# Rabbits + Paint??



## Rabbit Lover02

I am wondering, is there any type of paint that would be safe to use on my rabbits wooden nesting boxes? It's not necessary, I just think it would be neat/cute to paint the outside of the hutch with the same pattern and color as the stuff inside the hutch. Even some sort of stain that would make the wood look a different color?

Thanks,

RL02


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## majorv

I wouldn't trust using paint or stain on anything rabbits can get their mouth on.


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## honeybunnies

Hi, my rabbits have timber boxes in their enclosures. They have been painted with a water based paint & they chew & nibble on them from time to time, with no harmful results, what so ever. 

Oil based paint or lead based paint, would be a real no-no!

No need to hesitate to paint them, just make sure the paint is definately water based.


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## Rabbit Lover02

Ok, water based paint, I'll look into it


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## Imbrium

Tempera paint (comes in powdered or pre-mixed form) is completely non-toxic and should be safe for bunnies (it's actually egg-based, weird as that sounds). I used the powdered stuff to dye some sand to mix in with the topsoil and hardwood mulch in my girls' dig pool and other than their paws turning a bit green from it, there's no problems (and I don't even consider that a problem, since it's proof they're not ignoring the pool as much as they'd like me to think ). I know egg's not something they should be eating, since they're vegans, but a very small amount of it from the paint shouldn't be an issue. An even safer option would be if you figured out a way to use food coloring that didn't involve getting the wood quite damp.


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## zombiesue

http://www.plaidonline.com/soy/brand/detail.htm This might work.


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## Imbrium

That site doesn't say anything about whether or not it's non-toxic and I'm curious whether the two ingredients they mention are the only ones... also, "plant-based soy ester resin" sounded like it might be iffy, so I looked around for more info.

This site has a stain product that's made with the same resin stuff/appears very similar and that company actually provides a MSDS page (though it only applies to the liquid product and not when it's been applied and has dried). Ingestion "may result in abdominal discomfort, nausea, and diarrhea" but it appears a pretty large quantity would have to be consumed. A bunny's not going to consume very much from chewing wood (especially since they spit out a lot of what they chew off), so I'm guessing this product (and the one zombiesue linked to) would be reasonably safe to use on bunny stuff.


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## zombiesue

You know, I'm not 100% that it is or isn't nontoxic. I work at Hobby Lobby though and I have a book that compiles information like that on the paint we carry, I'll look it up tomorrow lol.

The only problem is that nontoxic, I think, can have different definitions. A lot of crayola paint says its nontoxic, but I'm pretty sure you still shouldn't eat it.


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## jamesedwardwaller

Rabbit Lover02 said:


> I am wondering, is there any type of paint that would be safe to use on my rabbits wooden nesting boxes? It's not necessary, I just think it would be neat/cute to paint the outside of the hutch with the same pattern and color as the stuff inside the hutch. Even some sort of stain that would make the wood look a different color?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> RL02


---as odd as it might sound some woods/plants are deadly-ie.cedar/pine(scented woods)and should not be given or used even in a poop box,---here is a link for such http://www.kanin.org any painted surface will be potentially chewed on--so,beware read the labels carefully..!!--sincerely james waller :litterfew::sunshine::thankyou::highfive::wave2:headflick:


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## Rabbit Lover02

@james waller. That doesn't sound right AT ALL!!. I know Ceder shavings are a big no, no, because ceder mixed with rabbit urine is very toxic and deadly. Anyways, I've always used pine with my buns and I dont know anybody that dosent use some sort of wood with their rabbits. Sorry, I just wanted to clarify to any 'new' or new to the rabbit keeping hobby, that most kinds of wood are NON-Toxic.

RL02


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## Sophie's Humble Servant

What about a vegetables stain? Like the kind they use to dye rabbit toys? I'm not sure how much it would bleed, doing a pattern might be dodgy but it may be an option.

DIY juice some beets or blueberries and apply to untreated wood, might look fabulous!


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## Rabbit Lover02

That sounds like a good idea!!

