# Kaytee Soft Granule Pet Bedding



## shelabama (Nov 4, 2011)

I'm wondering if anyone uses Kaytee Soft Granule Pet Bedding and if you do, how do you feel about it? How does it control odor and how long does one bag last you?

Thanks ♥


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## bgj1010 (Apr 7, 2012)

My girls' Super Pet "starter home" kit came with it. Dislike. It's very light and they get more out of the cage than in it! After that, we went with CareFresh, which was nice, yet the most expensive bedding out there, so we tried aspen. The girls seem to love the aspen the best. It's very good at odor control (I think the litterbox actually does that, but whatever) and it's dust-free. My daughter lines the floor with the aspen and tosses in a couple handfulls of the CareFresh, which is the fluffy paper-y substance. They love it for nesting


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## irradella (Nov 5, 2011)

I've started using the Soft Granule Bedding and I really like it. The rats love to dig in it and I like that it looks like little pebbles. I only have 2 rats and they are litter trained so the bedding works well for odor control for me. I only use it in their litter box in their big cage, but I'll put some in a big Tupperware container with colorful bits of paper for a clean dig box (soil was a hassle and they hated the bath afterward...). I would recommend this bedding for 2 litter trained rats. Like bgj1010 said, it is lightweight so I would imagine it would be easy to throw out if you have shallow bases.


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## PitterPatter (Feb 28, 2012)

I saw it once, and I'm going to say dislike. I never used it, but I know there's better bedding out there that's cheaper. I like Kaytee's brand of Clean and Cozy, as well as carefresh and fleece. I use fleece in my big cage. I have a baby under quarantine for a while and he's in a smaller cage with the Cozy bedding. It's pretty much dust free. If it's not making me cough or wheeze it's good for them, too.
Also, the Cozy comes in long strips that won't get caught anywhere on or in the rat. No small pieces.


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## Lucys_Mom (Feb 27, 2012)

I like Clean and Cozy better as well. I have used both. Clean and Cozy is so compacted in the bag, that the bag lasts at least 3 times as long. It also seems to control odor well. My only warning about it is that newborns will get it stuck to them, which could suffocate them. I noticed a smell from the Soft Granules very quickly, and since it's not compacted, it didn't last long at all (Granted, i have 3 big cages to fill).


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## Lohosey (Apr 10, 2012)

I just started using the Kaytee bedding. I put it in FRESH today, after cleaning my two rat's cage completely out. I just came home and it reeks to high heaven. I don't know why, but it smells even worse than the cloth bedding I was using previously. What is best for keeping the "poop and pee" smell away?! My roommate is getting upset with me because of their stench, but I clean out the cage almost daily it seems! HELP!


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## PitterPatter (Feb 28, 2012)

Lohosey said:


> I just started using the Kaytee bedding. I put it in FRESH today, after cleaning my two rat's cage completely out. I just came home and it reeks to high heaven. I don't know why, but it smells even worse than the cloth bedding I was using previously. What is best for keeping the "poop and pee" smell away?! My roommate is getting upset with me because of their stench, but I clean out the cage almost daily it seems! HELP!


What do they eat?


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## Lohosey (Apr 10, 2012)

PitterPatter said:


> What do they eat?


I feed them some rodent food that I bought from Petco. I can't remember the name or brand, but it's in a green package. It has nuts, a bit of dried fruit, and some cat food-looking pieces in it. For treats, they go absolutely crazy for red apple slices.


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## bgj1010 (Apr 7, 2012)

That's Kaytee Fiesta MAX, which is fine. People will tell you it's not, but that's just because there are better alternatives. My girls' diet is that combined with the Kaytee Forti Diet Pro Health block diet. These two commercial foods provide a good variety and they enjoy it. They are fine, and scientifically formulated for ratties. If you research and choose to make your own diet, you may have great results and satisfaction, but I trust the science and research that has gone into these two foods.

Back to the subject at hand, you want to use shredded aspen. It's virtually dust free, safe for any pet, absorbent and keeps most odors at bay for days. And it's inexpensive and can be bought in bulk. My girls use a litter box, so I suggest you try that. They do occasionally "miss" the box, but it contains 99% of their waste. Rats are very intelligent. If a cat can use a litter box, you can certainly train your rat. If they don't take to it immediately, be persistent. Many people use different techniques, so try them all. My girls have a sealable container that sliced turkey came in from the supermarket, filled with plain ol' kitty litter. Scooped twice daily, they are clean and happy ratties 

I tried the CareFresh Ultra, but found it was more absorbent than anything else, so it soaked up the pee, but didn't eliminate any odor. I now line the floor with 1-2" of the shredded aspen and toss a handfull of CareFresh (confetti colored) in for looks and they like to nest with it, seeing it's fluffy recycled paper. It's the most expensive bedding you can buy, which sucks, cuz I bought the giant compressed package of it.


