Is this wood house for rats okay?

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RatsDrawBlood

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I'm about to get this?
https://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/...wood-small-animal-dome-41070.html?cgid=600122
Provide your small pet with a safe and secure place to hide and sleep with the National Geographic Wood Dome. This natural wood hideout is perfect for a number of small animals, and plays the same role as a den they would find in the wild in providing a place for them to hide and to sleep. Only at PetSmart.

Features: Natural wood; Provides place to hide and sleep
Includes: 1 Wood Dome
Intended Pet(s): Guinea Pigs, Chinchillas, Hamsters, Gerbils, Mice, Rats
Material(s): Wood
 
I am concerned about the glue I see in the picture that is holding it together
because rats will chew it. Is the glue safe for small animals?
And bedding wood etc you bring in does need to be frozen for 24 to 48 hrs before being used in order to kill parasites or eggs as Olympia mentioned
 
If no one knows whether the glue is okay, then how about this below one instead?
https://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/...ounging-log-small-animal-hideout-5208961.html
National Geographic™ Lounging Log Small Animal Hideout
Made with natural ingredients, our National Geographic Lounging logs can be shaped to form a hide house that gives your pet a place to hide. Plus, you don't have to worry - these logs are safe to chew incase your furry friend gets curious. Only at PetSmart.
Features: Flexible logs can form fun shapes and functions
Includes: Lounging Logs
Intended For: Guinea pigs, Rats, and other small pets
Size: Medium
Color: Brown
Shape: Tunnel
Material: Natural pine wood
 
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better check that 2nd link, I'm seeing a flag... The first house would be fine, those wood structures are made for animals that chew so they wouldn't use toxic glues.. you could also get cheap plastic baskets at the buck store, turn them upside down and cut a doorway. Cheaper & easier to clean..
 
check that 2nd link
Fixed, thanks.
Yeah today something happened that made me think that if an unfinished wood item is somewhere it gets peed on, it becomes wasted money overnight, when they hardly had a chance to get value out of it.
So I thought this log roll could be attached to the side of the cage, but it's pine.
Even if it doesn't instantly give fumes like shavings would, the point of wanting wood in the cage is for them to chew on.
My de-tipped bamboo skewers are too bark-less, and thin.
I could strap the dome to the ceiling, but starting to wonder if it too could be pine/etc, and don't want to worry they might someday eat or breathe it.
Then discovered Etsy has people with apple rabbit chew sticks, which I should have thought of looking for at least.
They have fresh or dried ... which do I get?
(For 4 week old to 3 month old and upward.)
 
The dried chew sticks would be better in terms of possible crunch if you want them to wear down teeth a bit, but if they’re dried apple they might just be chewy rather than crunchy. I agree with the issue of rats peeing on wood in their cage. It’s such a shame that wood can’t be cleaned properly. When I give my rats something to chew on, I either give them those little Whimsies toothbrushes (which are meant for dogs but are vegetarian). They also come in other shapes and sizes, at Petsmart you can buy them in different sized bags or also as singles possibly. I have also given them Authority brand small dog chews, which they also love and are quite a bit cheaper.
 
better check that 2nd link, I'm seeing a flag... The first house would be fine, those wood structures are made for animals that chew so they wouldn't use toxic glues.. you could also get cheap plastic baskets at the buck store, turn them upside down and cut a doorway. Cheaper & easier to clean..

After discovering that the chew logs are made with honey so some rats think they are food, eat them and in some cases this has resulted in intestinal blockages, I no longer assume that anything made for animals is safe - especially if it was made in China
 
Our remaining fuzzies aren't big chewers, but Raven really liked willow twig "pretzels" from Flower Town Chinchillas. They're the same folks we order Harlan-Teklad blocks from. There are 30-ish willow twigs in a $3(ish) bag, and, depending on your rats, those will either last you a while or be gone within a week.
 
Many moons ago I worked at PetSmart as a dog groomer. Not only were they completely unconcerned for the quality of life of the smaller animals there, but I wouldn't trust anything there to be good for the animals just because it was made "for" them (to profit off of them). The cages and "rat food" there were also made for them, but definitely not suitable for them.

