No toxic glue for glue gun

[don]

Hi. I plan to make a few bits and pieces for our new hamster. Can anybody recommend a non toxic glue stick for glue guns please ?
Thanks.

[Tildauk]

I know kids PVA is safe and flour and water paste (though this has to be dried thoroughly and quickly). I would also be interested in the answer to this

[greysome]

Generally speaking, one of the "pros" for using hot glue in various fields is that it is generally considered to be low-toxic to non-toxic once cooled. I believe once cooled, crafting hot glue sticks/melts are generally considered non-toxic. It can be difficult to find ones that are labeled non-toxic but I know ad-tech definitely makes ones that are non-toxic. You can get a pack of them in I think, 25, 50, or 100 for anywhere between $2/3-$10 at Walmart in the US and I imagine it's pretty much the same elsewhere. They're the ones I use as I have the easiest access to them though I know Surebonder is another brand that definitely has non-toxic glue sticks/melts as well (at least, they make some)

That said, hot glue is essentially plastic. That means once hard/cooled, it's just plastic and while in use/hot, it's melted plastic. If you have birds, you're not supposed to use hot glue guns near them because they're more sensitive to fumes than we are and it can be toxic to them. For safety measures, though I don't believe it's necessarily an issue if you're using it in a well ventilated room, I avoid using hot glue near the hammies just in case.

Also, keep in mind that since hot glue is essentially plastic, once cooled it will ACT like plastic which means the same warnings when it comes to hammies chewing plastic applies. I use hot glue with my hammies but I do try to limit their contact with the actual glue itself when it comes to chewables. It works out since I usually use hot glue with popsicle sticks and as most can attest, hammies don't seem to care for "boring" plain ol' wood (thus us giving them whimzees and dog biscuits to help them keep their teeth filed down).

ETA: I should mention that most of my hammies have some access to hardened hot glue as I've used it to help "seal" the space where the walls of their cage(s) meet/are joined as well as to hold together the "guards" that keep bedding in the cages. I can't exactly hide the hot glue from them in those instances but haven't had any issues though I probably wouldn't use it with a hammie who has a penchant for chewing up plastic.