Question
I'm going to be building some wooden toys/houses/things for Degus, Rabbits and Guinea Pigs, who will inevitably chew on them.
(Not in the same cage.)
Are there any kinds of plywood types or brands that I should be avoiding, or which may contain chemicals that could be harmful to the animals?
Answer
Plywood is glued layers of wood and, as such, it would be something I would totally avoid for creating toys that they would chew on since you're probably unlikely to find out what's in the glue. So, while more expensive, solid pieces of untreated apple, aspen, poplar or ash are much better choices. May be hard to just find at your local lumber store, but hobby stores that carry small wood crafting tools and kits may have what you need.
As a note, avoid maple, oak, cedar and pine. Pine can be kiln dried to be made safer, but I would just skip right past it regardless (I would also avoid for litter shavings too). Not everyone agrees on maple either, but I tend to err on the side of caution.
Answered By - Joanne C