10 Best Beddings for Ferrets in 2024: Reviews & Top Picks

We love them dearly, but ferrets have a reputation for being messy, so it’s a challenge to find bedding that can handle their distinctive odor and absorb enough liquid to keep their cage dry. Not all small pet bedding is created equal, and some of it can’t quite mask a ferret’s unique odor. You also have to consider your pet’s preferences for bedding material and perhaps whether you want to compost the used bedding after you clean it out.

These reviews are the top 10 picks for the best bedding for ferrets. Paper and wood pulp bedding types with a variety of odor-control levels and textures are included, so you can experiment and find the best one for your pet.

A Quick Comparison of Our Winners (2024)

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Kaytee Clean & Cozy Small Animal Bedding	Made from FDA-approved paper Absorbs six times its weight in liquid No chemicals or by-products	Check Price
Best Value		Oxbow Pure Comfort Small Animal Bedding	30% more absorbent No additives or dyes Affordable in bulk	Check Price
Premium Choice		Vitakraft Fresh World Ultra Strength Bedding	Up to 14 days of odor control Made from 100% recycled paper No baking soda	Check Price
		Small Pet Select White Paper Bedding	Up to 10 days of odor control Affordable for bulk buyers No additives or irritants	Check Price
		Carefresh Small Animal Bedding	Up to 10 days of odor control Two times more absorbent than wood shavings Made with raw, natural fiber	Check Price

The 10 Best Beddings for Ferrets

Ferrets tend to make a mess, so need bedding that can withstand everything—including any urine or poop when your pet doesn’t make it to the litter tray or mistakes their bedding for their litter. The Kaytee Clean & Cozy Small Animal Bedding can absorb up to six times its weight in liquid. This helps keep your ferret’s bedding as dry as possible and increases the time between cleanups.

It’s made from FDA-approved paper with no chemicals or by-products that can potentially make your ferret sick. The Kaytee bedding also eliminates odors, which can help control the unwanted smells that ferrets are renowned for.

While it’s the best overall bedding for ferrets, it is surprisingly dusty despite the 99.9% dust-free formula.

The Oxbow Pure Comfort Small Animal Bedding is 30% more absorbent than other brands and is made of pure, unbleached paper with no additives or dyes. It uses white paper, which makes it easier for you to monitor your ferret’s health by their urine color.

Oxbow Pure Comfort is an affordable option for ferret owners on a budget, and the large bags are cheaper than some other options. Due to this, it’s the best bedding for ferrets for the money.

This bedding doesn’t have an odor-control formula included, so it might need changing more regularly to cope with a ferret’s natural smell. It also tends to cling to fur, which lends to it being tracked throughout the cage and your home when you let your ferret out.

Made with 100% recycled paper, the Vitakraft Fresh World Ultra Strength Litter Box & Cage Small Animal Bedding can be used as bedding and as litter. For effectiveness, the Vitakraft bedding can absorb three times its weight in liquids, keeping your ferret’s cage drier and odor free for longer. The bedding is designed to control odors for up to 14 days but doesn’t use baking soda, thus ensuring that it’s safe for your ferret and other small pets.

Compared to other bedding options, the Vitakraft is on the expensive side, and you get much less in the bag. The paper formula is also dry and dusty despite the dust-free claims.

Small pets go through a large amount of bedding, and many ferret owners prefer buying in bulk to meet their pets’ needs. Although it’s more expensive in smaller quantities than many other options, the Small Pet Select Premium Unbleached White Paper Small Animal Bedding is more affordable when you buy large amounts.

Made with unbleached, raw fiber, the Small Pet Select doesn’t contain dyes, additives, or irritants and offers a soft, comfortable bed for your ferret to explore, dig, and nest in. It’s capable of controlling odors for up to 10 days to help manage unpleasant smells. But many ferret owners have found that it doesn’t last as long as many other bedding options, which makes the bulk option even more useful.

