremely important to avoid using any cloth that’s unraveling or has holes in it. If you see unraveling along the edges of a piece of cloth, trim any loose threads or strings. If you see holes in any of the cloth you’re using, either cut off the part with the hole or make the hole big enough for your rat to fit completely through it.
If don’t take the precautions of checking and eliminating any dangling threads and holes, a rat can get caught and possibly injured: A loose thread can get twisted around their ankle, causing the circulation to be cut off. A rat’s head can get stuck in a hole in a cloth, resulting in choking. (see photo)
Nesting Material
I consider “nesting material” to be a subset of rat bedding. They love crafting little cozy cocoons for themselves. Hand-shredded, plain newsprint is ideal nesting material.
Place several handfuls of hand-shredded plain newsprint in the center of each cage floor. Your rats will delight in dragging the strips into the various boxes and corners inside their cage. Not only do these strips provide something fun for them to do, but you’ll also love seeing the various creative nests they build.
Litter & Litter Boxes
Litter Boxes
Plastic corner litter boxes work well. They come in 2 sizes. If you need something a little smaller, baking pans can be handy.
Litter
Use litter that’s as natural and dust free as possible. My preference is to use Fresh News for my rats’ litter.
Do you have any products you’d like to recommend? Or any questions about pet rat bedding and litter?
If so, feel free to comment below. Please note it can take up to 3-5 days for a response. A notification will be emailed directly to you once your comment and my response have been posted.
Updated 8/30/23
Related Articles
Litterbox Lessons for You and Your Rats.
Litter Box Literacy: The Finer Points of Teaching Pet Rats to Urinate in Litter Boxes
A Cute Cue: Litter Box Training Pet Rats
Hey, so, I’m thinking about getting 2 or 3 rats. I’ve been searching all over the internet how to care about them and honestly I’m just left with a few questions. Do they actually stink a lot if you properly clean the cage? I’ve been told they’ll stink no matter what (mostly by my mom but she had the same approach to the hamster yet when I had him she loved him haha). Also, would a 78 cm x 48 cm x 80 cm cage suitable for a group of 2 or 3 rats? If not, what cage would you recommend?
Hi!
Thanks for your questions. Rats do not stink. Some males may have a slightly musky odor, especially when they’re not neutered. However, a lot of people actually like this smell.
The reason why people think rats stink is because they’re not cleaning their cage and its contents properly. Many people don’t clean their rats’ cage as often as is required and, when some people clean, they don’t do a thorough job. This post, Cleaning Your Pet Rats’ Cage, gives you all the information you need about how to keep their cage clean.
Another post on how not to have stinky rats is A Common Scents Guide to Banishing Pet Rat Cage Odor.
For information on cages and what size to get, my page, Pet Rat Cages: Finding the perfect palace, has lots of answers to the questions you asked.
If, after reading the above posts and pages, you still have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
I’m excited you’re looking into getting pet rats. It’s great you’re doing the research on how to take care of them.
Best Wishes.
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Hello, me name is Kevin, & at the moment I have just brought two male rats & looking for a suitable size cage for them. So for now me have got them in my wet room “ shower “ they’v Got lots ov room a water bottle,bowl for food cardboard boxes to bed down in, useing y/day paper & the gray little pellets for litter tray at one end, that got toilet roll cardboard & plastic pipes to run throw, am I doing it right ???
Hi Kevin,
CongRATulations on your new boys!
I love that you’ve given your rats cardboard boxes, toilet paper rolls, plastic pipes and that you’re already litter box training them!
Have you found a suitable cage for them yet? That really would be the ideal situation.
Keeping them in your ‘wet room “shower”’ could be an okay temporary place. Potential problems are:
If you’re still using the area to take showers, the smells from any scented shampoos, shower gels or soaps could damage their lungs.
If there are any cabinets in the room, check carefully underneath for any holes or cracks that lead into the walls of your home. The same goes for cracks underneath doors. You’ll want to make sure any gaps or cracks are securely covered over to prevent your rats from escaping.
Is there a window in this area? If not, there probably isn’t a good flow of air in the room. It’s important to have freely flowing air so that your rats aren’t trapped in an area where any odors—such as from their urine and feces—become severe.
I’m not familiar with what exactly a “wet room shower” is…..so I’m wondering, is there a toilet in there? If so, always, ALWAYS make sure the lid is down. Also, if you’re leaving them in there and they’re able to jump up onto the toilet lid, you need to be sure they have a way to get back down safely. The same goes for any higher up areas such as the sides of tubs. I’ve had some rats be able to climb up drawer handles onto bathroom counters and then not be able to get back down. There are so many dangers to leaving rats unsupervised in a bathroom. (But maybe your “wet room” is different?)
As you can see, bathrooms can be good places for free range time, but they’re not usually ideal for leaving them in there for any long term periods.
I hope my response has been helpful. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any additional questions any time.
