FAQ: Bedding for small pets

Usually the layer is too thin or the bedding is too loose and the tunnels collapse. Increase the depth, mix paper bedding with hay and press it down a little so tunnels hold.

Many hamsters choose one corner as a toilet, so a box with sand or pellets placed there makes cleaning easier. It lets you clean just the toilet without destroying burrows in the rest of the cage.

Work out the amount by multiplying the floor length by width by the desired depth: for example, a 100 × 50 cm floor at 20 cm deep needs about 100 litres of bedding. On compressed bedding packs, litres are often given after expansion.

Yes, hay strengthens tunnels and gives the animal nesting material, and hamsters enjoy pulling it about. Use clean, good-quality hay free of dust and mould.

Gerbils are keen diggers, so they need deep bedding, with 20 cm or more often recommended. They are usually kept in a tank or enclosure with high sides so the bedding does not spill.

Paper bedding, aspen shavings and mixes of these with hay or cardboard, which hold tunnels, suit gerbils. A separate sand bath for coat cleaning is useful too.

Gerbils come from dry regions and produce little urine, so their bedding gets wet more slowly. That is why their bedding can usually be changed less often than, say, rats' or guinea pigs'.

Full bedding changes every few weeks are often enough for gerbils, with soiled spots removed every few days. As with hamsters, keep some of the old bedding so the familiar scent remains.

Soft paper bedding or aspen shavings suit mice, letting them dig and build nests. Mouse urine has a strong smell, so absorbent bedding and regular cleaning of toilet spots are important.

Mice, especially males, mark their territory with strong-smelling urine. Absorbent bedding, frequent cleaning of toilet spots and a large, well-ventilated cage help, while masking the smell only irritates the animals.

Mouse toilet spots are worth cleaning every few days, and the full bedding changed roughly every week or two, depending on how many mice there are. Cleaning too often encourages even more marking, so leave some clean bedding behind.

Paper, hemp or flax bedding, aspen shavings or fleece liners with an absorbent layer suit rats. Rats have sensitive airways, so it is especially important that bedding is low in dust and unscented.

Rats are prone to respiratory disease, and dust and ammonia from wet bedding can make it worse. If a rat sneezes, wheezes or breathes with effort, see a vet and review the bedding.

Rat bedding is usually changed once a week, with toilet corners cleaned every day or two. If there are many rats in the cage or you notice an ammonia smell, change it more often.

Yes, many rats pick one or a few toilet corners, so a tray with pellets placed there often catches on quickly. Put a few droppings in the tray so the rats understand what it is for.

Absorbent bedding suits guinea pigs: paper, hemp, flax, aspen shavings or fleece liners with an absorbent layer. They urinate a lot, so absorbency matters most.

Guinea pigs do not dig burrows, so a few centimetres, for example a 5–7 cm layer of absorbent bedding, is usually enough. What matters more is that the bedding stays dry and there is soft hay or a hide for sleeping.

Guinea pigs urinate a lot, so wet patches and droppings need removing daily and the full bedding changing at least once a week. With two or more guinea pigs, the bedding often needs changing even more often.

Some guinea pigs choose a regular toilet spot, often near the hay, so a tray with pellets and hay placed there can help. But they are not as tidy as rabbits, so some droppings will still end up all over the cage.

Guinea pigs often urinate where they rest or eat, so the house and the hay area get wet fastest. Clean these spots more often and put an extra absorbent layer under the house or next to the hay rack.