water based paints

[twiggy98]

hi all, ive had Syrian hamsters for a number of years and I make my own toys where possible, my wife and I are thinking of ways to brighten them up, is kids water based paints ok, as I have brought some coloured sticks and that is what they seem to be coloured with, also does anyone have any ideas for a water based paint so I could paint a surface for her to have fresh foods on,
thanks for any help offered

[Pebbles82]

A lot of people on here use plastikote water based enamel (little pots - you brush it on). It is accepted as pet safe. It's the only one I would use on things for a hamster. It does come in a range of colours, although not that huge a range, as well as clear. I don't know much about childrens water based paints, but I think not all are equal. This is the range of plastikote - it also has the advantage of being wipe clean and waterproof ish - up to a degree. The spray on one isn't suitable. Don't know why the link to ebay seller says "Access Denied" but it's fine if you click on it Lots of places sell it - that's just to show the colour range. Amazon sells it (usually market place sellers) and our local hardware store sells it.

Access Denied

I did the shelf in our hamster cage in garden green. It can have a slight shine or look more matt, depending on what you paint it on. For example the shelf (far end in cage) had previously been painted with clear plastikote so has a slight shine on it. The roof of the house (front of photo in cage) just has one coat on plain plywood and is more like a matt colourwash. Looks like this

[Crystalroborovski]

As serendipity mentioned Plastikote is a good paint. Children paints probably shouldn't be used. If they say they are "non toxic" it doesn't automatically make it safe, non toxic to humans doesn't always mean non toxic to hamsters! You can also make your own dyes using vegetables or fruit. Here is a YouTube tutorial:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U8q5B_grqI0

I've never used this method but you can make all kinds of colors using different fruits and veggies. Hope this helps

[chesca_27]

Cuprinol Garden Shades are also safe for hamsters. They have a nice range of colours and can be bought pretty much anywhere.