# Are cotton balls ok for rats?



## Tinkerbell4579

My rats use to have a plush bed in their cage but they chewed it up. When they got it as Christmas all they did was sleep in it but once i went back to college they chewed it up and now I give then tissue paper to chew up to make a nest. I have noticed that at the store they sell a cotton like material in a bag for them to make a nest. Instead of buying that would it be safe for me to give them cotton balls to use? or would that be harmful to their health?


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## Dexy

I'm not 100% sure. I knwo for hamsters they say you must use the proper bedding not cotton wool but I can't remember if that's just because they might stuff their cheeks with it - which a rat wouldn't do.

TBH I would stick with the proper pet stuff - I give my boys newspaper or kitchen towel (if they need anything in addition to their proper fleece blankets. Cotton wool just looks like it woulld shred up too easily to be healthy.


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## Tinkerbell4579

thats what i was thinking too but i just wanted to make sure and see because it would be so much easier to put something in their cage that when i clean their cage i could throw it away instead of having to wach it.


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## AMJ087

Theres no need to give them cotton balls anyway. Put them on a towel, newspaper, fleece, etc and they will be happy. They will chew cotton balls up and possible consume it and possible get it stuck.


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## philosophyfox

Never give rats or other small animals cotton wool or the fluffy cotton wool type bedding. Not only can it get caught up in their teeth and claws it can become stuck in their guts too. Tissues, newspaper and scraps of fleece are ideal, but not towels, as again they can get claws and guts and teeth caught up in them.


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