RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Tue Jan 10, 2006 8:04 am

Sounds like it's probably fine then. I know other people use similar things, so I can't imagine it would be too much of a problem.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Tue Jan 10, 2006 8:21 am

Where'd you find it, and what is it called? I'm looking for something to put down in my girls' cage.

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-Ben
My rats: Squishy, Squee, and Nibbler
My dogs (at my mother's house): Lucy and Ricky
My cats (at my dad's house--in Florida!): Cleo (RIP) and Zima

Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:02 am

I got it at Home Depot - I'm sure any largescale hardware type store would have it - Lowe's as well probably does. It's in the rug section.

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~Mikaela and the RitterRatten~

Blaze~Shadow~Luna~Chinchilla~Malt~Merry~Pippin~Nim~Tiri~Cinder

Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:45 am

It is called Carpet Runner....
it is fairly inexpensive too....
It can also be used as a cat deterant....some cats wont walk on the pokes if they face up.

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~~Dawn~~

Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:38 pm

I am looking into using one of the following litters and am wanting feedback from people that have used them before on how well they asorb & cover smells.

Gentle touch aspen pellets, CareFresh & Cell-Sorb Plus

~ pdm ~ Thunder

Fri Jan 13, 2006 10:58 pm

I used a different type of aspen pellets for a while, and they cover odors well, but can get dusty after a while. CareFresh has an odd odor to it, but that's all you'll smell if you change it regularly. CareFresh can also carry mites, but all beddings can, and you may have allergy issues with CF. Cell-Sorb Plus I've never used.

I currently use Yesterday's News, which can be purchased from the cat section for $12 rather than getting a smaller bag from the small animal section for $20, and I'm quite happy with the overall odor control. Since it's just litter at the bottom of the cage, and the girls have a multi-level cage and prefer to sleep in hammocks and tubes on top anyway, I'm not so worried about its unsuitability as a bedding.

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-Ben
My rats: Squishy, Squee, and Nibbler
My dogs (at my mother's house): Lucy and Ricky
My cats (at my dad's house--in Florida!): Cleo (RIP) and Zima

Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:10 pm

I personally, agree with Ben. We've used Carefresh Ultra, Carefresh and Cell-Sorb. I'd either go with Yesterday's News (Unscented) or see about getting Sani-Chips of some sort. Avoid things like Woody Pet, Super Shavin's, etc. because they contain softwoods like pine that could be harmful for your pet's respiratory tract.

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Shadow Brook Rodentry

Bridge Ratties: Samson, Wraith, Aiko, Kasper - I <3 you & miss you.

Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:39 pm

Shadowolf,

Did you not like cell sorb? Was it not good?

~ pdm ~

Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:22 am

I have used Cell Sorb and it is wonderful. It kicks odor's butt, however, I don't use it now because I can get a little bit bigger bag of Yesterday's News for cheaper than I can get the CS. If you can't get YN then of your three choices I would go with CS.

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ERM & the Rotten Ratters
Deliah, Gidget, Mocha, & Pie

Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:30 am

I used CareFresh for a long time and I liked it...it's very soft for rattie's feet and I used it for my older rat. But comparing prices it was $27 for a big bag and Yesterday'sNews only $12 for a 30lb bag (I could barely lift it lol) My rats love digging in the Yesterday'sNews and I haven't had any mite problems with it yet.

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~*Allie*~
Puppy: Pepper (my big suck) Kitty: Kitterz
Birdie:Mehico aka.Cheeky
Ratties: RIP Penny...i miss you pretty girl <333
Peaches n' Cream..2 bRATS
Jibroney!! --new rescue rat

Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:38 am

My favorites are Gentle Touch, Yesterday's News and Cell-Sorb. I'm highly allergic to Carefresh, but a lot of people like it because it's softer, though it is a bit dustier. All that you mentioned are great beddings so I'd just go with the cheapest you can find.

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Christy
RP Admin
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Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Sat Jan 14, 2006 4:41 am

http://www.ratpalace.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3871

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Sat Jan 14, 2006 5:21 am

	Quote:
	I currently use Yesterday's News, which can be purchased from the cat section for $12 rather than getting a smaller bag from the small animal section for $20,

That's exactly what I do!

