Cedar and pine shavings are no longer recommended as bedding for small pets; fortunately many alternatives have become available. Sun Seed Fresh World Bedding is a relatively new addition to the market (at least for me locally) and I quite like the product. Made from recycled newspaper and magazines, it is quite similar to Yesterday's News Litter, but with a looser texture. It also has baking soda added for an extra touch of odor control, and is quite economical.
Pros
- Very absorbent.
- Good odor control.
- Not dusty.
- Readily available from a variety of retailers.
- Softer texture than some other pellet type beddings, but dense enough not to be easily kicked around.
- The basic (grey with color flecks) version is economical and comes in large quantities.
- Biodegradable and eco-friendly.
Cons
- Texture not as soft as some paper based beddings; doesn't seem "cozy" for burrowing in.
- The colorful versions come in smaller quantities and aren't quite as economical.
- A large cage lined with this bedding gets pretty heavy.
Bottom Line
Overall, I think Sun Seed Fresh World Bedding is a good choice for small animal bedding, and I expect it would work well in rabbit litter boxes, too. It's very absorbent and helps control odor well, and it is not dusty. I'm not crazy about the texture, though -- it has a looser, softer texture than a lot of other pelleted bedding, but it still doesn't seem like it would be all that comfortable to live on. Still, its effectiveness makes it a good choice, as long as you provide some softer material for nesting and sleeping. I used this in conjunction with CareFresh bedding (I do the same with other pelleted bedding) -- I put a fairly thick layer of this in bottom of the cage since it is so absorbent, and put a thinner layer of CareFresh over top to make a softer layer, to the get the best of both worlds.
