Paper bedding for small animals
Paper bedding is a soft, shredded or pelleted bedding made from recycled or virgin paper, used as an alternative to sawdust and wood shavings in a small pet's cage or hutch. It's generally softer underfoot and produces less dust than traditional shavings, which matters for small pets prone to respiratory irritation.
Why paper bedding suits small pets
Being low-dust is the main advantage over wood shavings, particularly relevant for small animals with sensitive respiratory systems, and it tends to be softer and more comfortable to burrow into as well. Many paper beddings are also highly absorbent, helping control odour between full cage cleans.
Recycled paper bedding has the added appeal of being made from waste paper rather than virgin material, which some owners prefer on general environmental grounds, without any difference in performance for the animal using it.
Using it well
A layer deep enough to burrow and nest in is worth aiming for with species that naturally do this, rather than a thin scattering that only covers the floor. Spot-clean soiled patches regularly and do a full change on a schedule that suits your specific pet and enclosure size, since a bedding left too long stops controlling odour effectively regardless of how absorbent it is.
If you're switching from wood shavings to paper bedding, introduce it gradually alongside the old bedding for a few days rather than swapping everything at once, giving your pet time to get used to the new texture and smell.
Common questions
- Is paper bedding better than wood shavings?
- For most small pets it's a genuine improvement on dust levels, which matters for animals prone to respiratory irritation, though wood shavings still have their place and some pets show no particular preference either way. If your pet has ever seemed sensitive to dust, paper bedding is worth trying.
- How often should I change paper bedding?
- Spot-clean soiled areas every day or two, and do a full change roughly weekly, adjusting based on how quickly the enclosure starts to smell or look soiled. A smaller enclosure with a single animal will generally need less frequent full changes than a larger, more heavily used one.
- Can rabbits eat paper bedding?
- Paper bedding isn't intended as food and shouldn't be relied on as such, though a rabbit nibbling a small amount out of curiosity isn't usually a concern. If you notice your rabbit eating large amounts of bedding rather than their hay, that's worth mentioning to your vet.
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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.