Prefolds/flats (old diapers) for rat bedding?

[North_Of_60]

We just got two rat babies today (yeah!), and they sent us home with pine bedding. I know it's not recommended that we use it but she was out of yesterdays news. I'm meeting the breeder tomorrow to pick up another cage and will be getting the yesterdays news then, but in reading a few rat pages online someone mentioned old diapers.

I like this idea because it's cheap and not wasteful, and I like the idea of the bottom of the cage being covered which means less cleaning of the plastic. With bedding they tend to push the bedding aside to nest in it and as a result poop on the plastic. (FWIW, they'll have a nesting box in their big rat condo, but for now they're in a smaller baby box which isn't big enough for a nesting box.)

Has anyone done this? Can you flick the poop into the garbage and then wash them wash them like you would any other diaper? I'm kinda grossed out by washing rat pee in my washing machine, though.

[mamallama]

Oh! Baby ratties! Congratulations! Post some pictures!!

Are you thinking you would line the bottom of the cage with cloth diapers?

I have not done that. I don't imagine it would work very well, as rats like to tunnel, dig, and rearrange their homes.

I did give our rats cloth diapers. We hammered some grommets into the corners of a couple and used them as hammocks. They loved that. In cold weather, we gave them diapers in their nest box. They shredded those pretty quickly, though.

[miss_sonja]

Would they get chewed up? I have mice and use a paper-based bedding, along with cardboard egg cartons (which they LOVE, they make their house in it and can chew it too).

I have a ton of old, ratty prefolds if this would work.

[greenmagick]

It would probably work. I use fleece for my cage...still have to wash the plastic though as they do get under it and such. I use the large binder clips to clip it down....works really well. I do have a litter box in there filled with yesterdays news...but I have not done well on training them to use it

Here is a pic of the cage....I didnt have the binder clips yet. I may try using some of my old prefolds as well. They only thing I would possibly worry about is there nails getting stuck.....but I dont thing they would. I know they can in towels.

I want to see pics!

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by greenmagick

It would probably work. I use fleece for my cage...still have to wash the plastic though as they do get under it and such. I use the large binder clips to clip it down....works really well.

That looks so cuddly and comfy! I'm assuming you re-use the fleece and wash it. How often do you wash it? That's the kind of cage I'm picking up tomorrow. I wanted to cover the levels like that and maybe put shredded paper on top of to add some absorbency and give them something to nest in. I can pull the paper out daily if needed and the fleece every couple of days?

I even have some hot pink fleece they could use. :

It will probably be a couple of days before I can get pictures up. I have to back up a ton of stuff because my computer is literally full, so none of my photo editing software (I use light room and photoshop) are functioning right now.

They are 5 and 7 weeks (almost 6 and 8). She was going to keep the smaller one another week but they were already weaned and were used to being together, so she let me take her. One is a mink and the other is, according to the breeder, a traditional agouti, although I think she kind of looks like a dark cinnamon according to pictures I've seen online. She said she might change colours as she ages because she's not a solid colour so it's hard to tell for sure.

My daughter has named the smaller one Lulu, and she wants to call the other one Sarah but I told her to sleep on it hoping she'd thinking of something better tomorrow. I don't care for Sarah.

What do you guys use to keep the Littles out of cages if you don't 100% trust them not to handle them while not being supervised? We've had a few talks about opening the cage and handling them when I'm not there to help but she's not quite 3.5 so obviously I'm not trusting her to follow through with that. For tonight I put a cable tie on the door in case she gets up before me tomorrow and is too excited to wait for me. I'm thinking of a small luggage lock and keeping the key on top of our cabinet close by the cage. She knows how to open clips, so those aren't an option.

One last question.. we live in Florida and temps are averaging 95 degrees. Are they able to go outside on the screened porch (shaded with a ceiling fan) during the day? Or is that too hot? The dogs don't like being out there in this heat, so I don't know if they will. My husband maintains that they'll live in the steam rooms of ships, so why not (which I'm sure is purely based on Titanic the movie ). The breeder says she's never put them outside, but to keep an eye on them and they seem lethargic to bring them in. I'm also worried about attracting snakes. I obviously wouldn't leave them out, but I assume, like any animal, that they'd enjoy some times outside in the fresh air?

[greenmagick]

That would probably be too hot for me to be comfortable with.

I dont put any nesting material because it really all ends up on the floor...however, my daugher often colors pictures and then gives them to the rats and they love that....just makes a huge mess

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/w...k328/026-1.jpg

If the cage is a critter nation it is not that easy to open. You have to push down and up at the same time on the knobs so my 3.5 year old cant do it...well, she did once, but I think I didnt shut it all the way. My 22 month old who gets in everything cant do it either

I wash the fleece liners about twice a week, the hammocks etc about every 2-3 depending. I had 2 sets (2 sets of liners for each set of hammocks so 4 sets of liners total) and they lasted 5 or 6 months before they were getting too chewed. Now, every once in awhile, they will destroy something really fast, but I usually get a lot of use out of them.

[Nicole915]

The idea of a diaper as bedding sounds so snuggly and cozy... but I would be very cautious if i were you. Rats, as you may well know, love to chew on fabric. If they consume threads, their GI system can be compromised. The threads cause the small intestine to bunch on itself, and if the tension is strong enough, can actually lacerate the intestine. A lacerated intestine means a very septic rat and a intense and expensive morning in surgery.

As you mentioned, Yesterday's News is the gold standard.

(*I'm not your vet, and this isn't medical advice*)

[faithsstuff]

I love ratties, we had 3 that passed last year . More pics!!