LooBoosShedZoo
D.I.Y
Home made items are a great way to save money, make unique and interesting items for your pets all while having fun too!
To make pet safe toys, houses and items you need to ensure that you are using all safe materials. Please follow the DIY guide below to ensure that the materials you are using are all safe for your small animals!
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Woods
Fruitwoods
Guinea pigs enjoy chewing on the twigs and branches of fruit trees, such as apple, crabapple, pear and hazelnut trees. While lumber from these trees is not readily available, twigs are easily obtained when the fruit trees are pruned. However, avoid using twigs from trees that are sprayed with pesticides. Also avoid using the wood from any members of the Prunus family, such as almond, apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach and plum trees. Trees from the Prunus family are unsafe for any member of Rodentia, including guinea pigs, chinchillas, gerbils and squirrels.
Lumber
Your local home improvement center carries a variety of lumber in standard sizes, making it easy to build a guinea pig house. Among the safe woods are aspen, linden or basswood, poplar and kiln-dried white pine. In general, any soft, resinous or aromatic woods, such as air-dried pine, cedar, eucalyptus and redwood are not safe for your piggy. Although cedar and pine wood shavings are marketed for use in rodent cages, veterinarians and rodent enthusiasts discourage their use due to the phenols in the resin.
Willow
Willow twigs are easily woven into snug guinea pig shelters. While most varieties of willow, such as pussy willow and weeping willow, are safe, avoid using white willow twigs and branches. White willow contains salicylic acid, the main component of aspirin. Willow basket–making supplies are generally safe for use in a guinea pig cage, although if your piggy chews on his house, you should check regularly for sharp, pointed twigs to prevent mouth and eye injuries.
Vines
Grapevines and peeled, de-thorned blackberry, raspberry and rose vines and canes make attractive woven or twig houses and tunnels for guinea pigs. Avoid using any vines, twigs or branches from plants sprayed with pesticides. Depending on the pesticide, it could make your piggy sick or even kill him. Natural materials may be sterilized to keep fungi or insect pests out of your house. Simply wash the woody materials with a saltwater solution, then place them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes and allow them to cool before assembling your guinea pig house.
Paint
Soy Paint
Great for everyday crafts & decorative painting projects, Delta Creative® Soy Paint provides wonderful color in a natural, eco-friendly formula. Unlike traditional acrylic craft paint, Delta Soy Paint is made of pure pigments combined with plant-based soy ester resin providing rich, easily blendable, long-lasting colour and making it completely safe and suitable to use on small pet items.
Lakeland Paints
Lakeland paints are a range of Solvent-free, water based paints that are free from all Solvents, VOCs, pesticides, herbicides and toxins. They are stated to be 7000 times purer than standard low odour paints. Like soy paints, Lakeland paints are made from all natural materials making them safe for small animals.
Natural Food Colouring
Natural food colouring is a natural alternative to pet safe paints. An added bonus is that it is affordable and easy to find in most supermarkets! Make sure that you are choosing natural food colouring and when used I recommend watering down to around 50% water and 50% food colouring, although you could increase the percentage of food colouring if need be. The great thing about using food colouring is that the natural flavours will encourage your pets to chew, helping to keep their teeth trim and giving them a fun boredom breaker.
