Key Takeaways: Choosing Small-Animal Bedding
There isn’t one “best” bedding for every small animal. Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils all have different habitat needs, so the right setup depends on your pet’s species, natural behaviors, and cleaning routine. Loose hemp, hemp mats, and soft hemp nesting material can each serve a different purpose, making hemp a flexible option for creating a comfortable, dry, and species-appropriate habitat.
A species-by-species guide to choosing the right small-animal bedding.
Calling all small-animal lovers: We hear you. We see you. As the fourth most popular pet category in the United States, small animals including rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils live in 6.7 million American homes. Yet many owners struggle to choose from the abundance of bedding options available.
Paper or hemp? Loose bedding or a mat? Fleece or wood? How deep should it be? And what does your pet actually need?
It turns out that finding your small animal’s sleep number is a bit complicated. That’s because there is no single “best” bedding for every small animal. Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils may all be small and furry, but they have different natural behaviors and habitat needs. The right bedding should keep your pet comfortable, dry, and clean while allowing it to do what comes naturally, whether that’s digging, burrowing, nesting, or lounging.
So how do you choose? Start by considering your pet’s species, natural behaviors, and habitat. The best setup may use loose bedding, a floor mat or liner, or a combination of materials. Rabbits and guinea pigs may benefit from a hybrid setup, while hamsters and gerbils need deep, loose substrate for digging and burrowing.
What to Look for in Small-Animal Bedding
Whether you choose paper, fleece, wood, hemp, or another appropriate material, look for bedding that supports your pet’s health, comfort, and natural behavior.
- Safety: Your pet will sniff, dig, scratch, and probably chew its bedding. Choose materials appropriate for the species and avoid unnecessary fragrances, dyes, and additives.
- Low dust: Small animals spend much of their lives close to their bedding, so choose a low-dust option and pay attention to dust during setup and cleaning.
- Moisture control: Good bedding should help manage urine and other moisture while keeping your pet’s living surface as dry as possible. Wet or heavily soiled bedding should be removed promptly.
- Comfort: Softness, cushioning, and a comfortable surface matter, particularly for animals that spend most of their time on the floor.
- Natural behavior: The best bedding allows your pet to do what comes naturally, whether that’s digging, burrowing, nesting, or carrying and rearranging material.
- Easy cleaning: Consider how easily you can spot-clean the bedding, how often it needs to be replaced, and how much material gets scattered around the enclosure.
Where Does Hemp Fit?
There are plenty of bedding options for small animals, and each has its advantages. Hemp is a versatile, plant-based option that can be used in several ways, from loose bedding to floor mats and liners to soft nesting material.
RentACoop offers three formats: loose hemp hurd, a hemp bedding mat, and a soft nesting material made of hemp. They’re designed for different purposes, and in some habitats they can work together.
Loose Hemp Hurd
Loose hemp hurd is made from the woody inner portion of the hemp stalk. It can be used as loose substrate for deep bedding, in litter areas, in high-soiling zones, or as part of a bedding blend. Because it’s loose, you can spot-clean individual areas without necessarily replacing everything at once.
Hemp Bedding Mat
A hemp mat provides contained floor coverage and can serve as a liner in appropriate habitats. For rabbits and guinea pigs, it may cover a primary living area, with loose hemp added to litter boxes, hay areas, or other high-moisture zones.
For hamsters and gerbils, however, deep, loose bedding remains essential for digging and burrowing. In these cases, a mat is ideal as a base to be placed underneath the loose bedding.
Hemp Nesting Material
Hemp nesting material is made from soft, loose hemp fibers that small animals can pull apart, carry, and shape into a cozy nest. It can be especially appealing to nest-building animals such as hamsters and gerbils, giving them the freedom to create their own sleeping chamber.
Unlike deep bedding, nesting material is an add-on, not a substitute. Simply tuck a small handful into the enclosure on top of the loose hemp substrate your pet needs for digging and let them do the rest. A little goes a long way, and hemp’s ability to separate into short, loose fibers makes it easy for small animals to pull apart and arrange.
