Is FELT safe to use on bird toys?

[BirdyMomma]

Hi

Is polyester felt, the kind you can purchase at Michaels Craft Stores safe for use in bird toys?

 

[tlfisher]

Good question.

 

[lucy1]

Natural wool felt is bonded/ matted using heat and agitation to open the cuticles on the hair shaft to stick it together in a mat, then pressed under heat to compress it.

Synthetic fibers don't have the rough cuticle surface to stick to their neighbours. Some companies use a kind of pin board to mush the fibers together kind of like a bird nest, but the quickest and cheapest (and therefore most commonly used) method is just to add glue and heat and press.

I have no idea what kind of glue they use, but anything which bonds to polyester can't be nice stuff. I'd steer clear of the polyester felt unless someone else chimes in differently- id like to be wrong on this and be able to use it!

Natural wool felt would be a better option if you could get it. If your bird is a picker or chewer, remember felt is made of lots of short strands which can be picked free easily, with whatever mischief your bird is inclined to get up to with the fibres, but either way I'd go with wool rather than polyester.

 

[tlfisher]

Is it the same for fleece. I have some bright colored fleece as a cover for the cages and was thinking of using scraps for toys.

I read somewhere that hot glue can be used to repair rope perches. Is that true?

Thanks!

 

[jenphilly]

Fleece is safe, does not fray! Use it all the time for toys and preeners for the shelter birds!! But when you buy the fleece read the label on the bolt of fabric to make sure its not chemically treated for fire retardant.

 

[Kiwibird]

I wouldn't use felt. Too much potential for ingestion of fibers. Fleece on the other hand should be fine, so long as it has not been treated with fire retardant. Get the stuff that say on the bolt "do not use for children's pajamas" or "not for sleepware". Fleece and flannel is frequently treated with nasty chemicals because people make children's pjs out of it, and apparently it's been enough of an issue (children catching fire while their sleeping) they now treat a lot of it with flame retardants. No joke, and you don't want your bird ingesting those chemicals. Heres an article about it (in reference to children's sleep ware, but it shows I'm not crazy here)-http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2011/10/childrens-sleepwear-avoiding-flame-retardant-chemicals.html

 

[BirdyMomma]

Thanks all.

 

[tlfisher]

The fleece so I'm using is a blanket that my daughters have had probably last six or seven years. It is soft with use and my daughter can be near it. My daughter and I have allergies to chemicals so are careful. I have a garage for "defuming" items bought new.
I bought it at a thrift store years ago. It had some patterns cut out of the bottom of it and is not a completely square piece of fabric. It was big enough for my daughter and she repurposed before I could think of a project to use it.
Its too small for my teen children. Perfect size for cage cover and a soft perch toy.