[NewRatLover29]

CritterCare® Natural Paper Pet Bedding, Natural 30L | Walmart Canada

Buy CritterCare® Natural Paper Pet Bedding, Natural 30L from Walmart Canada. Shop for more Small Animal Bedding & Litter Supplies available online at Walmart.ca

www.walmart.ca

Not sure if posting a link is allowed (if not, my apologies - I used it as a reference to illustrate the bedding/further details). I was thinking of getting this brand for my boy's litterbox? When I called them, they said it was made of paper only. When I pressed to see what type of wood the paper was made from, they said a combination of Hemlock, Fir and Pine (which I have read are toxic to rats). They may or may not have said something about kiln-dried but she may have been referring to their other products (I'm not sure as I couldn't hear her well).

I was using kiln-dried aspen bedding for their litter (with fleece for bedding washed every 2-3 days) but I think it may have irritated their respiratory system? They have only been here for about 11 days (and I have read that new home sneezes are a thing) but just want to make sure I am picking a safer option. I have read that Yesterday's News has sawdust in it (quite a high percent) and Exquisicat seemed promising but they have baking soda in it. Right now I only have kraft paper in there which I have been changing out daily. I live in Canada if that helps recommendations any. Trying to be the best rat mom I can be! It's my first time owning these babies and I'm probably being overly cautious but...yeah.

Any advice is much appreciated!

 

[Willow&Whiskers]

It looks good!
I would personally use Yesterday's News over it though- I don't think Yesteday's News has much sawdust in it. I use YN and it doesn't look like it has any sawdust in it (actually it doesn't look like there's dust at all) and it's been great.

About the paper being from hemlock, fir and pine... I don't think it really matters what the paper is made from, I've never thought of that before, so I'm not completely sure though. Maybe someone else can answer that part better, LOL

 

[CorbinDallasMyMan]

No type of bedding or litter is perfect. They all have flaws. I don't see any reason not to try the Critter Care. Like wood shavings, it's a light material so it will probably get kicked out of the litter boxes more easily than a pellet litter. It will probably desiccate poops faster than a pellet litter, though. Being a paper product, it probably wouldn't be as effective against odor and ammonia as a wood product.

Yesterday's News is made with sawdust. YN may be [up to 40% sawdust]. Being that the sawdust is tightly contained in the little pellets (rather than being loose dust), it may not actually be that big of a deal, I don't know. Think about your furniture, is it softwood? My boys' cage is on top of an Ikea dresser and that's basically just tightly packed sawdust with a sticker veneer over it.

Other paper pellet litters may not have sawdust. Options include Exquisicat, So Phresh, Marshall's Ferret Litter, Fresh News, Vibrant Life, etc. I like a pellet litter because it's heavier and doesn't get kicked out of the litter boxes. It's also quite cheap so I don't feel bad throwing it out every few days. Some of these brands are cheaper than Yesterday's News so that's the route I usually take. Depending on current sales, Vibrant Life (Walmart), Exquisicat (PetSmart), and So Phresh (Petco) seem to be the most cost effective.

Baking soda is not toxic. It is not harmful for baking soda to be in litter pellets. There are only two circumstances where you need to worry about baking soda. 1) If you have a bunch of loose baking soda in the cage (because it's dusty) or 2) If your rats consume a very large amount of baking soda all at once. Rats can consume baking soda in small amounts with no ill effects. If you have a litter with baking soda in it, there's no way your rats would be able to eat enough of the litter for the baking soda to cause any issue. Consuming that much paper would cause a problem long before the baking soda would be an issue. I actually prefer to purchase a litter with baking soda because baking soda helps control odors/ammonia.

I'm currently using a combination of paper pellets in the litter boxes, aspen shavings on the floor of the cage, and fleece mats with an absorbent inner layer on the platforms. I find myself changing out the fabric liners and litter every few days and the aspen shavings on the floor of the cage every few weeks.

 

[Rex the Rat]

I find myself changing out the fabric liners and litter every few days and the aspen shavings on the floor of the cage every few weeks.

How deep is your aspen bedding? Do you really only need to change it every few weeks?

 

[CorbinDallasMyMan]

How deep is your aspen bedding? Do you really only need to change it every few weeks?

It's 2 to 3 inches deep but the cage also has a lot of floor space (about 8 sq ft) and my boys mostly pee in their hammocks 🤦‍♂️ I spot clean the stray poops often.

 

[Vividdonut12]

I use Yesterday's News. Even if there is sawdust in it, the pellets are so packed that there is almost 0 dust except at the very bottom of the bag.