Is arm and hammer essentials for rat bedding?

Question

I am having an issue with keeping the smell of my rat down. I bathe him and clean him bedding that I use now every other day and he still smells up my whole apartment. I have read that wood chips are bad to use as bedding so I don't really know what my other options are. I need something that is not to much of a mess or hard to find, I live no where near a pet store. Is there anything that I could find at the local grocery store or a tractor supply store those are the only options within about 50 miles. I don't want to use something that could hurt him but I also want to keep him. The smell is just getting too bad and my roommate is starting to get mad.

Answer 1

I have a friend who gets her bedding from a tractor supply store, she uses pine pellets, she told me that there is almost no odor, and she is very sensitive to odor. So, try that maybe it will help, and it's not too expensive!

Answer 2

I have heard that you can use cat litter because it prevents smell.

I would probably put wood shavings on top because mice have very sensitive skin.  Change it out every week or if you know where the p**p is you can scoop it up there. A thing you have to  worry about is mice have dominance when they p**p. So they will get mad if they dont smell their urine.....

Answer 3

Yesterday's News (cat litter, small animal bedding, etc.) is usually pretty available.

Do NOT use Arm & Hammer, as that could cause respiratory issues with your rat.

Personally, why did you get a rat if you do not have a local pet store to provide basic pet care needs?

Answer 4

Use newspaper and replace it daily. I wouldn't suggest baking soda.

EDIT: Also, all animals naturally have odor. If your roommate is upset, buy a cheap air freshener. They go a long way.

Answer 5

Using Arm & Hammer is not a good idea. I would suggest buying Care Fresh bedding or Yesterday's News which is litter made from recycled paper. I understand that getting to the pet store is an issue for you, but you can order it online and it will be mailed to you. The smell issue may be related to the size of the cage? How big is the cage you have him in? The smaller the cage, the more concentrated the smell.

One other suggestion I could give you is to use towels as bedding, which is common for grotto style habitats. I have a modified Ferret Nation cage and use towels which can be thrown into the washing machine and reused. That allows me to clean more often than my budget might allow if I were buying bedding. The only thing you need to watch for is that you stop using the towels when they have chewed holes as their heads could get caught. I get bath towels at Target for $3 to $4 per towel so in the long run, it saves money. Plus the towels are comfortable.

Answer 6

Do NOT use arm and hammer.  Rats have sensitive respiratory systems and using it will harm them.  Since pet stores are not nearby and you obviously have access to the internet, you should just order it online and have it shipped to your house.  Your pets should really have normal rat bedding (though the towel idea is not a bad one).  What are you feeding them if you are getting everything from a grocery store?  If that is also a problem, you should check out Kim's Ark to buy rat blocks.

Another problem might be the size of the cage.  If it is small, the smell is going to get worse faster.

Once you get better bedding, you should probably spot check every day.  In the mornings I usually grab wet spots and p**p where I see it and then at the end of the week scrub the whole thing down.  You really shouldn't have to bathe your rat.