Wooden painted kids toy for Hamster ok?

AlvinTheHamster · 06-05-2019, 12:32 PM

Hi all, I'm new to this forum and had a quick question!

I wanted to add some kind of 'activity center' for my hamster. I found this toy from when my daughter was an infant that looks like it could be a great addition to my hamster's cage. The only issue is that I'm worried about the paint on the wooden toy. Is this safe to put into the cage?

It's called "ALEX Jr. Bop And Roll"

Here is the website to the actual toy...

https://www.alexbrands.com/product/i...ol/bop-roll-2/

I checked the safety page on the site and it looks pretty safe, non toxic, BPA etc.. but unsure if that's ok for small animals....

Thanks for your help!
Evan

souffle · 06-05-2019, 02:00 PM

It should in theory be OK as it is child safe. Obviously though you would need to watch the height and the size of the holes in relation to the size of the hamster just in case it were to get stuck in the holes. If you use it make sure the hammy cannot climb on the top level and reach he roof or that any fall from top level would not be able to cause any injury. If you saw any chewing then remove it. A kiddy would be unlikely to chew a lot of paint but a hamster is much smaller and chewing a lot of paint might be toxic.

Pebbles82 · 06-05-2019, 03:21 PM

And remove the balls! If they are small - the hamster may pouch them. It's hard to tell but it looks like the holes may be too small. For a syrian/teddy bear hamster they'd need to be about 6cm diameter. 5cm absolute minimum. Or they can get stuck.

Using some childrens toys can be fun - I did that with our last hamster when stepson was younger. It's surprising how many need checking for safety though.

If you have an Octopod they are a perfect size for hamsters! We used to use that in the bathtub when taming (dry bathtub).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Octonauts-T.../dp/B0053FXGE4

Stepson also had a giant jeep.

Apart from variety, hamsters aren't hugely interested in toys generally unless they are tunnels or hidey places or have food stuck to them, I've found.

AlvinTheHamster · 06-08-2019, 05:24 AM

Ha thanks, I wasn’t planning on putting the balls or the hammer inside lol, just the 3 level tower. Thought it might be a nice little toy for Alvin to climb on. I’ll definitely keep an eye on him and make sure the holes aren’t too small, they might be, he’s on the chunkier side ��...I wish they made some good activity centers for hamsters...any recommendations?