# Pine? Cedar? or Aspen??



## zoologist (Nov 17, 2008)

Which one is bad for rats, which one is good?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Pine and cedar are very bad for all small domestics. It emits phenols since it is a softwood, and these phenols can irritate sensitive lungs and long term use can actually damage internal organs. The rat's kidneys are flushing out the toxins from the bedding all its life until it cannot keep up and then they shut down 

Aspen is a hardwood (no phenols) and is good  BUT with all paper or woodbased beddings, its best to freeze them for 48 hours before using as they could be carrying stowaway lice or mites and would infect your rats, then they would have to be treated.


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## MadCatter (Aug 12, 2008)

Cedar, Pine, Spruce, Fir, and Hemlock should all be avoided. 

Aspen is fine, so long as you get some that is low dust


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## zoologist (Nov 17, 2008)

awesome. thank you! That's good, because my roomie has aspen for her snakes, so we plan on using that once she moves out. right now they're on petco brand carefresh. Does that work?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Still freeze it...carefresh is notorious for ectoparasites. I and my many rats personally find it very dusty but others love it 

I use fleece for the FN's and hospital cages, with a generic YN in the litterboxes, the notoriously stinky cage/rats get te YN as their bedding in the bottom of 2 big cages, and the rest get aspen.


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## zoologist (Nov 17, 2008)

once Tabitha moves to SC i think im going to put her on liners. i have my hedgehog on fleece liners and they are just SO much easier to clean and a lot better for the enviroment then aspen/YN or carefresh, imo.


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## FrenchMartini (Nov 19, 2008)

I only found out that pine wood shavings were bad about a day after I bought a bail practically as big as me 

I use paper cat litter. Is that ok?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Something like Yesterdays News?


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## FrenchMartini (Nov 19, 2008)

Well it is a supermarket brand of recycled paper, it's a grey colour and almost dust free.


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## nicholassss (Nov 24, 2008)

I've been using corn cob bedding. Its a little noisy when they're running around, which doesnt bother me, but is it ok for them?


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## Neuroticax (May 1, 2007)

Corn cob bedding likes to grow mold, I don't suggest using it.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Corn cob bedding is too absorbent and can occasionally cause Ringtail

http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/ringtail.php (check out the figures for pics)


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## nicholassss (Nov 24, 2008)

switched to yesterday's news today.


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