New wooden hamster home, what to treat with?

E

eksarahw

Member
Member
Messages
19
Reaction score
27
Points
13
Hi everyone, just purchased a lovely large wooden hamster home and thought to give it a pet safe coat of something to try and help with staining/urine soaked wood. I purchased some linseed oil, has anyone any experience with this please? Many thanks! 🙂
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz
Hello and welcome. Do you mean you want to stain it a different colour? Or just waterproof it? Most people use Plastikote (although it would need a few bottles as they're small) which comes in different colours and waterproofs it. I think some people have used Cuprinol garden shades as well which says water based and non toxic. And is also waterproofing.

I think Linseed may not be a good idea as it could give off a bit of a smell and hamsters have a very sensitive sense of smell, and also stay slightly damp/sticky. Unless you sealed it afterwards with a pet safe varnish.
 
I would’t use linseed oil, the only safe things I’m aware of are the ones Maz mentioned. There are several types of plastikote & it needs to be the water based one.
 
Incidentally, if you haven't built it yet - with that one, you can reverse the door and top panel when building it, so the door is at the top instead of the bottom. That way you can have plenty of substrate at the bottom and still have a front opening door for getting your hamster in and out and other things in and out. The door at the bottom seems silly to me as the substrate would fall out when you open it.
 
elusive said:
I would’t use linseed oil, the only safe things I’m aware of are the ones Maz mentioned. There are several types of plastikote & it needs to be the water based one.
Click to expand...
Yes I would use plastikote even if it does come in small bottles - it goes a long way, there is a nice colour range and it's well established as being pet safe.

This is the green one - the other colours are shown below

 
Is it for a Syrian or a dwarf hamster? :-) Either way I'd probably leave the top shelf out to avoid them falling from a height. Unless you're having very deep bedding, then leave the bottom shelf out and keep the top one!
 
Hello eksaraw and welcome to the forum. I used this to water proof my wooden cage:
www.hamster-homes.com

Pet-Safe Wood Sealer

Small 250ml tin of wood sealer for use on interior and exterior wooden animal enclosures. Creates a waterproof finish that is both safe for pets and environmentally friendly.
www.hamster-homes.com www.hamster-homes.com

I think I used one and a half tins. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz
Ooh thanks for your help everyone! It would be for a Syrian hamster 🐹 that's a good idea about flipping the bottom and top panel around, will give it some thought! It's just arrived today still in the box so not looked at it yet. I'd heard of the plastikote on other sites I searched but wasn't sure exactly which one and if available locally.. from what I found out,linseed oil is on toxic but very keen to hear from experienced wooden hamster home owners! (We previously had hamsters but in plastic cages,want to go for more natural home this time! )

Thanks everyone! 😁
 
RainbowBrite said:
Hello eksaraw and welcome to the forum. I used this to water proof my wooden cage:
www.hamster-homes.com

Pet-Safe Wood Sealer

Small 250ml tin of wood sealer for use on interior and exterior wooden animal enclosures. Creates a waterproof finish that is both safe for pets and environmentally friendly.
www.hamster-homes.com www.hamster-homes.com

I think I used one and a half tins. :)
Click to expand...
Hello!

That's the first thing I thought of actually as I'd been eyeing up their lovely homes! Maybe I should just pay the money and go for it. (I mean due to postage costs also) Don't want to risk the wee hamster's health! Thanks again! 😁
 
Maz said:
Hello and welcome. Do you mean you want to stain it a different colour? Or just waterproof it? Most people use Plastikote (although it would need a few bottles as they're small) which comes in different colours and waterproofs it. I think some people have used Cuprinol garden shades as well which says water based and non toxic. And is also waterproofing.

I think Linseed may not be a good idea as it could give off a bit of a smell and hamsters have a very sensitive sense of smell, and also stay slightly damp/sticky. Unless you sealed it afterwards with a pet safe varnish.
Click to expand...
Just to waterproof/coat the wood, not to colour it 🙂
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz
eksarahw said:
Hello!

That's the first thing I thought of actually as I'd been eyeing up their lovely homes! Maybe I should just pay the money and go for it. (I mean due to postage costs also) Don't want to risk the wee hamster's health! Thanks again! 😁
Click to expand...
I also considered buying one of their homes too as they do look beautiful. I know what you mean about having to pay the postage. At least you will know it is safe and you can use it to paint any platforms you may buy too. :)
 
Maz said:
Yes I would use plastikote even if it does come in small bottles - it goes a long way, there is a nice colour range and it's well established as being pet safe.

This is the green one - the other colours are shown below

Click to expand...
Thank you! I was hoping for something clear so I can see the natural wood colour, not sure I saw transparent option? Thanks again! 😁
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz
I did another wee search there and found this on the Viovet page, are they a reliable source?

  • White vinegar mixed with hot water and/or linseed oil is a great cleaning solution for hutches and cages. It helps remove algae from water bottles and lifts urine and faecal matter from wood. It is also non-toxic and so appropriate for animals with allergies, sensitivities and respiratory complaints.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz
Viovet do sell various pet products - good and bad :) I personally wouldn't use linseed for hamsters.

Once it's painted either with the product Rainbow linked or plastikoted, it'll just be wipe clean. It shouldn't need that much cleaning out and you only need a petsafe disinfectant if there's been illness or disease. It's basically like varnishing it and then it's a whole new non porous surface.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum.

I used linseed oil on old furniture after stripping the paint off. It gives it a nice finish but i wouldn't say that it water proofs the wood. It's more a matter of nourishing the wood.
Linseed oil is not something i'd use or rely on for a hamster cage. You need to protect the wood with a petsafe wood sealer. Once urine soaks into wood it is almost impossible to remove the smell. The white vinegar and hot water solution is for cleaning and trying to remove that smell.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top