DIY toy tutorial collection?

[user 17862]

So my chins love chew toys, more or less depending on whats on them of course, but they have been chewing a hole through my pocket in the process... nearly 10 euro for some sticks and loofah strung up? no more!

Ive been thinking about making a small collection of DIY toys that might be easier on peoples wallets - or see if anyone else has already started a collection! ideally id like to make/have a google docs that includes tutorials on how to make stuff like that x3

Also since im no chin expert myself i just wanted to ask some other people opinions on some of the toys! General recommendations on what to hang up or what to stay away from during crafting (besides the perhaps obvious toxic glues etc...)
Im currently reworking my boys cage and I wanted to see what I can do out of fleece for them - like this little snack rope Viktor seems to like it already

 

[Amethyst]

What I use for hanging toys is either stainless steel wire or metal toy/treat kabobs, and then just buy the toy parts in bulk. I have a couple long ones you get for birds like this https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WpbKBJLEL._AC_SL1001_.jpg and you can also get small animal ones like https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/716g+zHKbzL._AC_SL1500_.jpg. You can make your own toys for a fraction of the price they sell for and you can easily take them apart easily to reorganize them and add new things to make the toy "new" again. If you mix and match harder pieces like wood chunks, with softer pieces like loofah or palm leaf, it can also help make the toy last a bit longer.

It would depend on the chin but personally I wouldn't go with the fleece rope, I would think it would encourage the chin to chew on the fleece. Fleece is only safe because most chins don't chew on it, but if they do it would need to be removed since it's not digestible.

 

[user 17862]

Ill definitely keep an eye on them then so they dont chew it up :]
Ive also considered those! i just need to find a place that sells some of the stuff in bulk in my country

 

[Binki]

nearly 10 euro for some sticks

And you were lucky with that price; I have seen much worse. During lockdown my usual provider disappeared from the market and the only one I found was soooo pricey that when the sticks arrived I looked at the label expecting to see something epic that justified it, of the caliber of 'Product of the garden of the Hesperides' or 'Grown by the priestesses of ancient Avalon' but no, it just said 'Cut by Dave in Bolton'.

So I decided that some action was required and here are the good news: one can make them oneself, if you do not mind a bit of work. After finding a how-to in LY chinchillas site I started asking around if anyone knew someone who had non-sprayed apple trees. Surprisingly, not only was that much easier than I thought but the orchard's owner was delighted at the idea of 1)having someone to cut the twigs after the harvest and 2)that the twigs would be put to good use.

There is a bit of work involved, and patience too: for instance, instead of just curing the wood in the oven in one go, it is more efficient to let the sticks dry up for a while near a radiator. On the other hand, if you have an AGA or a Rayburn or a friend who has one, the slow oven is a godsend because it does the whole job with a minimum fuss. In a fan assisted oven the best energy-saving way is, in my experience (but I am no expert) to bake the sticks in a shallow tray (same one used to wash them in boiling water) at 110-120C for 10-15 min (no need to preheat), then turn the oven off with the sticks still in; a few days later have another go and repeat until the sticks snap when bent.

What makes it worthwhile is that I no longer depend on stick suppliers. Furthermore now I have plenty of the small diameter sticks that my boy, (who only chews the bark as all chins do, I guess) likes better than the bought ones, usually a bit too big for those small paws. And being an apple stick chef is more fun that it sounds.

 

[ZiggyChinChin]

Does anyone have a resource or idea for a "soft" wire reusable toy? My dude doesn't care for toys attached to the wall, but if it's on the ground he likes to throw it around or carry it to the other floors. Ideally maybe a wire that links to itself to close to make a loop that you can replace wood/sticks as they get chewed?

 

[Jawramik]

Does anyone have a resource or idea for a "soft" wire reusable toy? My dude doesn't care for toys attached to the wall, but if it's on the ground he likes to throw it around or carry it to the other floors. Ideally maybe a wire that links to itself to close to make a loop that you can replace wood/sticks as they get chewed?

I don't know of any products offhand, but that would be pretty easy to make yourself. Just get some stainless steel wire, like is sold for making jewelry, and string it with whatever you like.