ok so i got a new toy and..

[rachelsastarr]

i got this bird toy at petsmart and it says all natural wood on it so i figured it would be ok.
all it is is a metal chain with chinks of wood on it with a wooden ball at the bottom and a metal bell.
but i just now got thinking, it doesnt say what type of wood its made out of.
i put a pic of the tag it came on below so you guys can maybe get a better idea plus a pic of my chin with the toy so you can see the toy too.
its like a light tan color and the other one i got is a bit more orangey colored.
but i know its both the same wood its made out of but what kind??
does anyone know??
would you say they are safe toys to leave in with them for them to chew on?
please let me know.

little Jazzy playing with the toy

and..

the tag that came on the toy

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

I tried to look them up on the internet, but no reviews or information about what type of wood. It looks like pine with bark, I'm sure petco doesn't sell any treated woods for pets. I'm not sure though but I'll keep looking to see if I can find something.

 

[feistychins]

I don't give my chins any wood unless I know exactly what it is. Everyone, please keep one thing in mind, birds do not eat their wooden toys, they just destroy them. There is a myth that if it is safe for birds, then it is safe for chins. Not true. I have birds and have seen many bird toys that do list what type of woods are on them and sometimes they list ones that are on the 'unsafe' list for chins. So know what you are buying.

 

[Nancy S]

I also am curious about the bird wood toys. I gave my chins the parrot wood, different
colored, and put on metal kabob. My chins are not chewing on it and it's been up
several days. Maybe it is different the bird chews. I'm thinking the wood chews you're
showing look "chewable"!!he he--What i was thinking the rawhide chews would not be
good---so i didn't get them. I just went through the bird toy isle several days ago---
also looking for something new or different. Hope somebody adds somemore info....
Your chin is pretty cute too and looks like he's really 'going for it'!hehe

 

[Nancy S]

OOps! I overlooked that post above mine. I'm taking those parrot wood chews_
"outta the cage right now"!
I've read posts here about sisal. Maybe kinda make some of our own toys--Ideas?

 

[searchand_dstry]

I bought that exact toy a long time ago before I knew anything about safe/unsafe woods. Nothing negative ever happened to Baxter or Smush when they had it. Neither of them really eat the wood though either. They just tear it to shreds and the pieces sit in a nice pile underneath the toy!

If you're worried about it being safe you can always pull it from the cage & give it to someone who has birds or a bird rescue.. something similar. In the future I would only buy from people on here or somewhere else that sells woods known to be safe for chinchillas. Pet stores also jack their prices so high, so you could probably get a better deal elsewhere anyways!

 

[nicki]

Is there a website listed on the package? Maybe you can email or call to get more info.

 

[Sasha]

Generally the chins just chew it, and not so much ingest the toys. Many of my boys just leave wood remnants all over their cage, or willow parts.

If you are wanting to make your own toys, you can use sisal (bought from a bird toy store) or nickel chain, or even some metal wire I've seen used. Just beware that the sisal gets destroyed QUICK! I personally use the chain and just refill them when they get chewed up. I get most of my parts from bird toy stores ex. www.windycityparrot.com - they have "hard" wood and "soft wood." And I add other things like willow balls, stars, and cardboard rings/tubes. Some members on here also sell wood toy parts that are definately safe for chins. They are drilled and ready for toy making sometimes too.

 

[Ash]

I tried to look them up on the internet, but no reviews or information about what type of wood. It looks like pine with bark, I'm sure petco doesn't sell any treated woods for pets. I'm not sure though but I'll keep looking to see if I can find something.

I wouldn't take this statement very far, as Petco sells Peach Wood sticks, which is deadly to chins.


It doesn't matter if the chins don't ingest the wood, it can still be toxic to them. Look at cedar and other 'unsafe' woods.

 

[Sasha]

It doesn't matter if the chins don't ingest the wood, it can still be toxic to them. Look at cedar and other 'unsafe' woods.

I get that. I was referring to the toys I had in my chins cages. Guess I should have clarified.

If you are unsure, you can always just take it out and replace it with something you know to be safe. As they say, better to be safe than sorry.

 

[LovableFuzziezandCrawliez]

We sell those kind of toys at work but I have never purchased one for my chinnies. I haven't been able to figure out what type of wood it is made of either - they really don't clarify on bird toys because bird don't usually ingest their toys. I don't think it's pine though. In person it doesn't look like pine.

I buy the bird toys that are made of grape wood. They look like the one you have but it says right on the tag it's grape wood.

If you don't know what it is it is probably best to stay away from it.