Rat bedding
Paper-based and aspen beddings are the safe choices for pet rats; softwood shavings like pine and cedar are not, because of the oils they give off. Here's what to use and how deep to fill it. Getting this right is a genuine welfare question, not a preference, since the wrong wood type can cause real respiratory irritation over weeks and months.
The bedding to avoid
Untreated pine and cedar shavings are the ones to leave off the shopping list. Both release aromatic oils that have been linked to respiratory irritation and liver enzyme changes in small rodents kept in an enclosed space with them over time, and rats — who have sensitive respiratory systems to begin with — are one of the groups most commonly advised to avoid them.
Heat-treated or kiln-dried pine, where the manufacturer has removed most of the oils in processing, is sometimes marketed as a safer alternative, but paper-based and aspen beddings remove the question entirely and are the more straightforward choice if you would rather not check processing claims on every bag.
What to use instead
Paper-based bedding — shredded or pelleted recycled paper — is soft, low-dust and widely used for rats, and it composts well if that matters to you. Aspen shavings are the other common safe choice, being a hardwood rather than a softwood and free of the oils that make pine and cedar a problem.
Whichever you choose, a depth of several centimetres gives a rat room to burrow, which is a normal and important behaviour for them rather than something to discourage. A bedding that is too shallow to dig into is a smaller welfare problem than the wrong wood type, but it is still worth getting right.
Keeping it clean
Spot-clean soiled bedding and obvious food stashes every day or two, and do a full bedding change roughly once a week, more often in warm weather or for a larger group of rats sharing one enclosure. A cage that smells strongly between full cleans usually means the spot-cleaning is not keeping pace, not that the bedding itself has failed.
Keep a small amount of the previous bedding when you do a full change and mix it back in with the fresh layer. Rats rely on scent to feel secure in their space, and a completely stripped, entirely fresh-smelling cage can be more unsettling for them than a bit of familiar bedding carried over.
Common questions
- Can I use sawdust for rat bedding?
- It is best avoided. Fine sawdust is dusty, which is uncomfortable for a rat's respiratory system, and it does not give them the substrate to burrow into the way paper or aspen bedding does. Coarser, purpose-made small animal bedding is the better choice.
- How often should I change my rat's bedding?
- Spot-clean soiled patches every day or two, and do a full change of all the bedding roughly once a week, more often if you keep several rats together or the weather is warm. Leaving a little of the old bedding mixed in with the fresh layer helps keep the enclosure smelling familiar to them.
- Is cedar bedding bad for rats?
- Yes, cedar and untreated pine shavings release aromatic oils that can irritate a rat's respiratory system over time, and rats are commonly advised to avoid both. Paper-based or aspen bedding are the safer standard choices.
- How deep should rat bedding be?
- Several centimetres is a reasonable minimum, giving rats enough depth to burrow into, which is a normal behaviour for them. A shallow layer that barely covers the floor of the enclosure does not give them that option.
Related
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Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.