Safe Chew Toys for Hamsters, Gerbils, Guinea Pigs, Mice, and Rats

Many small pets, like hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, mice, and rats, have teeth that continue to grow for their entire lives. If you have one of these small pets, they need to have constant access to items they can chew on to wear down these constantly growing teeth. It is very important though, that the items you give to your small pet to chew on are safe for them.

For the Love of Cardboard. Many small pets love to chew on cardboard and many small pet owners like using cardboard because it is often available for free. Cardboard is often a good choice for a chew toy. A guinea pig will love to chew up a small cardboard tube to get to some veggies stashed inside. Hamsters, mice, and gerbils will not only chew on cardboard tubes, but will often run through them too because they feel safe inside of them. A rat may even run through a tube if it is big enough or chew up a tube to get to a stashed treat.

There are a few things to look out for to make sure the cardboard you are giving your small pet is safe. Make sure the cardboard is free of glue, tape, and ink. These can make your pet sick or possibly cause death if toxic or causes a blockage in their digestive tract.

Little Wood Sculptors. Many small pets also love to chew on wood, but the wood you choose is very important. You may think any old twig will do, but this is not true or safe. Branches from trees treated with chemicals can be deadly to your little furry friend. A branch lying in a yard that was sprayed with chemicals can also be deadly. If you are unsure if any chemicals may be in or on the branch, don't give it to your pet. Also, certain types of wood are poisonous to certain animals. Make sure you know what kind of branch you have and do some research to make sure it's safe for your pet before you give it to them.

Giving your small pet a piece of building lumber may seem like a safer option, but this is also not true. Most building lumber is treated with chemicals to prevent rotting. These chemicals are great for the wood, but often deadly to small animals. You may be able to get pieces of untreated building lumber, but once again, make sure the type of wood is safe for your pet before you give it to them.

The safest option when it comes to giving your small pet wood for a chew toy, is to simply buy the chew toy from a pet store. Pet stores sell wood chew toys for specific small animals that takes all the guessing and research out of whether the wood is safe or not for your pet. Often, the wood chew toys are also fun and colorful as well as fairly inexpensive. Our hamster has a little, bright pink, store-bought chew block that he thoroughly enjoys.

Dessert Included! Pet stores often sell chew toys for small pets that are also filled with treats. Our hamster has an edible log that was filled with hamster treats. It's like a chew toy with dessert included and he absolutely loves it. Of course, he ate all of the treat within a couple of weeks, but the edible log has lasted for months and now my daughter stashes treats inside the log for the hamster. The treat-filled edible log is a great chew toy and a fun way to spoil our hamster. The best part is, it's also fairly inexpensive.

Multiple Chew Toys. Now that you know some safe chew toys for small pets, don't be afraid to give your pet multiple chew toys. This gives your pet more things to play with and choose from for their chewing preference. Our hamster has a cardboard tube, a wood chew block, and an edible log. He prefers to run through the cardboard tube and rarely uses it to chew on, he likes to chew on his wood chew block, and he loves to gnaw on his edible log. With multiple options, your small pet is sure to have enough things to chew on to wear their teeth down.

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