# Cheap rat bedding?



## blazemore

Hello everyone, this is my first post on here.

I have 3 male rats who are about 9 months old.
I keep them in a large cage and I use shredded paper as bedding in the cage's base.

I've found, however, that this tends to get rather smelly! I pick up their poos every evening, but the smell of their urine tends to get very strong after about 2 days. I clean them out about twice a week; if I do it more often they "compensate" by weeing all over my floor and hands!

I've tried Bio-Catolet in the past, which is a cat litter made of recycled paper pellets. This was by far the best; it could last about a week before needing to be cleaned out properly, but it's prohibitively expensive.

My question is this: Are there any other brands of bedding, cat litter or anything else you can think of, that is cheap and absorbent (more absorbent than paper, but cheaper than bio-catolet)?

This is the second lot of rats I've had; previously I had 2 males who weren't quite as smelly, simpyl because there was only 2 of them.


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## Kiko

Where are you from?
Yesterdays News, for cats here is fairly cheap. 11$ for a 20 pound bag.


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## blazemore

I live in the UK. I don't think we have that brand over here.
Bio-Catolet is £4.99 for 12 lt bag.
That's about $7.60 and I can't afford to pay more than that really.


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## Kiko

You might try aspen then.
It is one of the most affordable rat beddings I know of. 
Be sure not to mistake it with Pine though.


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## BluesBrothers

I am using Oxbow sweet hay bedding, it was given to me with my rats, and the prior owner said it was cheap.
I'ts basically sweet smelling hay in a bag...since I am new I cant say if its a good answer to your needs, but its what I put in the new cage and its pretty great.
I have a smaller cage I am using for when I am in my little home office, so they can be with me on my desk and the past week, tired of the straw or bedding or whatever seeping through onto my desk, well, i am now using a washcloth on the bottom, and i am just picking it up when we are done and washing it EVERYDAY.
i know there are some concersn about toenails and such in regard to using washclothes, but i have it set up in such a way that I am not worried, I'm always there!
After the hay gets thrown out, (and its been two days in the new Martin cage and NO stink), I will go back to Carefresh, unless mods tell me here that it is a good substrate!
If there is an equivelent to the 'oxbow' brand sweet hay( i think its called) and the pro's here say its good, then I would go for that! Good luck!


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## Kiko

I pretty much live by Carefresh in my cage bottoms. 
I only use Ultra or the Colors carefresh because it is the least dusty.

I use Yesterdays news in the litter pans, which is just US Bio-Catolet


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## BluesBrothers

kiko, no thoughts oipinions on using orchard hay? mine dont eat it, but iut seems a good soft and stury dust free substrate.


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## Kiko

I wouldn't really. I feed my rabbits orchard grass as a food, and I had a rat that passed away once because of ingesting Alfalfa so i would not take a chance.


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## laughingrats

Do they sell sweat scoop? I use it sometimes. It smells good, and is really easy for spot cleaning.


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## Meep

I use Boxo for bedding, its something like carefresh i'd say, but cheaper. Here it's $9 for a 40L bag or at walmart its $6 for a 20L bag.

Also, I heard yesterday's news is excellent for litter pans.


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## PEG

In my rats litter pan I use:
ALL LIVING THINGS Ferret Litter (Fragrance free recycled paper pellets)


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## lilspaz68

PEG said:


> In my rats litter pan I use:
> ALL LIVING THINGS Ferret Litter (Fragrance free recycled paper pellets)


I know ALT makes cages and litterpans but litter now?

I googled them and its not coming up with anything. Can you link this litter?


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## PEG

I bought it at Petsmart I sware lol I'll take a picture of the bag and post it on here when I get a chance. I just searched for it online and on petsmart.com and I can't find it either!


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## BluesBrothers

i saw it there today!


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## PEG

Oh thank god lol I didn't want to look like a liar...It makes great litter!


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