Wood pellet use for littler?

[eagle]

You also have to be careful with some hardwood. Aspen is ok, oak is not and others are also very toxic.

Well there goes the bag of pellets I bought. Anyone have a stove close by that needs a bag of pellets never been opened.

 

[victoria]

You also have to be careful with some hardwood. Aspen is ok, oak is not and others are also very toxic.

My bad, I misread the earlier post and thought oak was ok.

a chook is a chicken ;-)

Well now your post makes a lot more sense. I've also heard of people using rabbit pellets as litter.

 

[eagle]

You also have to be careful with some hardwood. Aspen is ok, oak is not and others are also very toxic.

My bad, I misread the earlier post and thought oak was ok.

a chook is a chicken ;-)

Well now your post makes a lot more sense. I've also heard of people using rabbit pellets as litter.

I got my head ripped off on another forum from even asking if rabbit pellets were ok to use. I was a really new rat owner at the time and trying to learn.

 

[victoria]

You also have to be careful with some hardwood. Aspen is ok, oak is not and others are also very toxic.

My bad, I misread the earlier post and thought oak was ok.

a chook is a chicken ;-)

Well now your post makes a lot more sense. I've also heard of people using rabbit pellets as litter.

I got my head ripped off on another forum from even asking if rabbit pellets were ok to use. I was a really new rat owner at the time and trying to learn.

That's weird, I could swear it was one of the options I read about when I got rats. Don't know of anyone that has actually used them though.

 

[jorats]

I had seen a bag at Home Depot and when I saw "not for human consumption"... I knew I would never use that for my rats. They would definitely have a munch on it.

But it SHOULD say "not for human consumption"... it's wood pellets, not food!

Ya, but you don't find "not for human consumption" on all non food products. It makes me think that perhaps there's something in it or on it that could be toxic. Don't they put flammable agents on it to speed up burning?

 

[Moon]

I had seen a bag at Home Depot and when I saw "not for human consumption"... I knew I would never use that for my rats. They would definitely have a munch on it.

But it SHOULD say "not for human consumption"... it's wood pellets, not food!

Ya, but you don't find "not for human consumption" on all non food products. It makes me think that perhaps there's something in it or on it that could be toxic. Don't they put flammable agents on it to speed up burning?

Some do, but I don't think all have additives like that.

I think the "not for human consumption" is for the few people that think that maybe, just maybe, because the pellets go in a stove then they must belong in their stomachs, LOL

 

[lilangel]

I was looking more into this stuff and found also there is "woody pet" it is for horses and safe for pets http://www.woodypet.com/horse.html

"Raw White Soft Wood Shavings and Sawdust undergoes extreme processing which extracts most of the resins, oils, tars, acids and water from the wood fiber. Exiting the milling process the product is completely sterile in granulated form and has become an extreme absorbent. Looks like, but does not taste like Granola. We have eliminated the Dangerous Aromatic Hydrocarbons which cause Hives and Respiratory Irritation (Coughing) for horses. There are NO ADDITIVES of any kind in this product, it is 100% Biodegradable Sterile Wood Fiber."

And it absorbs just like YN puffs up when wet, but most rats use the litter for pooping and not so much peeing.

I have not tried this nor wood pellets yet lol the wood pellet thing i just said forget it. but this stuff is pet safe and now wondering if i should give it a shot or not.

They have this stuff here where i live for $9.00 30lbs at richie feed.

 

[jorats]

I wonder how that Woody Pet is for odour absorbency.

 

[rodentmama]

I've used wood pellet fuel as litter with no problems. I use Canadian Comfort pellets and they have no additives at all, they are just softwood sawdust. The heating and compression procedure completely evaporates the phenols (they are volitile oils that can't remain after heating). The pellets have hardly any scent at all. The company that makes them screens them to remove any debris and also vaccums them to remove any dust. So they are dust free. The company bags the same product as "Kentucky Comfort" for a horse bedding. Any horse people out there know that horses are just as susseptible to respiratory infection as rats are.

