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Is kiln-dried pine bedding safe for rats, or should I avoid it?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Rat | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 21 days old

I have two baby rats, I was using Kaytee Natural Paper Bedding and wanted to switch them to a different bedding but couldn’t figure out which one would be a safer option to switch to. I did some reading and found that Pine was dangerous to rats because of the oils so I avoided it. Recently I spoke with a breeder who said Kiln dried pine is okay and isn’t dangerous to them because the oils are all dried up but people in a rat group on Facebook have expressed concern. Is it okay to use Pine?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on February 22nd, 2019

It would be safest to avoid all types of pine bedding. There are other options that are safer such as aspen shavings or any one of the recycled paper type bedding materials. The current bedding is fine to use as well.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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