The rabbit might start liking to eat the wood


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## RabbitGirl101

For nestbox, do you mean for the babies? If so I would keep it plain as it would only be in the cage for a few weeks. If not then I'm not sure! lol


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## Imbrium

Pine *is* naturally toxic to rabbits and other small animals - the ONLY pine that's safe for rabbits and other small animals is *kiln-dried* pine, as the kiln-drying process removes the harmful phenols. Most pine shavings are not kiln-dried and are a huge no-no for pets even though they're sold in pet stores, heh (though not all - I know Carefresh's wood shaving bedding specifically says it's kiln-dried). Pine *pellets* are almost always kiln-dried (I actually use kiln-dried pine pellets in our litter boxes).


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## Furry_Paws

Imbrium said:


> Pine *is* naturally toxic to rabbits and other small animals - the ONLY pine that's safe for rabbits and other small animals is *kiln-dried* pine, as the kiln-drying process removes the harmful phenols. Most pine shavings are not kiln-dried and are a huge no-no for pets even though they're sold in pet stores, heh (though not all - I know Carefresh's wood shaving bedding specifically says it's kiln-dried). Pine *pellets* are almost always kiln-dried (I actually use kiln-dried pine pellets in our litter boxes).




Care Fresh Bedding gave my Guinea Pig an upper-respiratory infection and almost died. There is so many little tiny particles that got up in his lungs, it was dangerous! Is it okay for rabbits?


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## Imbrium

Which Carefresh? I've used Carefresh natural and also the one that's shavings and paper bedding combined for hamsters and never had a problem, but I think GPs are pretty sensitive/URI prone... anything dusty could easily cause problem, I imagine, and some of the Carefresh I've gotten has been fairly dusty. I don't use Carefresh for my rabbits - wood pellets are like $5-8 for 40 lbs, which is a far better deal for filling litter boxes.


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## Furry_Paws

Imbrium said:


> Which Carefresh? I've used Carefresh natural and also the one that's shavings and paper bedding combined for hamsters and never had a problem, but I think GPs are pretty sensitive/URI prone... anything dusty could easily cause problem, I imagine, and some of the Carefresh I've gotten has been fairly dusty. I don't use Carefresh for my rabbits - wood pellets are like $5-8 for 40 lbs, which is a far better deal for filling litter boxes.




It was the natural actually. And thank you for the info, I'm actually going out now to get some wood pellets! Thanks again!


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## lovelops

Rabbit Lover02 said:


> I am wondering, is there any type of paint that would be safe to use on my rabbits wooden nesting boxes? It's not necessary, I just think it would be neat/cute to paint the outside of the hutch with the same pattern and color as the stuff inside the hutch. Even some sort of stain that would make the wood look a different color?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> RL02



Ok I forgot to add in the Chocolate thread that Chico and Chica are fine connoisseurs of paint. Half the paint in my hallway has been eaten at one time or another by them including latex and water based paints. I should take a pic so you can see how much they have eaten... but so far they are around. I would go for the water based paints. I heard that they are safe for kids and that is my rule of thumb when buying things that is going to be used around the buns.


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## Azerane

Well pine is bad as shavings, but isn't bad a well dried solid piece of timber. For rabbits I least. I've heard that pine should not be used with most if not all reptiles though.

But certainly if used correctly, pine can be fine.


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## Rabbit Lover02

I've used pine SHAVINGS with my bun ever since July, and there has been no problems.


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## Imbrium

Are the shavings kiln-dried? If so, they're safe... but if they're not, then they're toxic. The same goes for pine in lumber or pellet form - it HAS to be kiln-dried to be safe. NOT all pine lumber is kiln-dried.

The health problems caused by the phenols in non-kiln-dried pine are not necessarily ones you'd see after 5-6 months - in addition to potentially causing respiratory issues, the phenols cause liver damage which affects their ability to process certain medications, including the most popular injectable anesthesias used for rabbits and it's been linked to deaths during routine spay operations.


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