Carefresh is good for rats. But I noticed when it gets wet, it starts to smell abit. I used to use it all the time, but it caused my asthma to act up. That's when I switched to yesterdays news. It's great with oder control, and costs no more then then the carefresh does if you buy it from the cat section. =)

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:34 am

Ok, so if you all are saying that yesterday's news controls odor just as well as cell sorb then I will just go with it.

Thanks,

~ pdm ~

Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:59 am

I used Cell Sorb for a few weeks, than YN, and Aspen once in a while. Cell Sorb works as well as YN, but it costs about $18 for a bad smaller than one of YN which costs about $10.

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Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Tue Jan 17, 2006 6:03 am

Good choice pdm, Yesterday's News is awesome!! It controls odors wonderfully.

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EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Tue Jan 17, 2006 6:12 am

Oh, I forgot to mention that it doesn't seem to be thrown out of the cage as much as Aspen either.

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Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:24 am

I use Yesterdays News and really like it. It also comes in a "soft" form. I find it great to work with, and especailly like the soft one.

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Loving Mum to my rattie boys, Zipper and Ty
Bestest Bud to Milly, the greatest horse ever

Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:28 am

Jendry, I find the soft one and the regular one the same...I don't see a difference, but that's just me. wink

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EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:31 am

lol, i didn't knotice at first... i went from the regular to the soft (saw no dif.) and back to the regular... then I actually knoticed the difference. The soft is in smaller peices (sometimes the regular are longer) and has a slightly different texture. But again, it could just be suckered into a marketting ploy. I'm gulable enough!

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Loving Mum to my rattie boys, Zipper and Ty
Bestest Bud to Milly, the greatest horse ever

Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:36 am

Oh, I see what you mean. Now that I think about it the regular pieces are longer...but it probably is a marketing ploy. LOL

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EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Sun Jan 22, 2006 12:20 am

We use newspaper to line our cage and the shelves, we also shred up the newspaper for their bedding, they seem very happy with it and I get loads of newspapers from work so it's good for me too. Just been worrying lately though as to whether the ink could actually not be too good for them!?

Does anybody know??

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Sally, Dave and the rats: Ruby, Rosie, Shadow, Star and Blue

Sun Jan 22, 2006 4:34 pm

The vast majority of inks in the UK and US are soy or otherwise vegetable based these days so it shouldn't be a problem. Some sources suggest that you may want to avoid a lot of coloured inks, particularly glossy ones, if you're not certain, but you can always call the newspapers and ask them (or the printers - which should also be listed on the paper). But the vast majority are perfectly fine. The only thing to really watch for is that the ink could make the fur (particularly in pale rats) look grubby. wink

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Tue Jan 24, 2006 12:49 am

Gentle touch aspen pellets

I have never used these so I don't have much input I can give, but I've used yesterdays news pellets before and I think pellets aren't very comfy for the ratties to cuddle in...

CareFresh
I have used this, and it seems to be okay on odor control but I've had problems in the past where rats have died from compacting themselves by eating it, for some reason rats like to eat paper or pulp based beddings. Plus a large amount only covers and small space and it's pricey..

Cell-Sorb Plus
I did like this bedding, It was pretty dusty though, but my rats loved to cuddle in it. It was dusty enough that I was worried about it bothering their lungs...

I personally use Super Pet brand ASPEN bedding. It's not hard and uncomfotable, controls odors pretty well, and is not harmful. Plus it wont' cost an arm and a leg. I buy a HUGE bag from PEtco for about $13.00

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Melissa Hubbard
www.pixiesworld.com

Tue Jan 24, 2006 12:57 am

I'm just wondering - how many people use one product for both litter and bedding purposes, and how many people use one for litter (i.e. to absorb pee and poop) and another for bedding (i.e. comfy for sleeping in)? I've seen lots of people say "brand X seems too hard to be comfy to sleep in" but I, personally, use pelleted paper cat litter in the bottom of the cage (which the rats assume is one giant litter tray, no matter what I try) for it's high absorption and odour control, and shredded paper tissue, newspaper, and/or fabric to sleep and nest in.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~