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## Lohosey (Apr 10, 2012)

bgj1010 said:


> That's Kaytee Fiesta MAX, which is fine. People will tell you it's not, but that's just because there are better alternatives. My girls' diet is that combined with the Kaytee Forti Diet Pro Health block diet. These two commercial foods provide a good variety and they enjoy it. They are fine, and scientifically formulated for ratties. If you research and choose to make your own diet, you may have great results and satisfaction, but I trust the science and research that has gone into these two foods.
> 
> Back to the subject at hand, you want to use shredded aspen. It's virtually dust free, safe for any pet, absorbent and keeps most odors at bay for days. And it's inexpensive and can be bought in bulk. My girls use a litter box, so I suggest you try that. They do occasionally "miss" the box, but it contains 99% of their waste. Rats are very intelligent. If a cat can use a litter box, you can certainly train your rat. If they don't take to it immediately, be persistent. Many people use different techniques, so try them all. My girls have a sealable container that sliced turkey came in from the supermarket, filled with plain ol' kitty litter. Scooped twice daily, they are clean and happy ratties
> 
> I tried the CareFresh Ultra, but found it was more absorbent than anything else, so it soaked up the pee, but didn't eliminate any odor. I now line the floor with 1-2" of the shredded aspen and toss a handfull of CareFresh (confetti colored) in for looks and they like to nest with it, seeing it's fluffy recycled paper. It's the most expensive bedding you can buy, which sucks, cuz I bought the giant compressed package of it.


They seem to like it the Kaytee Fiesta Max, so I'll probably just stick to that. What are some treats your rats like to eat? I'm having a hard time getting my ratties to eat from my hand. It's like they are constantly scared of me. I'll take them out and let them climb around on me for an hour or so a day and I'll try and coax them out with a small apple piece, but they will never come out of their cage by themselves (I have their cage on my desk).

I had cedar shavings when I first got them, which I found out is toxic for them... So I immediately removed it and used towels and old shirts for a while, lining their cage. Using cloth is pretty convenient because you can just dump their mess in the trash and replace the cloth back into the cage until it's washing time for it. I wanted to get some bedding that takes care of the horrid rat smell, so I picked up the Kaytee bedding. So far, it smells worse than the cloth I was using... So I might try aspen. Does it make your ratties sneeze? My rats seem to sneeze a lot when I get them out. (I was told not to worry too much because, for one, it's allergy season, and two, they don't have any red substance coming from their noses or eyes)

I want litter train them so bad! I had a little cardboard box in their cage for a while that had little slivers of paper that I cut up. I placed their poop in the box and set it in a corner of their cage. They didn't seem to use it... But it could be because I don't have kitty litter for it. Does it matter what type of material is in the litter box?


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## bgj1010 (Apr 7, 2012)

Don't feed ONLY the Fiesta MAX. They do tend to pick out the pieces they like best, so get the "lab block" diet I mentioned also. I use Kaytee yogurt covered timothy hay for a treat (came with my original home starter kit, but sold as well) along with cat treats, cookies crackers and bits of fruits and veggies. Keep in mind they can eat pretty much whatever you do, just be careful to avoid the fattier foods. Almost anything you consume is ok in moderation, and keep in mind one cookie you eat is waaaaaaay too big, and only a tiny portion should be given. General reference would be about the size of a dime for a treat.

The aspen isn't really dusty at all, but my girls do sneeze now and then. They all do. Their eyesight sucks, so their sense of smell and hearing are heightened, so their little noses do get irritated easily. As long as their in a part of your room or house that is well ventilated, they'll be fine, and will still sneeze. If the air is good for you, it should be good for them. If the air in the room is too dry or too humid, they could have respiratory issues, so if you're breathing comfortably, no need to worry.

You can use whatever you have on hand for a litter box, as long as it's deep enough to hold litter and stable. They will move it/flip it over if it's not fastened to the cage. You can use kitty litter if you have some handy, or a neighbor with cats can let you have some. It will last a while, seeing it clumps and you scoop and toss only the soiled litter. I've not used the pelleted litter, sold specifically for small animals, but obviously it works, seeing it sells and other people here use it.


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