i stopped sing shavings some years ago as my rats kept getting mites and lung disorders. I then changed to wood based cat litter. it soaked up the wet brilliantly they hardly ear smelt and it cut down the number of rats getting a lung disorder also eliminated mites along with a dose of frontline. Since keeping my Gambian pouched rats that you need to make sure are not bedded on pine i started using a recycled paper cat litter on all my rats which is great no lung disorders, no odour and still no mites. just happy rats