# Is paper m�che okay for rats?



## Nijidoragon (Sep 7, 2014)

*Is paper mâche okay for rats?*

The kind with just flour and water and white paper of course. Will they eat it or just chew on it? Is it safe?


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

Ive actually been curious about this as well... and if I used fruit or veggie juice to dye them, would they be more inclined to eat them? Hmm.


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## Akarah (Sep 2, 2014)

I wouldn't want my rats to eat paper at all. I can't see how this will be any good. May I ask what you want to do with the paper mâché?


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## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

I've seen how to guides for making rat safe pinatas before, involving toilet paper tubes, fruit juice as a dye, and goodies inside. You can leave them white if your worried about eating paper or if your rats are prone to eating things they shouldn't. Most that I've seen the rats just shred them to get to the goodies inside. I am not certain what most use as the "glue", it may just be flour and water. Seeing as they can eat things with flour in it I can't imagine it would hurt them as long as its not super thick and sticky. And again I don't think most would actually eat it.


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## mimsy (Jun 8, 2014)

I've seen guides for the pinatas and cool huts made from paper mache. They are just using flour and water and some food coloring. I can't see why this wouldn't be safe. I do my poor man pinatas with tp rolls and they enjoy those as well. 

I'm kinda feeling inspired though and perhaps I'll make some pinata's. Hmm now to think of something tantalizing to fill it with.

This is the page that inspired me to start making all my own homemade toys- http://jessygene.hubpages.com/hub/homemade-rat-cages-and-toys Lots of cute and fun ideas. 

None of my girls ever eat inappropriate food items-they like to destroy them. We made a cute popsicle stick house -I used sisal twine to hold it together, so I didn't have to worry about glue. The next day it was nothing but a big pile of wood chips and some string. There is an organic orchard in the next town over-I'm going to go see if I can get some of their apple tree prunings.


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## Nijidoragon (Sep 7, 2014)

I was going to make little huts and a ball with a hole in it like a little nest.

Its just flour and water


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## Zabora (Jun 8, 2014)

Well my boys chew and eat everything including fleece dispite tons of toys... I wouldnt want them eating that much flour to tell the truth. Its by far not healthy. Maybe a toy oe two but even then Im not sold on the idea...


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## mimsy (Jun 8, 2014)

Zabora said:


> Well my boys chew and eat everything including fleece dispite tons of toys... I wouldnt want them eating that much flour to tell the truth. Its by far not healthy. Maybe a toy oe two but even then Im not sold on the idea...


ugh that's awful! I would be sad if mine were like that. What do you do for bedding? Fleece cannot be safe to eat, way worse than flour I would imagine. There has been some out crys going on about fleece lint getting into the oceans and causing damage to fish, I've been wondering about nice alternatives myself, even if mine don't eat it.


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

mimsy said:


> This is the page that inspired me to start making all my own homemade toys- http://jessygene.hubpages.com/hub/homemade-rat-cages-and-toys Lots of cute and fun ideas.


That link is what made me curious about it too! 

My girls are destroyers, not devourers. I might give the paper mache a shot just to see how it goes.


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