# Bird toys and ladders



## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

Every time I walk past the bird isle in petsmart or wherever, it's always so bright and colorful with lots of interesting toys, whereas the small animal section is drab and bare. Does anyone use bird toys and ladders for their rats? I've been eyeing some wooden ladders that are multicolored, but it doesn't have any info about how they colored it or what type of wood they used -_- so I'm unsure of whether it'd be safe. I've also been eyeing some perches made of grapewood that just screw onto the cage bars. I couldn't find anything definitive about whether it's safe or not so just wondering if anyone has any experience. I'd hate to give my babies a present that might potentially harm them >.<


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## RadiantRatties (Jul 28, 2014)

I use bird toys a lot. Not all of them are wood. Some are the most interesting toys ever I swear. A lot of them are plastic and have bells and the works. 


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## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

I pretty much only use bird toys for my boys toys and I have never had a problem with it.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Birds are 200% easier to kill than even the finnickiest rat so the toys are safe. Bird toys are absolutely perfect for rats because they're meant to be destroyed, promote beak("tooth") health, and the cool ones are to keep smart birds from getting bored with foraging and tricks etx.


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## PawsandClaws (Jul 22, 2014)

I use bird toys almost exclusively in the rats cage. Their particular favorites are the wooden ladders, the rope bridges, the balls that are meant to be gripped by a birds talon and they love all the hanging toys meant for foraging. I have my eye on a bunch of puzzle toys that look like they would also be a lot of fun. Things marketed at birds are awesome. I feel more confident with those purchases than I do with the ones that say they are for 'small animals' like rats because a lot of those actually are dangerous. I do make it a habit to see what sort of wood is used and do a risk analysis of anything before purchase : i.e. what can go wrong? what could be dangerous? how can I minimize the risk of injury? I buy all my toys online.


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

How can you tell what kind of wood it is? I found a 3ft long red bird ladder at a thrift shop and froze it overnight, is it safe?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Birds, again, are easier to kill than rats. They cannot have pine or cedar or other soft woods either. If it is aimed at birds, it's more likely than not safe. The same cannot be said of rodent products.


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

Oh okay, I didn't know birds couldn't have soft woods either. I'll put it in the cage then, thanks


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## PawsandClaws (Jul 22, 2014)

Nanashi already answered sufficiently but just want to chip in to say that if the product is on amazon, see what people say (even if you are buying the item elsewhere) as I have found that the concerns I have for the object are often addressed in the Q&A's, reviews etc if you cannot find what you need in the product description. Obviously you cannot do this for every toy as some are not as popular/aren't listed but a google search on it can net you a lot of information - it is why I prefer shopping online personally. Of course you cannot rely on just what people say their experiences are but I think it helps. 

For example, I wanted to get this foraging basket (meant for rabbits) that hangs up inside a cage for the rats and someone stated that their rodent hung itself accidentally on it trying to reach some veggies - apparently there was a loop or something that a rabbit wouldn't bother (too small) but a rat could get its head through. Horrific to say the least, but at least I did not have to learn about it from my own experience. I love getting the rats toys not normally meant for rats and they do thoroughly enjoy them but you do have to be careful. Minimizing risk by supervision and research is a good place to start. Overall, bird toys are relatively safe.


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

I've also found a lot of baby toys that make good rat toys, I figure since most people are super germophobic about babies and everything made for them is designed knowing they will put it in their mouths, it's probably safe for rats too


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

Awesome! Thank you guys  I'm going to have some very happy ratties very soon


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