One of the most important things to consider when taking care of a pet rabbit is to make sure that it is happy. Rabbits are known to be playful little critters that like to spend some time playing with their owner or with other animals they trust to be safe with. However, if you do not have the time to play with a rabbit, you may need a few toys that will allow the rabbit to have fun.
The problem with rabbit toys, however, is that there are plenty of these things available in the market, and they are made of different substances that may or may not be toxic for them. Hot glue might be one of those substances as there are some rabbit toys that have been put together with that simple DIY hot glue mostly used to put one part with another in a quick and efficient way. But given the fact that rabbits love to use their teeth when playing, is hot glue safe for them? Let’s find out.
What is hot glue?
Hot glue or hot-melt adhesive is a form of adhesive that is dominantly made from plastic. These are sold in solid cylindrical shapes that are placed inside a hot glue gun, which melts them and applies them directly on the surface of objects you want to attach something to. Once the melted hot-melt adhesive starts to harden, it will act similarly to glue and will be able to glue together practically any kind of material such as rubber, wood, and plastic.
People who are into arts and crafts and simple DIY projects often use hot glue because of how simple it is to use and how quick it is to act. Plenty of different toys are made with hot glue, especially if these come from independent toy makers that do not have the machines and advanced tools needed to make toys and other types of small projects.
Is hot glue toxic?
As mentioned, hot glue is a substance that is made primarily from plastic and even looks a lot like plastic. Given that plastic is a synthetic material that is not made to be ingested by any animal, this begs the question of whether or not it can be harmful not only to humans but also to pets and animals such as rabbits. After all, a lot of different toys for pet rabbits are put together using hot glue. In that regard, this is a legitimate question that needs to be answered well so that you can be sure that your pet rabbit is safe.
Therefore, hot glue and hot glue guns are both rarely toxic so long as they are made to adhere to strict quality standards. So long as the hot glue used comes from a reputable brand or company, it should be safe enough and should be free from any toxic chemicals. The fact that it is made from plastic might be a concern, but the plastic used for hot glue in itself will not be toxic unless it is ingested in large quantities to the point that it can cause blockages.
If you happen to ingest hot glue for one reason or another, your body will not be able to digest it. Instead, it will most probably just pass through your internal systems and get flushed out eventually. This is because hot glue is made from synthetic materials that are not made to be digested. Anything that cannot be digested usually just exits the body. And because hot glue does not have any toxic materials, the body won’t be able to digest anything toxic from hot glue. The only possible dangerous situation here is if hot glue or plastic, in general, is ingested in large quantities to the point that the body won’t be able to excrete it naturally.
Another thing to note here is, when you overheat hot glue, it will release fumes that can be dangerous to the health. It is well-documented that the fumes released by plastic are dangerous and hazardous not only to your health but also to the environment because it contains several chemicals and toxins that can disrupt both the bodily functions and the atmosphere as a whole.
In short, if hot glue or plastic, in general, gets overheated, it will burn and produce fumes that can be harmful not only to you but to the environment as a whole. That is why it is never recommended that you allow your hot glue gun to run for long periods of time to the point that it overheats the hot glue and cause it to produce dangerous fumes.
So, is hot glue dangerous for rabbits?
In general, we have discussed that hot glue is non-toxic and does not any contain any harmful ingredients that can be poisonous to your health. But you have to consider that rabbits have different biology compared to humans. They are less likely to be able to handle ingesting hot glue or plastic than normal humans are. As such, while hot glue is considered to be non-toxic, you should still be careful when giving your rabbit toys that were made with hot glue.
If your rabbit accidentally ingests the hot glue that comes from its toys, you do not have to worry so much because of how it generally is not supposed to be toxic. But rabbits have smaller organs that even small quantities of ingested hot glue can still potentially cause blockages. In this regard, you have to try to avoid giving toys made using hot glue if possible.
Still, you do not really have to worry so long as the hot glue stick used is non-toxic and is used in very small amounts. But that does not mean you should not be careful when selecting rabbit toys and what they are made of. Be vigilant when buying rabbit toys because of how hot glue can still cause irritations when the type used on the toy has toxic ingredients. Always go for non-toxic toys as much as possible.
What type of glue is safe for your rabbit?
If you are looking to patronize DIY toys for rabbits, go for the ones that were made with safe materials such as the usual Elmer’s glue you were fond of using when you were a child. Unlike hot glue, Elmer’s glue is safer for your rabbits and is made of simple synthetic materials that can be ingested and digested without causing any problems.
The reason for this is that this type of glue was manufactured in such a way that it is safe for children. And as you probably already know, children are known to eat anything. This includes glue. As such, the glue that is similar to Elmer’s glue is supposed to be safe not only for children but for your rabbits and other pets as well.
Conclusion
The simple conclusion that we can draw out here is that hot glue is indeed safe for your rabbits so long as the hot glue stick used is non-toxic. But it might be too difficult for you to tell whether the toy manufacturer used non-toxic hot glue. So, in case you do not have a way of knowing such, try to avoid rabbit toys that are made with hot glue. Instead, go for toys put together using usual types of glues such as Elmer’s glue or anything similar to it. After all, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
