rat substrate

[bcross]

I use sugar cane mulch in my rat enclosures. I then use this as compost but was wondering would wood shavings be better ie; more smell absorbent. I find I have to clean the enclosures twice a week to combat the odour. Anyones ideas welcome on this one

 

[Retic]

If you need to clean the cage twice a week then it isn't doing it's job. I now have a large office shredder and shred all paper and cardboard we get, it turns it into small pieces almost like wood shavings and is amazingly absorbent and if needed they could be left for 2 weeks without cleaning. Obviously this isn't an option for everyone so wood shavings is the 2nd best substrate to use.

 

[grizz]

I am using a combination of both sawdust and shredded paper at present and have been for some time, I can get upto 2 weeks in the summer but generally clean out every week.

 

[byron_moses]

i use breeders choice kitty litter and change it once a month on my rats

 

[Allan]

"If you need to clean the cage twice a week then it isn't doing it's job. I now have a large office shredder and shred all paper and cardboard we get, it turns it into small pieces almost like wood shavings and is amazingly absorbent and if needed they could be left for 2 weeks without cleaning. Obviously this isn't an option for everyone so wood shavings is the 2nd best substrate to use."

Boa, what sort of shredder are you talking about? Obviously not the usual little home shredder.

 

[Jungletrans]

l used to use a shredder , very good for small number of rats . Then as usual l got carried away and there wasnt enough paper for the snakies . l now use bales of compressed wood shavings , fantastic , they are very cheap , take weeks to need changing and l just throw them on the compost heap . l still dont know how they can pack , ship from MtGambia SA to Melbourne and retail them for $12 for 20 kilo . But lm not complaining .

 

[dtulip10]

i use breeders choice kitty litter and change it once a month on my rats

using breeders choice with the rats and yeah once every three weeks i am changing and cleaning. finding it really good.

 

[deebo]

how big of an enclosure/tub are you using the breeders choice in and how many rats for it to last 3 weeks without needing changing?

 

[dtulip10]

they are a 50l clickclack with three adults, 2 girls one boy

 

[Retic]

No definitely not the $30 shredder you get from KMart, this one is as big as a filing cabinet and will shred a whole newspaper in a few seconds.

Boa, what sort of shredder are you talking about? Obviously not the usual little home shredder.

 

[wokka]

Water is the main reason you have to clean. if you use automatic drinkers they wont leak so the litter stays dryer, and should last twice as long as when water bottles are used.

 

[IgotFrogs]

I have no substrate at all under my rats ..... they have litter trays in for them with breeders choice .... I only got them a couple weeks ago two females and one male .... they were not litter trained when i got them but have learned pretty quickly with i guess 95% of their poops making it in the trays ..... Just put a little ammonia on the breeders choice and it gets them to go to that spot to go to the loo .....
But with my mice because of their strong smell I use wood shavings ..... Change out every week or two but they are in LARGE tubs ....

 

[TWENTY B]

i'm told wheaten chaff is very good, haven't tried it yet but i will be..
i use shavings.
also herd of corn husk used in a major lab as substrate..

 

[jack]

i use shredded paper from work, i pretty much fill the tub with the stuff so they can build nests.
i change it weekly.

 

[Recharge]

Q: I've heard that cedar shavings are bad for rats. Is this true?

A:
Yes! Both cedar and pine shavings contain phenols, the oils in the wood that give them their fresh and woodsy smell.
Phenols are poisonous, caustic, acidic compounds present in soft woods, and are routinely diluted for use in disinfectants (such as Pine-Sol and Lysol) and cover the smell of animal urine. Because phenols are caustic, they constantly irritate the nasal passages, throat and lungs which gives an easy opening to bacteria.
Phenols affect the kidneys and liver, the organs responsible for filtering blood and urine and eliminating toxins from them. Long-term exposure to phenols can cause liver damage and make the animal very sensitive to anesthetics. Exposure to phenols can also depress the immune system, thus causing lowered resistance to diseases such as respiratory infection. Pine and cedar shavings are toxic to small animals and should not ever be used.

and this is repeated on multiple sites.

 

[cris]

I use leaves and tell my rats to poo in a conatiner in the corner. Needs cleaning very rarely, just add some soil or much onto of the poo container and empty it occasionally. The best thing about rats is that they are so clean, but you need to provide a decent sized enclsoure which many seem to have a problem with.

 

[bcross]

I am giving the wood shavings a go I will lety you know in a few days.