Housing
Tons of misconceptions about the "best" type of housing for pet rats exists all over the internet.Bleuming Tails believes in science, and scientifically-backed facts regarding housing and bedding safety.
Bedding Types
Kiln-dried Pine / Aspen
For years, pine has been touted as being dangerous due to the level of phenols found in the wood. However, the kiln-drying process destroys these phenols and renders the product safe. Nearly all commercially sold pet bedding in the US is kiln-dried, as it’s also the most cost-effective way to dry large amounts of pine. KDP has natural odor and ammonia control, and is very cheap to purchase.
Similar to KDP, aspen is another type of acceptable wood bedding that offers natural ammonia and odor control. Aspen primarily comes in flake form, and does tend to be more expensive than KDP.
Corncob
A type of bedding that is rarely discussed is corncob bedding. From all the studies, it shows that rats frequently prefer it over wood beddings, and it has a high absorbency and relatively decent ammonia control. So why isn’t it used as much? Simply put, once wet, corncob bedding has a nasty habit of molding rather quickly, and it isn’t very cost-effective
Carefresh / Tek Fresh / Paper beddings
While paper beddings tend to be highly absorbent, they offer absolutely no ammonia control, let alone odor control. Rats and other rodents have also been known to ingest the paper beddings. They also tend to be very dusty compared to other bedding options.
Hemp
Hemp is a newcomer to the bedding scene. It touts great odor and ammonia control and is an alternative to wood shavings. Unfortunately, it is fairly pricey and is difficult to find reliably.
Fleece
Fleece has zero natural odor or ammonia control. Unless treated beforehand, liquids also tend to pill on top of the fleece or get wicked underneath, leaving a puddle of urine to sit and ferment. Fleece, in order to be used properly, must be swapped out every two days and a secondary absorbent layer must be beneath it to allow for the urine to dry. Ammonia levels quickly become dangerous when fleece is used incorrectly. Bleuming Tails Rattery does not endorse the use of fleece due to the difficulty of using it correctly.
Cedar
Cedar is never acceptable as the kiln-drying process does not reduce the phenols to safe levels as it does with pine.
Caging
Rats, like hamsters, require a large amount of living space. However, the minimum is far less than the arbitrary 2 sq ft commonly found among pet forums. Studies have shown that rats receive no negative effects when housed in spaces that allot for .5-1 sq ft of space per rat. Of course, if you have the ability to provide more space, do so, but remember that rats are a burrowing animal and large, open spaces can cause behavioral and fear problems.
Rats are fossorial by nature and prefer floor space over vertical space. In other words, rats prefer to burrow rather than climb. A fall from a tall cage can result in serious injury, as they are not particularly graceful. Rats have extremely sensitive respiratory systems and react poorly to any amount of ammonia or other scents in the room. Even a change in the type of bedding can trigger the sniffles.