Bedding for rats...

[Rainleaf13]

Okay, I've had my my rat for a over a month now. I got her for a present, and my sister provided me with bedding, but she had it in a bag so I don't know the brand name. Anyway, I ran out of the bedding, so I bought some cedar bedding- it's Kaytee's red cedar wood that is kiln dried. And it says it's been clean and filtered to eliminate dust, but I've read that cedar and pine bedding is bad for your rat. And I really love my rat and I want her to stay healthy and live for a long time. I let her out of her cage regularly so she gets plenty of exercise and clean air, but she's in her cage all night, so I'm really concerned because cedar is supposed to screw their respiratory systems. Please help! I want to know what bedding is the best for my rat and if cedar is okay or not!

[Kendra]

You read right, cedar and pine are the worst beddings you can use.  Some people prefer to use cloth and change it often.  Others use safe products like Carefresh, Yesterday's News and aspen bedding.  If you do a search in the Home Squeak Home section, you'll find tons of threads on why different people like different things.  What's your rat's name?  What kind of cage is she in and what foods does she eat?  If you check the Reference Desk section, you'll find a lot of great information for new rat owners.  Welcome to the forum!!   

[Rainleaf13]

Thank! ^^ She lives in a tank with a caged lid, and her name's Yuki! She's a total sweetheart, she's always bruxing and licking me! She eats this food with these little pellets, seeds, sunflower and dried corn- I give her peanut occasionally- all salt washed off, of course! Thanks for the help I'll be sure to get safe bedding for her! 

[melikerats]

(almost) everyone on this forum will tell you that the seed mixes sold at pet stores is NOT good for your rats, if you continue to feed her that she will most likely become over weight from only picking out the sunflower seeds to eat (which are high in fat).

the best thing to feed her would be a high quality lab block which has complete nutrition for rats(can be bought at some pet stores or online), along with lots of fresh veggies and fruits, plus goodies like yogurt drops, nuts in the shell, cheerios, and anything tasty that you are eating (of course try to limit sugary/fatty foods to keep her lean and healthy!)

I feed my rats Suebee's mix along with a high quality senior formula dog food (since lab blocks aren't available around here) and the veggies and such.

i'm sure you will get more information about diet as soon as someone else reads this post. 

[Fuzzy Sock Puppets]

I agree with getting her off the seed mix.  You should also get her a wire cage instead of an aquarium so there's better ventilation.  Get her a friend if you can!

[chiropteragirl]

Yes, unfortunately tanks really aren't very good for rats. They have sensitive lungs and ammonia can build up pretty fast in a tank, making them sick. It is especially bad if they are on bedding made from pine or cedar shavings, as the oils in the wood can damage their livers.

 A large wire cage designed for guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas, or ferrets works very well for rats. You can often find them quite cheaply off craiglist and websites like that.

Seed mixes also aren't good for rats because dried corn can contain a toxic mold that can kill rats. So it's better to feed her a good quality block food like Harlan Teklad, Mazuri or a healthy homemade mix of grains, cereals, and dog food like the Suebee diet. Rats also love fresh fruits, vegetables, and pretty much anything that is considered healthy food for people is fine to feed them, with a few exceptions. Here is a good website with a list of food you should not feed rats:

http://www.petratscanada.com/forbidden_foods.htm

Also, rats do a lot when they have friends, so you should try to get another girl rat or two for her to play with.

Good luck!