The Carefresh Small Animal Bedding is a biodegradable and compostable option that is made with raw, natural fiber. It contains an odor-control formula that fights bad smells, such as ammonia from urine, for up to 10 days. Carefresh bedding is also available in a set of two 60-liter packages, making it one of the more affordable options available.

Ferrets are well-known for confusing their bedding with their litter, and Carefresh tackles this by being twice as absorbent as bedding made from wood shavings. It is dusty, though, despite the dust-free claims, and can set off dust allergies in pets and their owners. The bedding has also been noted to have a strong and unpleasant smell.

Made with recycled paper, the back-2-nature Small Animal Bedding is completely biodegradable, so you can compost the used bedding. The bedding is made up of grooved pellets for a less-dusty alternative to wood shavings and other paper bedding. It can also be used in your ferret’s litter tray due to its natural odor control and absorbency.

While your ferret can benefit from this option as either their bedding or their litter, it’s only available in small bags and is an expensive option. Some pet owners have also found pieces of plastic or foil in a few packages and have noticed that the bedding has a strong, unpleasant smell even when it hasn’t been used.

The Fresh News Recycled Paper Small Animal Bedding is eco-friendly and naturally absorbent and locks in odors with its moisture-locking formula. It’s made from 100% recycled paper and is biodegradable to ensure that it’s suitable for ferret owners who prefer to compost their pet’s used bedding.

Fresh News isn’t the neatest bedding option out there, though. It’s lightweight and frequently clings to the cage and your ferret’s fur when wet. This can cause your ferret to kick it out of their cage or track it through the house when you let them out and make it difficult to clean up quickly. Besides being dustier than expected, it’s expensive.

Many bedding options claim to have minimal or no dust, but few meet expectations. The best thing about the Sunseed Fresh World Small Pet Bedding is how little dust is in the bedding, so it won’t set off allergies or irritate your ferret’s respiratory system. It’s made from 100% recycled paper and absorbs up to triple its weight in liquids to keep your ferret’s cage drier for longer.

The Sunseed bedding controls odors for up to 7 days but also has a strong fragrance that some ferrets and owners find unpleasant. Compared to many other options, it’s also incredibly expensive, and there’s no option to buy larger bags or in bulk like some of the budget-friendly choices.

Wood pulp is a common material used for pet bedding, so ferrets can use this material too. The Healthy Pet HPCC Natural Bedding doesn’t contain additives or chemicals, and the reclaimed wood pulp can be thrown in the compost once it’s been used.

With a high absorbency, the Healthy Pet bedding can absorb up to three times its weight in liquids and can handle leaky water bottles or urine. The moisture-locking properties also serve to seal in odors to keep your ferret’s cage smelling cleaner. However, it does have a strong smell straight out of the bag, which many ferrets find unpleasant.

Unfortunately, the Healthy Pet bedding is also incredibly dusty and only available in small bags. If you have more than one ferret, this option won’t last long.

Comfort is a crucial feature to consider when you’re buying bedding for your ferret. The PETSPICK Uber Soft Paper Pet Bedding for Small Animals is made from shredded paper to create a soft surface that’s suitable for burrowing in and nesting. Besides being a comfortable spot for your ferret to nap on, it can absorb up to six times its weight in liquids and offers 14 days of odor control.

However, the PETSPICK is dusty, which can cause problems for sensitive respiratory systems for both your ferret and you. It’s one of the messier options, especially when it’s wet, as it frequently clings to fur and might be tracked through the cage and your home by your ferret. The odor control also struggles to handle strong odors, and it might not cover bad smells for long if you have more than one ferret.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Right Bedding for Your Ferret

Bedding is often used in ferret cages as a way to absorb moisture from water spills and to help control odors. It can also make it easier to clean up liquid-related accidents. However, it can also be incredibly messy, especially when you consider how playful ferrets can be.

