# Bath mats as cage liners?



## lalalauren (Jul 3, 2013)

Does anyone has an opinion on using bath mats as cage liners? I have a single CN on both homemade and custom made fleece liners and they work fine, but I'm always looking for better alternatives. I thought the rubber bottom of a bath mat might deter one of my newest rats from burrowing underneath it, and figured the material is naturally quite absorbent anyway.

I've found some on eBay that are roughly the right size for a CN too, so I'm curious...anyone have any thoughts?


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

I expect they would love to eat the rubber bottom a bit too much. I have heard that its common in sweden to use ikea door mats, personally I like my shredded card far to much


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## TexasRatties (Jun 2, 2013)

I have used them and they stink quick but if you change them often it might work.


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## lalalauren (Jul 3, 2013)

I found some today with a rubber bottom and some with a less rubber but still grippy bottom...I dunno, it just sounds like a really neat idea! My fleece liners have never smelt...I really cant imagine my boys ever being smelly :/ 


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## zmashd (Dec 25, 2013)

Isamurat said:


> I expect they would love to eat the rubber bottom a bit too much. I have heard that its common in sweden to use ikea door mats, personally I like my shredded card far to much


Never met or heard of anyone round here using door mats... but I might try it. haha


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

That info was from a sweedish breeder that came round to visit one of my friends, i know theres a lot of different practices in the fancy over there, its really interesting seeing different countrys norms when it comes to rats. This is a good example really, fleece liners are very popular in the states, in the uk its not that common now though it was about 5 -6 years ago, now people prefer the enrichment from substrate. Then you get mats in sweden (apparently).

I love sweden, my husband worked out there this time last year for a few months and i've been over a few times with work, and one of my best rat friends is Swedish too, though she lives here now. You are very lucky, such a friendly place, thoguh i understand rat vets are hard to find.


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## zmashd (Dec 25, 2013)

I've only been living in Sweden for a year now, and you are right! I am lucky. haha. It´s a wonderful country! 
But you were right on the other thing too - not so many good rat vets (or rat stuff in general!)...



PS: sorry. off topic...


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## gelarphoenix (Dec 12, 2013)

I've tried sawdust, hay and sandpaper for birdcages and so far nothing works as well as what i'm using right now. It's like a bathmat but different. At the store it's called a washee dryee mat and it's essentially a bathmat for dishes, wash the dishes leave them on the mat to dry. My only issue is that the little buggers like to lift it up and crawl underneath. Have yet to figure out an easy to remove way of securing it. Was quite helpful last night as the fur babies knocked all their water over and it was just ridiculous


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## Ratbag (Nov 30, 2013)

I was considering using bath mats too as by design they're absorbent - just a bit worried about the latex/rubber backing being chewed. 

I live in Sweden too and funnily enough it has also crossed my mind to try the Ikea super cheap (4 kronor  ) doormats.

We haven't got our rats yet (they were born Dec 26th so just a few more weeks to wait), and as a first time rat owner I'm sure I'll be trying a few different things. Right now I have some microfibre covering the shelves (again, very absorbent and super quick to dry), so we'll see how that goes. I ordered a massive bale of hemp bedding for the bottom of the cage so hopefully it's as good as it promises to be at keep the smell to a minimum.


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