Here we can see, “What Kind of Wood Can My Rat Chew?”
Because rats’ teeth develop continuously throughout their lives, they need to chew on objects on a frequent basis to keep them trimmed and healthy. Wood is a popular and natural choice for rat owners, but not all types of wood are healthy for their pets. Make sure the wood you’re giving your pet is safe, pesticide-free, untreated, and devoid of paint before grabbing that tree branch from your backyard or a block of wood from the local lumber yard.
Many of the woods on the safe list can be found in your yard, but it’s best not to offer it to your rat if you’re not sure what it is.
Table of Contents
Safe Woods and Substances
- Apple (thin apple wood sticks can often be purchased from pet stores)
- Arbutus
- Ash
- Bamboo cane
- Blackberry
- Blackcurrant
- Bholla
- Coconut shell (can be purchased at craft stores and pet stores, usually with hermit crab supplies)
- Cottonwood
- Crabapple
- Dogwood
- Grapevine
- Hawthorn
- Hazelnut
- Kiwi
- Linden
- Manzanita
- Mulberry
- Pear
- Pecan
- Pine (kiln-dried white only)
- Poplar
- Quince
- Rose hip
- Sycamore
Toxic Substances and Woods
- Abale/esia
- Alder
- Almond (can produce cyanide)
- Apricot
- Aspen
- Balsam fir
- Beech
- Birch
- Black locust
- Blackwood
- Bogwood
- Boxwood
- Buddleia
- Cashew
- Cedar
- Cherry
- Citrus (all citrus woods including lemon, orange, lime, etc.)
- Cocobolo
- Cypress/bald cypress
- Dahoma
- Ebony
- Elang/mukulungu
- Elder/elderberry
- Elm
- Eucalyptus
- Fig/cape fig
- Fir
- Goncalo alves
- Greenheart
- Hemlock
- Horse chestnut
- Iroko
- Juniper
- Kapok
- Laurel
- Magnolia
- Mahogany
- Mansonia
- Maple
- Mimosa
- Mopane/mopani
- Myrtle
- Nectarine
- Oak/cork
- Obeche/abachi
- Okuhaba/yungu
- Oleander
- Olive
- Opepe/kussia
- Paduak
- Pau ferro
- Peach
- Peroba rosa
- Pine (fresh pine is toxic as are pinecones)
- Plum
- Plywood
- Prune
- Purpleheart
- Quebracho
- Redwood
- Rosewood
- Satinwood
- Sassafras
- Sequoia
- Snakewood
- Spruce
- Teak
- Walnut
- Wenge
- Willow
- Yew
- Yunnan
- Zebrawood
In pet stores, you can find several safe wood options for rats. Woods sold for chinchillas and other rodents are normally okay to give to your rat, but check to see whether it’s on the toxic woods list before placing it in his cage (just in case). The same may be said about the materials used to construct hide boxes and cages (if they are made of wood). Any items in the cage are fair game for your rat’s teeth to gnaw on, so make sure they’re secure!
If you suspect your rat has eaten poisonous wood, contact your exotic veterinarian as soon as possible. Different woods are more deadly than others and have different effects on your rat.
Wood Bedding
It used to be normal to keep your pet rat in a cage made of wood shavings, but we’ve discovered that there are more pleasant and safer alternatives. If you insist on using wood, aspen shavings are the safest among the wood shavings available at pet stores, whereas pine shavings should be avoided.
Aside from the odours and the possibility of ingesting harmful wood shavings, walking on wood can be uncomfortable. Rats’ feet may develop sores or minor scrapes, and they may itch as a result of the wood’s irritation. For its absorption qualities and softer texture, recycled paper bedding (such as CareFresh) is preferred over wood shavings.
User Questions
Can rats chew on any wood?
Even harmless wood might be dangerous to chew for rats. Use only wood that hasn’t been painted or treated with pesticides when putting branches or other wood items in your rat’s cage or giving it wood to chew on.
What can I give my rat to chew on?
Items used in the home Give your rat a hard-shelled nut to chew on, such as a macadamia or pecan. Cooked bones, such as those from beef or chicken, can also be given to rats. Some rats like to chew on hard dog biscuits or dog chew toys that can withstand a lot of chewing.
Can rats have wood in their cages?
Non-toxic wood chips or paper-based rat bedding should be used to cover the cage floor. Rat bedding can be purchased from a pet store or from our online pet store. Use cedar or pine wood chips instead, as they are poisonous to small animals like rats.
Do rats chew cardboard?
Because they are dark, warm, and contained, a cardboard box creates the ideal breeding environment by giving an adequate area for nesting and sleeping. Rodents can also use cardboard to protect their growing brood while dulling their teeth and satisfying their need to gnaw.
Can rats chew through plywood?
Rats can gnaw through practically anything, including wood, drywall, brick, concrete, aluminium, sheetrock, and other materials. A rat’s powerful jaws can almost certainly force its way into your home if it is motivated. The best technique to keep rats out of your house is to make sure there are no food sources nearby.
Conclusion
I hope you found this helpful guide. If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to use the form below.