Best Wishes to You & Your Rats,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Hi, hi! So I’ve had a couple of pet mice before and have currently trained cats (which are not allowed in the same room as my two new pet rats) and I have some experience with training – however, the DIY supplies part is still new to me a bit. Being a huge fan of recycling and that my mother purchased a great deal of panty liners a while ago she can no longer use (cancer – she’s expected to make a full recovery once they remove her uterus), I’m looking for uses for all of them and wondering if I can cut them up and use them for litter; my thoughts are it’s supposed to be absorbent and since they’re unscented and for a sensitive area it should be fine, but I wanted your opinion. The rats, if you’re wondering, were feeders for my friend’s snake that the snake didn’t want to eat so now they have a home with me. Their names are Darcy and Mr. Reginald Clancy.
Hi There!
Thanks for asking your great question. I apologize for taking so long in which to respond. I have a rat who’s been diagnosed with a pituitary tumor who’s also been getting a series of abscesses on his face. He’s been consuming almost every spare moment I have aside from working full-time. Normally I can respond a lot faster but I’m currently struggling to catch up with responding to everyone. I really appreciate your patience.
I realize that by now you may have already made a decision on whether or not to use the panty liners as litter for your pet rats. My opinion would be not to use them. My primary reasons for not recommending their use are: The liners probably contain bleach and they may cause dust that would be unhealthy for your rats’ lungs (due to possibility of bleach as well as whatever synthetic fiber they’re made from). In fact, because they’re likely not made from any natural materials, I don’t think they’re a healthy option to use as litter.
I love where you’re coming from, though. It is great to be able to recycle whenever possible. The items I mentioned above on this page really are the best bedding and litter options for your rats.
That’s fantastic you were able to adopt Darcy and Mr. Reginald Clancy from a home in which the snake didn’t want to eat them. I’m so glad to hear they’re in such a wonderful home.
Let me know anytime you have questions in the future—I should be able to respond much more promptly next time!
Best Wishes to You, Darcy & Mr. Reginald Clancy,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Hi, I wanted to ask about a way to modify their housing environment to implement tactile stimulation. I thought of adding various nestboxes for them, with different materials and sizes. Or are there any other recommendations on encouraging social interactions such as cuddling and grooming each other? Thanks.
Hi Veronica,
Thanks for asking your great question.
Rats generally will begin to interact more with one another (or not!) the longer they’ve lived together. How much they socialize really depends more on their temperaments and their gender than it does on their environment. That said, however, it does help to have a variety of boxes, hammocks and other types of beds along with bedding they can use to build nests. These items not only help facilitate socialization but also give them much needed mental stimulation.
Another way to encourage socialization and familiarity with one another is to have them out with you on your shoulder or inside your shirt while you’re in your home. If you can have them out to play in a rat-proofed room, they may also enjoy sharing the adventure of exploring new areas. Playing games together can help them bond with one another as well.
I hope you find my responses helpful. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you need further clarification or if you have any additional questions.
Best Wishes to You & Your Rats,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
I’m getting rats around the summertime (bc of COVID and I’m supposed to be going on holiday locally so I won’t be at home) but I just wanted to know how to litter train rats and if you know the best thing to get for rat bedding, digging material and litter tray paper towels etc?
Hi Ann,
Thanks for asking your great questions! It sounds like you’re doing a fantastic job of planning ahead. It’s so great you’re learning all you can in advance before getting your rats this coming summer.
I do have several posts on how to litter box train rats. To get started, I recommend reading Litter Box Lessons for You & Your Rats. For further information I wrote additional posts such as Litter Box Literacy: The finer points of teaching pet rats to urinate in their boxes and Got Urine?
As far as what type of bedding, litter trays and paper towels to use, they are covered in the page above. If there are specific questions regarding these items that aren’t covered above, feel free to let me know what they are and I’ll be glad to answer them. As far as digging material goes, I’d recommend using a big cardboard box filled with shredded plain newsprint. You can cut several holes in the sides and top of the box for them to crawl in and out of.
Thanks again for asking your questions. Let me know if you need any further clarification or if you have any other questions any time.
I’m so impressed you’re doing this research and planning ahead!
Best Wishes,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Hi! So the Integrity clumping litter linked down at the bottom is ok even though the earlier section says not to use clumping litters for cats? How do we know that one is ok, is there a specific property that makes others clumping litters more dangerous?
Hi There!
Thank you so much for asking that question. Yes the Integrity Cobbled Paper Litter is different from “regular” cat clumping litter. In fact, I don’t even know why they advertise Integrity Cobbled Paper litter as being “clumping”. As you probably know, most clumping cat litters look like coarse sand. When they are combined with moisture (such as urine) they turn into super hard balls. If this type of litter were to be ingested, it could turn into something similar to cement inside an animal’s body.
Here’s an image of what the Integrity Cobbled Paper Litter actually looks like. You’ll see that it’s not something that would turn into a hard substance when ingested. In fact, it ends up getting soft and mushy when wet.
I don’t personally like this litter myself but I do know some very knowledgeable and caring rat owners who love using it. I much prefer to use unbleached paper towels.
Thanks again for asking your question. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions any time.
Best Wishes to You & Your Rats,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Can I use a reusable litter box that I purchase, but one that isn’t as big as the one you used.
Hi Elena,
You can use any size litter box you’d like as long as it’s big enough for your rats. A litter box should be big enough for them to get their entire body into it. They should also be able to turn around while they’re inside it.
I’m excited to hear that you’re litter box training your rats! Feel free to let me know any time you have any other questions.
Best Wishes to You & Your Rats,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats