# Bedding or liners?



## Scythix16 (Apr 30, 2012)

So im kinda on the fence about using a liner or bedding for the bottom floor of my cage... any advise? my main worry is that if i give them something to shred with only liners in the cage they will accidently shred some of the fleece up... plus it would look a little messy.. any ideas/opinions/advise?


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## Snippet (Dec 30, 2010)

Bedding all the way for me. It's cheaper then trying to replace liners, it's a source of enrichment as rats like to dig, you can scatter feed which also makes them use their brains and it needs changing less often.


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## Maltey (Jun 26, 2011)

I'm a complete liner girl myself- it would be almost impossible for me to clean out the litter in my cage.
If you go for liners your rats should be litter trained, otherwise it'll smell fast, and I would recommend a dig box to balance out the thing Snippet said about them needing enrichment.

I would suggest trying out the liner- worst thing and you hate you can always cut up the fleece to make little blankets for them


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## littlebird~ (May 3, 2012)

Maltey said:


> I'm a complete liner girl myself- it would be almost impossible for me to clean out the litter in my cage.
> If you go for liners your rats should be litter trained, otherwise it'll smell fast, and I would recommend a dig box to balance out the thing Snippet said about them needing enrichment.
> 
> I would suggest trying out the liner- worst thing and you hate you can always cut up the fleece to make little blankets for them


Wow Maltey, I was just reading your signature... you have a LOT of rats!!!


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## Maltey (Jun 26, 2011)

Well, funny you should mention that. Only 9 of them on there are currently alive and with me (the ones in dark purple) but one of my girls should be giving birth in the next couple of days so yes I will have a lot of rats!!


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## British (Apr 2, 2012)

littlebird~ said:


> Wow Maltey, I was just reading your signature... you have a LOT of rats!!!


And she's a genius with a sewing machine, too 

*derailment!* sorry!


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## Maltey (Jun 26, 2011)

Thanks 

That's just what happens when you have to sew for that many rats


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## RattyFriend (May 15, 2012)

I'm using bedding at the moment. My kids are not potty trained, so to avoid stinky-ness that's what I do. However I use a ruud cage so the bottom pan is bedding and the rest is an assortment of paper and cardboard.


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## Munchie (Mar 13, 2012)

I'm always use bedding (carefresh although I don't think it helps with the smell much) but I wish I could use liners :c
I don't use liners because my girls like to chew through the fleece to the wonderful funland below... and shred -everything-
they aren't big chewers, and they only chewed one rat sized hole in the fleece but yeah... I went back to bedding because I can chuck it all away when it gets dirty and not need to worry about washing/drying/sewing liners 
I guess it just depends whether your rats are likely to chew through it, maybe give fleece a shot and if it works then make some more?


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## Keelyrawr (Mar 7, 2012)

I use Care fresh bedding at the bottom of my cage, and liners around the shelves. 
I tried to to use Liners on the bottom but it collected WAY too much pee/poo in one day, so I gave up Lol.
I just swap out my Liners every 2-3 days, wash the old ones, and re-use.  And I change
their bedding out every week. I've never had any chewing issues with my rats. Good luck


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## moongate (Mar 12, 2012)

My guys don't chew the lining so I guess I'm lucky that way. With the size of my cage, I cycle through about five or six liners a week but I don't have to replace them so in the long run it's cheaper for me to have fleece and a dig box. While my guys aren't litter trained, they do have a "preferred area" where they do their business which makes cleaning easier. (I'd put in a litter box but do to the layout of the cage, it would get in the way. And yes, I'm saving up for a new cage)


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## shawnalaufer (Aug 21, 2011)

I used to use liners but found not only were they expensive to replace, since my rats refused to leave them alone, but also held the smell in more. Think of it this way- a little kid pees in his flannel pajamas- think they absorb the smell? NOT (and I have two beautiful little girls to prove this fact, LOL!) At least with bedding, its DESIGNED to absorb odor. So while paper pellet litter might not be pretty, its certainly effective! 

A lot of people worry about bumblefoot from the cage wires but let me say this- if they were walking around on galvanized steel then I would worry. But today most if not all pet cages are made with POWDER COATED galvanized steel- as in its smooth to the touch. Uncoated galvanized steel, like those found in hardware/home improvement stores sold as hardware cloth or "chicken wire" are dangerous to little ratty feets.


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