FAQ: Bedding for small pets

Paper, hemp or flax bedding or aspen shavings suit a rabbit's enclosure or cage, and wood or paper pellets with hay on top suit the litter tray. For an indoor rabbit, part of the floor can be covered with a rug so it does not slip.

Put the litter tray in the corner the rabbit has chosen itself, and add some of its droppings and hay. Rabbits like to eat and toilet at the same time, so hay in or next to the tray helps a lot; most learn within a few weeks.

Usually yes. Unneutered rabbits mark their territory with urine and droppings more often, so neutering often improves litter habits. Discuss the decision to neuter with a vet.

The tray should let the rabbit turn around and lie down comfortably, and cat litter trays often suit larger breeds. A lower rim is easier for young and elderly rabbits.

A few centimetres of pellets or paper litter, with hay on top, is usually enough. Too thick a layer just wastes litter, while too thin a layer soaks through quickly and starts to smell.

Possible causes include a dirty tray, a change of litter, new surroundings, territorial marking or stress. A sudden change in litter habits, especially with signs of pain or changes in urine, is a reason to see a vet.

An outdoor rabbit needs dry, warm bedding in the sleeping area, plus an extra dry layer of straw or hay in winter. In an outdoor enclosure it is important that the bedding does not get wet from rain, so a roof and solid walls are essential.

The litter tray is usually cleaned daily or every few days, and the whole enclosure with its bedding once a week. Check an outdoor hutch more often in summer, as wet bedding attracts flies.

In warm weather flies lay eggs in wet, soiled fur or bedding, which can be very dangerous for rabbits. In summer, clean toilet areas daily and check the rabbit's rear end; if you see maggots, see a vet urgently.

Aspen shavings, paper bedding or fleece liners are most often used for chinchillas. Chinchillas are sensitive to heat and humidity, so the bedding must be dry, and they clean their fur in a separate bath of special dust.

No. The sand or dust bath is for cleaning the fur and is usually left in the cage only briefly, while bedding has to absorb urine and be soft. A bath left in all the time soon gets soiled with droppings.

Chinchilla bedding is usually changed once a week, with wet spots removed more often. Chinchillas produce relatively little urine, but it often collects in one spot, so check that spot regularly.

Shelves do not need bedding, but they should be made of safe wood or another non-slip material. Wipe droppings and urine off the shelves regularly so odour does not build up.

Degus love to dig, so a deep mix of paper bedding, aspen shavings and hay suits them. Like chinchillas, they need a separate sand bath, and the bedding must be dry and low in dust.

Degus dig tunnels, so it is worth having a layer of 15–20 cm or deeper in at least part of the cage. Another area can have a thinner layer to make cleaning easier.

Full degu bedding changes every week or two are usually enough, with the toilet spot cleaned every few days. Degus produce little urine, but with several degus in a cage the bedding gets dirty faster.

Many types of bedding suit several species, but the depth and purpose differ: hamsters, gerbils and degus need deep bedding that holds tunnels, while guinea pigs and rabbits need more absorbent bedding. All of them need it to be low in dust and unscented.

For guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas and rats, a layer of a few centimetres that absorbs urine and covers the floor is usually enough. What matters more than depth is that the bedding stays dry and is changed regularly.

Multiply the floor length and width in centimetres by the desired depth and divide by 1000 to get litres. For example, an 80 × 50 cm floor at 10 cm deep needs about 40 litres of bedding.

You can use a cage with a deep base, a tank or enclosure, or fit clear panels around the bottom of the cage so the bedding does not spill. For burrowing species, a deep layer of bedding matters more than tall cage levels.