I do have to caveat that I only use this as "litter". In the litter bins. My rats bedding is made of fleecies and toweling much more comfy. My rats don't routinely lay in the "litter". Even when I have it as a base on my plastic bottomed cages, I block off a section with bricks to fill with the litter. I just think it doesn't encourage good toilet habits if the litter is all over the bottom of the cage. If anything, I think living in a moldy old house is worse for my rats breathing then the wood pellets ever have been. They really work nicely keeping the odour down mostly because they are so absorbant that they "dry up" feces and urine quickly by sucking the moisture out.

 

[PitLuvs]

I used them back when I had ratties years ago, and switched to YDN quickly. They stink (I hate the smell of wood lol) and they were so hard to get come fall because people stock up. Super cheap yes, but it wasn't for us. They also crumble when wet.

 

[lilangel]

We got the horse pellets today and there is almost no smell, they kind of smell like crayons about it.

We will try them see how it works and stuff.

And we only use this also for litter boxes not as a bedding.

 

[rodentmama]

I like the crumbliness. I can just dump the used litter in the garden and it composts down fine. I find YDN gets wet and really stinks where I never notice any smell from the pellets. For us it is hard to get them in the spring and summer as the stores don't stock them anymore

 

[LA]

I would make sure you know exactly what are in those wood pellets. If you can find ingredients listed, then I would suggest they not be used. Any type of coniferous tree (anything with needles) is dangerous and has phenols in it.

 

[lilangel]

http://www.woodypet.com/pets.html

I searched it before hand and says:

"Woody Pet Professional Animal Bedding is the Best NON-TOXIC alternative for wood shavings because there are no Dangerous Hydrocarbons like there are in pine and cedar wood shavings."

"Raw White Soft Wood Shavings and Sawdust undergoes extreme processing which extracts most of the resins, oils, tars, acids and water from the wood fiber. Exiting the milling process the product is completely sterile in granulated form and has become an extreme absorbent. Looks like, but does not taste like Granola. We have eliminated the Dangerous Aromatic Hydrocarbons . There are NO ADDITIVES of any kind in this product, it is 100% Biodegradable Sterile Wood Fiber."

And if used for horses they can have Respiratory Irritation (Coughing) for horses just like rats and can not also use pine or cedar as when laying down in goes right into them by the skin and nose so it has to be safe for horses and other pets.

and when pouring it i did not even see dust like i would with YN.

Like said i am testing it out now and see how it works with odor and clean up and such first and if i like it i will stick with it and also see how the rats like it and such.

Please note i am not using Wood stove pellets but using Woody pet for pets not stoves.

 

[theratlady]

woody pet is the same as the wood stove pellets just marketed for animals so they can charge 2-3 times as much for it. they have to put that label on things because people are stupid and might try to eat it. you often see that on pet proucts too "not for human consumption"
i used rabbit pellets for litter and love it, and wood pellets for the ferrets litter boxes. i have tried switching back and forth but found that rabbit doesnt really work well for the ferrets and the wood isnt the best option for the rats.
there are two main brands of wood pellets in canada the ones that home hardware sell and the ones kents sells. there are other such as sobeys last year carried one from nfld that is great because its in 20lb bags and easier to carry.

 

[lilangel]

For the pet ones i paid $8 for 35lbs way cheaper then YN by far.

And i herd the wood stove pellets sell for around $5 so yes they do what rat lady said they added $3 extra dollars for pet one but i also wonder some wood stove ones have stuff in them to light better also, i would rather stick with the pet approved one though hehe

So far the stuff is working well, There is no wood in the cage and they are still pellets to what i can see since rats or at least mine mostly only poop in it.

For odor seems to work out well also before i would smell them right off the bat(smelled like sticky cat poop too yuck) now i do not smell poop right when i see them (same as if i used YN). Some did kick it around the cage but those are the ones who never knew litter yet but I'm in training with them hehe i stick all the "nuggets" in the litter each morning in hopes they see what i am trying to do

So for me it is working out well so far, I shall see what tomorrow brings

 

[SQ]

I wanted to revive this discussion in case anyone has found articles and more info about the safety of wood pellets or which kinds are safe for rats as bedding.

I did notice in this thread that it seems that softwood and oak wood pellets as well as pellets with additives are bad for rats.

..... the Oromoncto SPCA is now using donated wood pellets as bedding for the rats :?

 

[Dahlas]

I have been asked this before....and was not sure of the answer.