Bird toys for rats?

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A

ATez

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2011
Messages
248
Location
Montreal, QC
I've noticed on some CN/FN pictures that some people but bird toys in the cages. I wanted to know if they're safe for rats? I'm wondering because i do want to put some stuff to hang around for them to sniff, explore and look at... and well since i saw some people were using them i thought "hey, why not?". So i got them something which is a rope shaped into a ring with some extra rope hanging down with blocks of different colored wood. As soon as i hung it in the cage they both went at it like the wood on the boy is the best thing they've ever had! :shock: Of course i took it out before too many chunks of the woods went missing... i wanted to know whay you guys think?

I don't know what the wood is to be honest (but they seemed to like it) and they are also colored so i also don't know what's used to color wood in bird toys. I wouldn't think it's toxic since it's being made for an animal and birds tend to check things out with their beck but you never know.

Safe or not?
 
The rule of thumb is if they're safe for birds they're safe for rats. The wood pieces are coloured with food grade colouring :D
 
I avoid the stuff with rawhide in it... I'm not sure its bad for rats, but it just doesn't seem like a good idea.
My boys love the shreddars toys, they look like pinatias.
 
Yeah, don't use the toys that have rawhide, but everything else is good to go. My rats have always liked the bird toys that have the "raw" wood, with bark on the wood.
 
Mine love wood toys. It makes cage-cleaning extra messy (and I have to be careful to get the worst of the splinters out of the cloth before laundering it), but it is worth it because they have such fun. There are some nice wooden toys made for small pets, also. Mine love the little cylinders of wood joined side by side, linked by metal, that can be bent into an arc. They run under them, climb over them, and enjoy chewing them to smithereens.
 
This style is a favorite of the rats at the rescue here:
DSC_2964.jpg


You can also see the one hanging at the front of the cage in this picture, it's starting to get nicely chewed, they love it:
DSC_0332.jpg


And you can see a couple different styles in this cage, too. One all wood that attaches in multiple spots (I LOVE this toy, but it was rather expensive) and one that's got leather and wood.
DSC_0059.jpg
 
Ah, i didn't know about the rawhide or "raw" wood. Quite frankly i already threw out the tag the toy was attached to but i won't take a chance now!

and those a great pictures
 
MomRat said:
Rawhide is an animal product, like hard leather. Doesn't look like wood at all. =)
Click to expand...
Ooooh!! I thought it was a kind of wood.... i blame my frenchyness. :oops:
Well, nothing like leather on the toy so i guess it's all good then! yay
 
My kiddos love bird toys with rope or paper. They usually last for about two weeks before they are shredded into super comfy nesting material. Since I know that they'll eventually be destroyed, I typically get the ones that are under $5. Here's the ones that are currently in their cage:

[center:134imhwy]
652923031410C.jpg


pPETS-3756803t400.jpg


pPETS-3763525t400.jpg
[/center:134imhwy]
 
Yeah, rawhide is an animal product. On bird toys it is usually the consistency of a... hard spongey chip? It's the product that a lot of dog chew bones are made of.

"Raw" wood is just what I called the wood that is more natural and has bark on it since I couldn't think of a better way to describe it, LOL
 
xxchelle said:
This style is a favorite of the rats at the rescue here:
DSC_2964.jpg


You can also see the one hanging at the front of the cage in this picture, it's starting to get nicely chewed, they love it:
DSC_0332.jpg


And you can see a couple different styles in this cage, too. One all wood that attaches in multiple spots (I LOVE this toy, but it was rather expensive) and one that's got leather and wood.
DSC_0059.jpg
Click to expand...

Chelle, and rhapsody, too~where do you get those?? those are awesome! I think my rats would have a ball with those.
 
Petsmart and Petco carry a ton of bird toys, but if you're ethically opposed to buying from them, a lot of small local pet supply stores have them too.

And if you're a crafty sort of person, they are probably fun to make.
 
I'm just here to say that I'm glad you made this thread. I always look at the bird toys and debate for a while, then decide against because I never really know what's good and what's bad - outside of what toys I've already been getting them. I guess I'm fairly paranoid.

Thanks! :thumbup:
 
Mine love the java wood bird toys! ..but recently they have been going nuts for foam letters from the dollar store haha
 
I've bought a bird perch that was made out of calcium, it was packed as being a chewable perch that was also a calcium supplement for parrots. I went with the 'if a bird can eat it a rat can eat it' logic. It's been thoroughly chewed.
 
I have a question regarding used bird toys. When I bought the (used bird) cage for my future ratties, I got a few wooden branches and a colorful thick rope with it. I think they would be perfect for rats but the problem is that they've been used for birds.

Is there any way I could disinfect the toys and use them or should I just be extra careful and throw them away? I definitely don't want my rats to get sick because of the toys but they would be so perfect.. I'm kinda leaning towards throwing them away. What are your thoughts or experiences?
 

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