# Newspaper bedding ??



## bblackmon19 (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello all, (im new here) 


I just recently started to use newspaper as a bedding for my rat and i was wondering if the ink on the paper was at all harmful to my rat????




Thanks, 
Brandon


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

Most likely, it is.

I'd switch to something else, there are many types of bedding.

Just about everything is fine except for pine and cedar(I wouldn't suggest shredded aspen as it is most often very dusty, but chips are okay).

Stay away from anything that is too dusty, and I've heard of people getting mites from careFRESH so if you choose it, freeze it prior to placing it in the cage.


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## bblackmon19 (Mar 9, 2007)

thanks alot but , i have one more question for a supply of water could i use a dish of water insted of a gravity waterbottle thing?


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## :Ash: (Feb 25, 2007)

bblackmon19 said:


> thanks alot but , i have one more question for a supply of water could i use a dish of water insted of a gravity waterbottle thing?


You could but rats LOVE to rearrange things so they might just end up spilling it all over the place. I'd sugest just using the bottle, they're alot cleaner and cheap too, only about 2 bucks at Target.


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## Nazarath (Feb 20, 2007)

Heylo, I'm with :Ash: you could use the dish but my rats (and mice) spill it over almost the minute i put them in there. So i've switched to the bottels, I have found that some of them leak . So if u do decide to get bottels try to get a better brand.


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## King420 (Jan 6, 2007)

Well no offense to Ash or Naz but my rat refused to drink from a bottle so until i got my new cage i had to go buy him a bird water dish that clamps to the cage so it wouldn't spill. And if you can afford one, Coast Cages offers cages with the water and food dishes built in so they cant be spilled. They are also very easy to remove and clean......just a clip on the cage. Check out the link, its the same cage i have and its huge!

http://www.coastcages.com/catalog/i..._id=42&zenid=82fd7506e2c783efe6e458d97153638b


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## Nazarath (Feb 20, 2007)

the clip on water dish sounds like a good idea lol, i never really thought of that lol. well should my water bottels ever fail me i have another option hehe


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## King420 (Jan 6, 2007)

Yea my rat was so **** stupid he couldnt figure out how to drink out of the bottle......or maybe he just wanted the extra attention. IDK, but the dish is only like 3 bux.


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## Nazarath (Feb 20, 2007)

the clip on water dish sounds like a good idea lol, i never really thought of that lol. well should my water bottels ever fail me i have another option hehe


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

bblackmon19 said:


> thanks alot but , i have one more question for a supply of water could i use a dish of water insted of a gravity waterbottle thing?


Are you wanting to use a dish because you prefer it, or because your rat doesn't understand how to use the bottle? If the latter, you could try putting something yummy on the bottle to encourage your rattie to lick it...


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

and if its the nose of the ball (i hate it too) there is a bottle called Lixit. clamps nicely onto the cage too! in any case there's no ball but an lever thingy instead. they do wear out after a while but i can get almost 2 years out of one with 5-7 rats and depending where you go you're looking at a price of 10-20 for a 16oz bottle. but the best part is that no ball then no noise! it does take them a bit to figure it out but leave it with them for a day and by the next they'll be drinking from it like pros! oh, and it also snaps off of its ring holder thingy for VERY easy cleaning and the top comes off for easy refills. take a bucket with you and you don't even have to take the bottle off the cage if you don't want to but taking it off and on is a breeze too anyway. it will also fit just about any cage. its a wonderful little bottle!


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## cyrescaer (Mar 4, 2007)

the bottles are definately better. they may leak at first, but that's because they have to create a vacuum effect so that water is dispensed properly.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

twitch said:


> but the best part is that no ball then no noise!


Can you believe our youngest has actually worked out how to drink without making a noise with the ball? The noise doesn't actually bother me, but I have to admit it's a refreshing change when they do it quietly :lol:


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

i guess my rats are just lazy then. they never bothered to learn how to do it quietly for their mother`s sleeping sake... but i fixed them! want to keep ME up all night! HA! i take down the wheel and have the lixit water bottle. i`m safe now! 



except now they knock over toys, chase each other until the frame of the wheel is knocked off and is loose or just chew the bars. when i turn on the light to fix whatever damage they done they give the most INNOCENT eyes... the little buggers... you can`t stay mad at them..


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

haha! :lol: They will find ways to make noise, that's for sure.

I don't think it's that your rats are lazy, I think it's just our youngest being a clever clogs. Our eldest makes plenty of noise - but then hers is spring loaded.


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