There are a number of good substrates on the market at the moment which are suiable for rats. This is just a brief guide to help you to make a decision on which one you feel is right. Some of these I have used for my rats and some I haven't.

Chopped Cardboard e.g Finacard, Ecopet

At the moment I am using Finacard as my main substrate. Finacard is shredded cardboard so is finer and softer than Ecopet. I find the my females love to make nests from Finacard so it works well in their cages. Finacard has to be ordered directly from them.

Because of the way that these bales are packed they will last a lot longer than you think are a very good value even with the postage.

You can buy Ecopet online direct from the supplier here!

Auboise or Hemp

I like to use Auboise for my males. They seem to prefer this bedding compared to the others I have tried them with. It can be quite messy if you cage has shollow trays but holds any smells very well.

You can buy this from any horse feed shop.

Carefresh

Made from 100% virgin wood pulp fibre rather than pine or cedar (both have hydrocarbon (oils) that may be linked to pet health problems), and with no added dyes, Carefresh is eco friendly, hypoallergenic and dust free.

Carefresh can be quite dusty and people have reported mite issues after using it. I used it when I have my avairy cage but once I change to my current cage I changed bedding due to the cost.

Megazorb

MEGAZORB is a horse bedding made from virgin wood pulp. It is produced by high temperature drying (reaching temperatures of up to 500°C) which not only removes the moisture from the wood pulp but kills off moulds, spores and bacteria. After dust extracting the product twice it is put into 85 litre weatherproof bags.

I have used megazorb in the past but I got a few dusty bags and decided not to use it anymore. It is very absorbant and I really liked it. As with the Auboise it does make quite a messy and can be a nightmare to keep under control.

Wood Shavings

Shavings which have Pine or Cedar should be avoided as these contain phenols which aren't good for rats. Sawdust is not suitable as a bedding for rats.

Some people will tell you that shavings aren't suitable but there isn't any evidence to back this statement at the moment. I have had rats from breeder who keep their rats on shaving and the rats have been fine. I personally don't use them due to the dust contant as I find it irritates my chest.

You can buy BEDMAX which is large flakes of wood shavings. Lots of breeders use this without any issues. I have just bought a bale to try and I have to say I have found it to be ok. It doesn't irritate my chest and the rats appear to be fine on it. If they continue to be ok I will move them off the aubiose and on to this instead.

BioCatolet

100% Ecological and natural cat litter, made from 100% Paper helping to reduce waste.

I use this when I am unable to get hold of Back-2-Nature for my litter trays. It is just as absorbant and the same price as Back-2-Nature but I find it sometimes smells funny so prefer Back-2-Nature.

Yesterdays News

Yesterday’s News is virtually dust-free, with no small particles to track around the house.

I haven't used this so can't make any comments.

Back-2-Nature

Is 100% environmentally friendly, being made from recycled paper, virtually dust-free, highly absorbent and has a superior odour-absorbency with no additives or chemicals.

I use back-2-nature in my litter trays and all my rats use them. It's very absorbant and keeps the smells at bay. It is quite expensive but as I am only using a little at any one time, I feel it is worth the cost.

Safebed

Safe Bed pet bedding is made from plant fibres and is a safe, bio-degradeable, natural product to use for your pet's comfort

I use safebed for nursing mums and babies. I use Shredded Newspaper and kitchen towels for the adults. It isn't very expensive and can be bought from most pet shops.