What do you put on the bottom of a rat cage?

Put three to six inches of rat-safe bedding on the bottom of the rat cage. Choose bedding made of soft paper, non-aromatic wood shavings like aspen or even hay. You can also provide different types of bedding in the cage so your rats can choose what they like; they may prefer hay or paper strips to build their nests with, fluffy paper for burrowing and play, and absorbent granules for litter purposes. Putting more absorbent litter like paper in areas like litter boxes or corners where rats like to use the toilet can help with odor control, too.

What is the difference between rat litter and bedding?

The difference between rat litter and bedding is that you put rat litter in a rat litter box for elimination and rat bedding at the bottom of the cage for nesting, resting and playing. That said, the substrates you can use as rat litter are often the same as those used as bedding. Paper bedding, aspen shavings and various types of pellet litter can all be used as either bedding or litter. You can also use scoopable wheat or recycled newsprint litter as rat litter box fillers. It is usually recommended to use different substrates for rat bedding and litter purposes, so your rat will know the difference between the designated potty area and the rest of the cage.

Do rat cages need bedding and litter?

Rat cages do need bedding and litter, although you can just use bedding throughout if your cage doesn't have a litter box. If you do have a litter box in your rat cage, it is usually recommended that you fill it with a different type of litter than you are using as bedding to ensure your rat knows where to eliminate.