Unlike with other small pets, bedding isn’t always the best idea for ferrets and can give you more to clean up. If you have a shallow tray at the bottom of the cage, you might find that your ferret kicks their bedding out of the cage, giving you plenty of stray pieces to clean up throughout the day. Most ferret owners prefer to use absorbent cage liners or simply mop up spills on the cage tray as they happen.

Ferrets can be taught how to use a litter tray and don’t need a cage full of bedding to do their business in. They’ll also be happy to sleep on anything soft, such as blankets and hammocks, rather than curl up in paper bedding.

What Kind of Bedding Do Ferrets Need?

Whether you line the bottom of your pet’s cage with bedding depends on your preferences and how healthy the bedding type is for your ferret. Here are factors to consider when you’re shopping.

Cage Liners

Many ferret owners dislike using any sort of bedding material for their ferrets. These animals often mistake their bedding for their litter tray and frequently kick the material out of their cage. While the right bedding can help keep your cage clean, it can just as easily be troublesome to deal with.

An alternative to bedding materials is a simple cage liner. This is easy to clean without requiring a vacuum to pick up endless amounts of scattered bedding material. The right cage liner will also absorb moisture and odor and be far less messy than other pet bedding. This will ensure that you have an easy way to clean up food and water spills and any toilet-related accidents.

Dust Free

Ferrets are sensitive to dust and frequently suffer from respiratory infections if they’re inhaling too much dust. This is why sawdust, straw, hay, and wood shavings aren’t ideal choices for your ferret’s litter or bedding. These are too dusty to be healthy for them.

You need to find a bedding type that isn’t dusty. This can be easier said than done, especially when many options don’t meet their claims of being dust free. Be prepared to try a few options of bedding to find the perfect, dust-less option to keep your ferret safe.

Hammock or Nesting Box

One common alternative to small animal bedding is using a hammock or a nesting box. Ferrets love to cuddle up with their friends, but they don’t necessarily need paper bedding material to nest in. Most small pet bedding materials are often too messy to be suitable for ferrets, and many pet owners prefer using cage liners instead.

Fortunately, ferrets enjoy sleeping on anything soft. Instead of paper bedding, try setting up a cozy hammock or a nesting box lined with soft towels or old blankets. Both options offer a safe, comfortable place for your ferret to sleep. Just don’t forget to put an absorbent cage liner on the bottom of the cage if you want an easy way to clean up.

Highly Absorbent

Ferrets are notorious for their playful antics and will frequently knock over their water dish. They also might have toilet-related accidents. For both these reasons, it’s always a good idea to choose highly absorbent bedding; otherwise, you’ll frequently be cleaning the cage throughout the day.

While we can’t tell you which bedding will be perfect, we can suggest a few that are loved for their absorbency. Some ferrets can be messier than others, and if you have more than one, you’ll be mopping up spills frequently. Test a few bedding options to see which one works best for you.

Paper

Out of all the bedding options available, the ones made out of paper are the safest. Unlike most other materials, paper is one of the least dusty. However, it can still be somewhat dusty, especially if it crumbles easily, so you’ll need to experiment with various options to find the best one. Scentless, natural materials or recycled paper that is highly absorbent without turning into dust are ideal.

Final Thoughts

Comfortable bedding is essential for giving your ferret somewhere soft to sleep, but it also needs to be absorbent to handle liquid-related accidents. We explored several options in these reviews to give you the best idea of what to look for.

Our overall best is the Kaytee Clean & Cozy Bedding. It’s affordable and made from FDA-approved paper for a safe, reliable, and absorbent option. Next is the Oxbow Pure Comfort Bedding, which is available in large bags if you’re on a tight budget or prefer buying in bulk. Finally, the Vitakraft Fresh World Bedding is expensive but can help control odors for up to 14 days.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

• Best Ferret Treats
• Name Ideas for Playful & Mischievous Ferrets

Featured Image Credit: pantipac85, Shutterstock