Coloring Wood?

[christypooh402]

Is it okay to color the wood shelves? And if so, should I use sugar free kool aid or food coloring? We are new chin owners and she is just precious but my daughter wants more color in her cage. I know the chin doesn't care but if it's safe, we'd like some of the wood to be purple.
Also, I read that we shouldn't use untreated pine for the shelves. What type of pine do I get? We are planning to get the supplies tomorrow.
Thanks!

 

[sheena lee]

Someone should be able to confirm this, but I think that food coloring is safe... I'd get the neon pack, you'll get much nicer/brighter colors!

As for the pine, it should be untreated, kiln-dried (KD) pine. Most hardware stores sell it, and mark it as KD. If you're not sure, smell it - if it smells like wood it's kiln-dried, and if it smells like pine it's not. )