# Carabiners: safe as toys?



## talktails (Mar 2, 2013)

Does this carabiner (in gold color, without round key-ring) seem safe to use as a toy? 









(img link: http://www.promoslogos.com/weblog/wp-content/uploads/carabiner.jpg)

[=story as comment=]


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## talktails (Mar 2, 2013)

STORY:

My sweet Bell doesn't like anything too big as a toy. 

When he started picking, I was desperate to find anything for him to play with. He's never taken to any toy that he didn't grow up with.. so in desperation, I slapped a little carabiner on the side of his cage. I figured he'd do what he always does and just ignore that entire section of cage in protest, but he LOVES it!!

It's a marvelous challenge for his beak and mind as he tries to move it, take it off etc. I clamped it to the upper edge of the cage and because it's not symmetrical, it kind of weirds his brain out in a fun way. Plus it's shiny and small enough for him to tolerate it being in his cage. It's both in and on his cage, so he can enjoy it when ever he wants.

I'm unsure of the exact material, however. And he does have his beak all up on it's business quite a lot. If there are ones that are for SURE made of OK material, I'll just buy those and replace it. But I want to make more things out of them because he loves it so much! ^_^


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

gonna say no for a few reasons 

most metals arent safe for birds, only stainless steel and nickel plated are considered safe.

the paint can chip and be ingested, and it might not be bird safe


though they would be awesome to hang toys, they just generally aren't safe  sorry

if you can find an unpainted stainless steel one, then it might be ok as long as you can guarantee all parts of it are stainless.


if he likes playing with it like that, why not try a drinking straw bent into a loop and hanging it on the cage like that?


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

Unless you know its stainless steel I wouldnt risk using it. Stainless steel is safe for birds. Other metals can cause heavy metal poisoning. If you find those clasps in stainless steel then it should be fine for your cockatiel to play with.


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## talktails (Mar 2, 2013)

MeanneyFids said:


> gonna say no for a few reasons
> 
> most metals arent safe for birds, only stainless steel and nickel plated are considered safe.
> 
> ...


That's ok!! Thank you!!
He seems to like little simple toys and usually all I see are large ones.

Have you (or anyone else) seen anything *like* them that are made of bird-safe materials?


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## talktails (Mar 2, 2013)

Guess I could just grab him a Stainless Steel one! 

When I got his first toy, the bell was covered in a red color that came off slowly (washed off quicker). 

*Is there a spray color that I can get to use that's safe to use when making toys??*


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## talktails (Mar 2, 2013)

OHHHHhohoho!!! Did he ever give me a scream and glare after I took it off!! lol!

I looked at his baby toy and holy cow! There are little spots of rust on it!! Whaaaa??? 

AND I found a brown spots in his cage around where the white has started coming off...

This means one of two things:

1. I am TOTALLY wrong and Stainless Steel DOES rust. or..
2. His bird-safe toys are not actually bird-safe.

O_O WHAA!!!

OMG! So confused.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

they might not be stainless if they are rusting, they could be nickel plated :/

take a magnet, does the magnet stick to the metal? if so, highly unlikely it is stainless


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## ~SarahJayne~ (Oct 14, 2012)

I'm very cautious of those type of caribiners. Simply because you push to open, and they automatically snap back into the closed position. I think a toe or tongue could very easily get caught in there. I'm a big fan of the caribiners where you twist the join bit round and round to open/close. I believe they are called quick links. All munchkin's toys are attached with these, and she loves to sit there untwisting them (and detaching her toys, throwing them to the ground so mummy has to put them back up). If you could find a big one of those, I would think it would be an equally fun, safer alternative.


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