Cedar and pine shavings are no longer recommended as bedding for small pets; fortunately many alternatives have become available. Kaytee Soft Sorbent is a nice alternative that made out of wood fibers converted into a lightweight, fine pebble-like pellet.
Pros
- Soft
- Light pebbly texture lines the cage well
- Quite absorbent
- Decent odor control
Cons
This batch had some very large chunks as well as some twigs.
Photo © Lianne McLeod- Different batches may vary in quality: size of the pellets and other materials.
- Expensive.
Bottom Line
Overall, Kaytee Soft Sorbent is a good choice for small animals such as hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats. I like the texture, but found the quality varied between batches. It is light, soft, and absorbent and does a pretty good job of odor control. It's not dusty and the small pelleted texture is quite unique. However, it is very expensive.
Comments
I have mixed feeling about Kaytee Soft Sorbent. The first time I used it I liked it: it is lightweight (makes cage cleaning a snap as I have a large cage), as well as absorbent and pretty good at odor control. It was just a little bit dusty, but not nearly as much as some other beddings (and my sensitive rat tolerated it well). However, the second bag I bought had some very large chunks in it as well as some sticks and other "impurities." I don't think the poor quality batch was harmful at all, but the larger chunks weren't really very effective as a bedding (though I suppose the larger bits could have been a risk for animals that ingest the bedding). It is quite expensive, so given the price it would be nice to have consistent quality. If I were to buy this bedding again I would check the bag contents fist to make sure the pellets were of a consistent (small) size.
A Note on the Scented and Colored Varieties
Soft Sorbent comes in scented types as well -- naturally scented with lavender, rose, or mint. I've never tried these types, but concern is that the scents would be overwhelming or irritating to the small animals that have to live in close proximity to the bedding. I've heard from other owners that the scents are not that strong and helped control odors. These are quite a bit more expensive though.
Kaytee Soft Sorbent also comes in colors. I believe the colors aren't harmful but aren't necessary either, and sticking with the non-colored versions is more economical.