Guinea Pig Safe Building/Crafting Material

[Mikknu]

So I work a stocking job, and I recently(today) started in a new department in Fabrics and Crafts. Of course, while stocking, my mind runs wild with ideas because stocking isn't a particularly brain heavy job.

I was wondering, what materials are guinea pig safe crafts wise? Things like wooden popsicle sticks, dowels, buttons, glue, etc. That one might use to decorate coroplast walls, or make name plates or banners out of. Obviously excluding common sense things, like no small gems or sparkles. What about things like velcro with sticky backs?

Any responses would be appreciated.

 

[Siikibam]

I’m not too sure on things like that. But if I were making any decorations I would keep them out of reach of the piggies.

But glue isn’t recommended for anything they may chew on. There are safe woods but I can’t remember them off the top of my head. You can probably find out if you do a search.

Buttons are a no due to choking hazard. But again I would keep all those things out of piggy reach.

You’ll get more answers in the morning, it’s gone midnight here.

 

[Mikknu]

Oh gosh, I didn't realise it was that late over there.

I totally agree with keeping things out of reach of the pigs! I've read too many horror stories about pigs hanging themselves or choking to death to want to risk it, and I had a hamster choke on a piece of a hand mirror when I was like... 3, I think :c

What I'm mostly talking about are things like the banners, names, stickers, popsicle stick decorations(painted? Are there pet safe paints, is that a thing?), plastic plants, etc.. that people will put high up on the back walls of their cages, or threaded through the bars up top, or on the front of the coroplast. I'd love to theme my cage, but I really want the safety of the pigs to be number one! I dont know how much they'll chew, or how high they'll reach on their hind legs once full grown, so it's a bit up in the air right now...

 

[Piggies&buns]

Anything like that needs to be kept out of their reach. They will chew anything they can get their teeth onto. Mine have chewed the rubber strip along my dust pan while I’m cleaning out, they had a go st the bristles on the brush etc literally nothing will be safe from being chewed!

In terms of how high they can reach, mine can reach most of the way to the top of a c&c grid when stood on right up their back legs

 

[Siikibam]

I think child safe paints are also safe for piggies but don’t quote me. There is a paint here that people use for fencing which is safe for piggies but I can’t remember what it’s called.

 

[Mikknu]

Thank you for your replies. And wow @Piggies&buns , I have friends who have guinea pigs but they've never been bigger than about ~9"! You must have some big and gorgeous pigs. I'll plan accordingly for if my pigs get that big. Which would be quite amazing.

@Siikibam If you happen to remember the paints, I'd love to know! They sound like an easy way to decorate coroplast with small designs and dots, if they really are piggy safe.

 

[Siikibam]

Hmm I’m not sure coroplast is made to be painted but I could be wrong. If you’re doing just dots you could buy coloured sticky dots and use those instead.

 

[Mikknu]

Coloured sticky dots sound perfect, but I'm not quite sure what you're talking about? Like... little paper dots, or felt dots with sticker backs? I had assumed that anything of the sort would be unsafe on the change the guineas got their mouths on it, because of the glue?

 

[Siikibam]

yes Paper dots. If they’re on the outer side of the coroplast then they shouldn’t be within reach. I wouldn’t paint the coroplast simply because some piggies may have a habit of chewing it. So decoration wise I would stick to lights, bunting and simple things like that. First and foremost is providing enough space for the piggies.