Gerbil toys

[gerbs22]

Hello everyone!

My main question (in case you don’t want to read my excessively wordy post

Are there specific companies or vendors that you use for wooden toys and hideouts?

This is my first time posting. We have owned gerbils for years and recently adopted three new babies from a breeder. (As an aside I have to praise Bunny Village Transport for the service they provide! They transported gerbils from a breeder in SC to us 300 miles away. There are no gerbil breeders close to us).
In ordering wooden toys for them, I wanted to do more research about the sources of the toys and if they were really safe for gerbils. So many toys will list gerbils in their list when the toy is clearly not a good idea for a gerbil. Also, for wooden toys, they always list them as being “all natural” but of course wood is all natural! What I want to know about is pesticides or treatments on the wood that would be toxic to animal like gerbils that chew everything.
We ordered a house on amazon that had some parts that were colored but based on the description I thought would be wood dyed with vegetable dye but this looks more like it is just painted. Even looking at toys we had before that I assumed were safe, I’ve found that there is no way to actually verify the claims made.
Like I said, maybe I am obsessing too much but we love these little critters so much that I want to make sure I’m making the best choice for them.

[betty]

You are right gerbs22 - it can be a minefield out there sometimes! I am moderately fussy with my choices - mainly based on the supplier themselves - but there are certainly some safe bets for starters that I have never had any trouble with:


I tend to stick to mainly slot-together kiln-dried pine houses (like Chin Hut and Ferplast SIN models) and PAH stick-together-yourself houses (or other houses and things made with this same wood). I have previously brought houses from Trixie (like the Jerrick hut) but these do have nails in. I love the variety of Trixie products - and their flat rooves which many other products don't have - so I keep a close eye on them and gradually either remove the exposed nails or the whole house.

I always use the uncoloured 'bendy bridges' from any supplier I have ordered from before (I don't buy them if I am unhappy with the appearance of the wood, their storage or if I am unhappy with other products from the same supplier).

There are products made from fruit tree wood which again are safe for gerbils - but go on the supplier again for safety - and stick all wood in the freezer or bake it if you are still unsure of its storage (although I never buy anything that I think I need to treat first.

Ceramic things are fine also if glazed already (keeps them waterproof and germ free) but make sure it isn't lead glazed obviously. (If in doubt - leave it out).

If anything has been decorated or mass produced for cheap home decoration (like seasonal stuff for Easter etc) or for outdoor use (bird houses and nests etc) it may well have been treated with or made using ingredients that help preserve its longevity which of course you can't see, won't be on the label and could be unsafe for gerbils.

Hope that gives you a good starting point - anything specific you want to ask about - put on here and people can say whether they have already used it safely themselves?