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Post by g on Sept 20, 2021 19:44:15 GMT -8
How much inked cardboard is safe to give to your gerbils? I feel ok giving a cereal box but I bought a small appliance and for some reason I don’t feel safe giving the heavily inked/colored cardboard box. I don’t know why and I don’t know how to tell what’s safe and what’s not when it comes to colored cardboard.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
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Post by Scott on Sept 21, 2021 8:48:18 GMT -8
Personally, I don't give any colored cardboard to my gerbils--I have no way of knowing what's in the ink. There's at least decent chance that colored cardboard for a food product is safer than that used for a non-food product, so I wouldn't use a appliance box,
Also, is it corrugated cardboard or single-layer? I would *never* give gerbils corrugated cardboard, considering the adhesives used to make it.
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Post by barryozzy on Sept 21, 2021 11:55:02 GMT -8
I know of some people who give their gerbils colored cardboard like cereal or tissue boxes, but I try to avoid giving mine any colored cardboard. Some good not colored cardboard that I get are toilet paper tubes, egg cartons, and drink carriers from restaurants. Only drink carriers and egg cartons if they don't have anything on them
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Post by g on Sept 21, 2021 12:07:07 GMT -8
Great tips, everyone. Thank you!
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Post by Markpd on Sept 24, 2021 12:10:08 GMT -8
I remember posing this same question in these forums (can't remember which thread), and a few people replied that modern inks were non toxic IIRC (for UK and EU at least), unfortunately I don't remember who said that* and I have no solid data to back that up (but feel free to search though my earlier postings!  ).
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Sept 24, 2021 12:41:18 GMT -8
I can't remember whether I said that or not but I believe most everyday household objects are much safer (at least in terms of short-term/acute toxicity) nowadays than they might have been 60 or 80 years ago, especially if you are in the EU or UK. I highly doubt that cardboard intended for use by the general public would be printed with a toxic ink simply because it wouldn't be safe to have in a home where they might be young children and babies and dogs trying to eat it. There are arguments to made about the long-term safety of a lot of the things we're exposed to nowadays however.
Personally I do give my gerbils coloured or printed cardboard, though not external cardboard which would include large appliance boxes.
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Post by barryozzy on Sept 24, 2021 13:18:26 GMT -8
I know some cardboards like cereal boxes probably don't have very toxic ink but I know even food inks are sometimes bad. Red 40 is especially bad for me. So I just try to avoid any inks for my gerbils also, not just colored paper and cardboard.
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Post by Scott on Sept 25, 2021 4:29:07 GMT -8
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Post by Markpd on Sept 26, 2021 5:11:27 GMT -8
That's a long read, not sure I'll get around to reading it all!
Did you read it all?
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Post by betty on Oct 2, 2021 9:54:50 GMT -8
Yes, I think virtually all 'normal' cardboard and newspaper are deemed 'safe' now (but we know there are doubts about almost everything these days).
I give my gerbils any cardboard EXCEPT:
Any external cardboard from anywhere (postal packaging and anything that has been (or possibly been) stored outside)
Any packaging that has been used for something medicinal or any household or garden chemicals
Any coloured cardboards used specifically in meant-to-be-displayed items (just incase they have been sprayed)
I no longer give cardboards from the freezer (although I used to do it all the time without any noticable issues)
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).
), late 70s