When choosing nesting material, avoid products made with long, strong strands that can wrap around legs, toes, or other body parts. As with any bedding material, consider dust, chewing, and ingestion risks.
Rabbits
The best setup combines a comfortable floor surface with appropriate litter material in a designated toilet area.
Rabbits don’t necessarily need loose bedding across their entire enclosure. A practical setup could include:
- Living area: A dry, comfortable, nonslip floor or hemp mat.
- Litter box: Appropriate absorbent litter, with hay nearby or in the litter area.
- High-soiling areas: Loose hemp hurd for additional absorbency.
Check litter and wet areas daily and remove soiled material as needed. If your rabbit is older, has mobility challenges, or likes to chew its flooring, pay particular attention to traction, cushioning, and the condition of the mat.
Guinea Pigs
For guinea pigs, look for bedding that provides a soft, comfortable, and consistently dry surface.
A hemp mat can provide floor coverage throughout the primary living area, while loose hemp can be added to high-moisture areas such as the hay or “kitchen” zone.
Remove droppings, wet spots, and soiled hay regularly, and adjust your cleaning routine based on the number of guinea pigs, enclosure size, and how quickly the habitat becomes soiled.
Hamsters
Hamster bedding should be deep, low-dust, and capable of supporting natural digging and burrowing behavior.
Hamsters need substantially deeper bedding than an animal that simply rests on a floor covering. Current welfare guidance commonly recommends approximately 8 inches or more of suitable digging material.
Loose hemp may be part of a hamster enclosure, provided it can support stable burrows. If it doesn’t hold tunnels sufficiently well on its own, it may need to be combined with another suitable material like shredded paper.
A hemp mat cannot replace a hamster’s primary burrowing material. Also remember that bedding and nesting materials are different. If you’d like to offer nesting material, a soft hemp nesting material is a natural option designed to easily pull apart into safe, short fibers. Alternatives such as cotton have long, strong strands that can wrap around limbs and cause problems if swallowed. Just offer a small handful on top of the deep bedding and your hamster will build its own nest.
Gerbils
The best gerbil bedding is deep, loose, and allows gerbils to dig, tunnel, and build complex burrows.
Think of a gerbil habitat as an underground playground. Current welfare guidance commonly recommends approximately 8–12 inches of bedding to support their natural digging behavior.
Loose hemp may be part of that system, but if it doesn’t provide enough tunnel stability on its own, it may need to be combined with another suitable material.
Like hamsters, gerbils need deep, loose substrate. A hemp mat should not replace it.
Also, like hamsters, you can offer a small handful of soft hemp nesting material on top of the deep substrate for your gerbils to pull apart and shape into a nest. A hemp-based product provides the right balance of safety and comfort for your gerbils. Spot-clean heavily soiled areas as needed while preserving established tunnels whenever practical.
The Bottom Line: Choose Bedding for Your Animal, Not Just Your Enclosure
The best bedding isn’t necessarily the softest, cheapest, or most absorbent option on the shelf. It’s the one that fits your animal’s natural behavior, your habitat, and your cleaning routine.
For rabbits and guinea pigs, a hemp mat can provide contained floor coverage, while loose hemp can be useful in litter boxes and high-soiling areas. For hamsters and gerbils, deep, loose substrate remains essential for digging and burrowing, and a little soft hemp nesting material can be added on top for them to build a cozy nest.
That’s why hemp comes in more than one format.
Loose hemp hurd gives you flexibility where you need loose, absorbent material. A hemp mat provides contained floor coverage where a liner makes sense. And soft hemp nesting material gives nest-building pets like hamsters and gerbils something to pull apart and shape into a nest. In some habitats, the best solution combines more than one.
Explore RentACoop’s loose hemp bedding, hemp bedding mat, and soft hemp nesting material to find the format, or combination of formats, that fits your animal and your cleaning routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best bedding for rabbits?
The best rabbit bedding system depends on how your rabbit habitat is arranged, but a comfortable floor surface paired with appropriate litter-box material is a practical choice for many rabbits. Loose hemp can be useful in litter boxes or high-soiling areas, while a hemp mat may work as a floor covering in the living area. Rabbits should have a dry, comfortable, nonslip surface and a clean toilet area.