Apple wood chews are great because that's a safe wood for them to chew. So is bamboo. If you can find even sticks, branches of apple wood, you can freeze and bake them yourself to make them rattie safe.

I'm not an expert on woods, but I steered away from pine as I thought cedar and pine shavings as bedding are no good for their respiratory systems? (I used fleece blanket to cover platforms)

The favourite all time chew stuff of my ratties, was cardboard boxes and toys! Plain cardboard, I didn't give them stuff that was painted/printed/glossy. They had small box houses everywhere and none remained unchewed so they must have liked them a lot. :) Also made a bunch of toys from brown cardboard type toilet paper rolls. One girl was so into these it was the first thing she'd grab. cut slits into them from the end(s) of the cylinder. bend them back so it makes kind of a flower formation. Experiment with different ways to cut it. The ratties will love destroying it and stashing it around the place. Careful about cutting things in spirals as they might get themselves stuck in it.
 
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willow twig "pretzels" from Flower Town Chinchillas

Plain cardboard, I didn't give them stuff that was painted/printed/glossy.
I ordered a mix of pear, crabapple, apple and blueberry, the latter of which isn't on the unsafe list, though not on the safe list either, but is similar to (safe) grapevine, a true berry, not (unsafe) cherry, a stone fruit.
Reviewers said their rats liked them, so must not have died.
Heck even as a human I can breathe fine eating grapes - not so with cherries.
Spotted jellybean's Pretzel Sticks too, once I stopped scanning for a twisted pretzel shape!
The reason I've been adding boxes with print and even glue (the foods in them were organic, but it just says "recycled cardboard"), is that it seemed she grew up to no longer eat things, and was going to keep them out till I see the new rat do the same.
But you have me thinking I don't know for sure, so I can make these perfect shapes she's come to love with unprinted cardboard tied with twine through holes, in place of glue.
Which is even better, as I can make them bigger as they grow.
Although, I'm afraid that if I put in things small enough for the little one to find cozy (they adore a snug fit!) the bigger one will get stuck trying to join or copy her.
https://www.thesprucepets.com/safe-and-toxic-woods-for-rats-1238293
 
I'm not an expert on woods, but I steered away from pine as I thought cedar and pine shavings as bedding are no good for their respiratory systems?

The favourite all time chew stuff of my ratties, was cardboard boxes and toys! Plain cardboard, I didn't give them stuff that was painted/printed/glossy. They had small box houses everywhere and none remained unchewed so they must have liked them a lot. :) Also made a bunch of toys from brown cardboard type toilet paper rolls. One girl was so into these it was the first thing she'd grab. cut slits into them from the end(s) of the cylinder. bend them back so it makes kind of a flower formation. Experiment with different ways to cut it. The ratties will love destroying it and stashing it around the place. Careful about cutting things in spirals as they might get themselves stuck in it.

Yes softwood shaving are not ok
I also use cardboard boxes as houses etc and they love chewing them .....but never really thought about the glue ....

I would love to see pictures of the toys you made and your ratties - perhaps in a different thread
 
I used to give my rats Snak Shaks. The only liked the bigger log. But it was a huge hit with all of them. I believe PetSmart sells those as well.
 
I used to give my rats Snak Shaks. The only liked the bigger log. But it was a huge hit with all of them. I believe PetSmart sells those as well.

I used to use the large ones too and my rats also loved them.
I stopped using them because I felt the risk involved was not worth it as I have read that some rats have died because of the honey ingredient causing them to think it was food
I actually threw a few unused ones (as well as several well chewed ones) into the garbage
My boy BB died after having an intestinal blockage. I highly doubt the logs had anything to do with his death, but his death was the catalyst for my decision
 
I prefer the boxes that link together with slits in the wood. There is no glue involved. It’s been a few years since I purchased one but I’ll see if I can find it.
 
This one. No glue, whatsoever.
IMG_6195.JPG
 
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