What is the best bedding for guinea pigs?
The best guinea pig bedding provides a soft, comfortable, and consistently dry surface. For example, a hemp mat can cover the primary living area, while loose hemp can be used in higher-moisture areas such as the hay or kitchen zone.
What is the best bedding for hamsters and gerbils?
The best bedding for hamsters and gerbils is deep, loose substrate that supports natural digging and burrowing behavior. Hamsters generally need around 20 centimeters, or 8 inches, of suitable substrate, while gerbils commonly benefit from approximately 20–30 centimeters, or 8–12 inches. A floor mat cannot replace this deep substrate and should be placed beneath it. As nesting animals, hamsters and gerbils may also benefit from soft nesting materials made of easy-to-pull-apart short fibers placed on top of the substrate for them to gather and craft into nests.
Is hemp bedding safe for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils?
Hemp can be an appropriate bedding material for small animals when the specific product is designed and validated for the species and intended use. As with any bedding, pet owners should consider dust, moisture, ingredients, chewing, and ingestion.
What is the difference between loose hemp bedding and a hemp mat?
Loose hemp bedding and a hemp mat solve different habitat problems. Loose hemp hurd provides loose, absorbent material that can be used in litter areas, high-soiling zones, or as part of a substrate system. A hemp mat provides contained floor coverage and may serve as a liner in appropriate habitats. The two can also be used together.
Can a hemp mat replace paper bedding or fleece liners?
Yes. A hemp mat can replace paper or fleece liners in appropriate habitats. Hemp can absorb moisture and is biodegradable and compostable. Washing soiled fleece or cloth liners can leave lingering odors. Because fleece and cloth are made of woven threads an animal cannot digest, chewing and swallowing pieces can lead to serious harm, including gut blockages or threads wrapping around limbs.
Can hamsters and gerbils burrow in loose hemp bedding?
Yes, animals may burrow into loose hemp. If desired, other materials can be added as well, such as paper, which provides the added benefit of absorbing moisture and odors.
How deep should small-animal bedding be?
Bedding depth depends on the species. Hamsters generally need approximately 20 centimeters, or 8 inches, of suitable digging substrate, while gerbils commonly need approximately 20–30 centimeters, or 8–12 inches. Rabbits and guinea pigs have different needs and do not require burrowing substrate throughout their habitats.
How often should bedding or a habitat mat be changed?
Change bedding based on its condition rather than following a rigid schedule. Remove wet and heavily soiled areas regularly, and replace bedding or mats when they become excessively damp, damaged, smelly, or otherwise unsuitable. Enclosure size, number of animals, ventilation, and toileting habits all affect cleaning frequency.
What bedding materials should small pet owners avoid?
Avoid very dusty, scented, damp, or moldy materials, clumping or expanding litter, and thin-stranded fluffy nesting products, including cotton. Pet owners should also avoid products with unverified additives such as adhesives, dyes, pesticides, or fragrances.
What is hemp nesting material?
Hemp nesting material is a soft, loose plant fiber that small animals can pull apart, carry, and shape into a cozy nest. Unlike loose substrate or a floor mat, it is not meant to line the whole enclosure. It is a nesting add-in that nest-building pets arrange into a warm sleeping spot. A little goes a long way, so you only need a handful at a time, tucked in on top of the regular bedding.
Which small animals use nesting material?
Nesting material is for nest-building small animals, particularly hamsters and gerbils, along with other burrowing pets like mice and rats. These animals naturally gather material into a sleeping chamber. Nesting material works as an add-in on top of the deep, loose substrate these animals need for digging and burrowing, not as a replacement for it. Guinea pigs, which do not burrow or build nests, generally do not need it, and for rabbits it is used mainly by a breeding doe preparing a nest box.
Is hemp nesting material safe for hamsters?
Hemp nesting material is designed to be a safer choice than the cotton wool and “fluffy” nesting products welfare groups warn against, because it pulls apart into short fibers rather than the long, strong strands that can wrap around a hamster’s limbs or knot together if swallowed.