Be careful what you find in Willow Balls

I'm really quite annoyed with a toy a brought for Rowan.

She really loves willow balls, so when I dropped into the pets at home I decided to buy her the biggest one I could find. This one had several layers and some corn straw I think it was stuffed inside.

It's only been in there a day but she's already half destroyed it - I expected that. What I didn't expect was to find two toys that must have been inside the ball that appeared to be made of pine and glued together, but really got me, was how they each had, you know those longish thin bits of plastic they use to attach tags to clothes and toys? Well they each had one of those tied around them in a reef knot (I think thats what it's called).

I had already removed a tag from the outside of the ball and all the plastic, so there was no need for anything like that in the ball itself. It is quite clear that someone had tied these bits of plastic around the toys on purpose while it was being made. Whats worse is they looked like Rowan may have chewed them before I got there this morning.

I wish I could remember the brand, if I see it again I'll recognise it. I need to complain to the manufacturer about it really, a poor rabbit could get quite ill from eating plastic!

edit: I found it, this is one I brought:

http://www.happypet.co.uk/products-information.asp?mc=SMALL ANIMAL&sc1=TOYS&sc2=WILLOW&sc3=&pid=631

edit again: I have contacted them, informing them what I found. I'm wondering should I call the pets at home store too?

:wave: Well done for contacting the manufacturer. If I were you, I would also contact P@H and let them know of my experience and why I'm not going to buy them again. They have started to get toys in for buns now so need to know why people are not buying them.

p.s. Here's an alternative choice of safe willow balls
http://www.chinchillas2shop.co.uk/ballsnbangles.htm

Thanks, I'll be contacting them as soon as I can about it. I've not had a response from the manufacturer yet though, but it's only been a day.

And thankyou for the link for willow balls, it's the only toy Rowan will play with so I was wondering what I'd do about it

I've bought one of those before but the toys were on the outside (kind of) and I was shocked to see the plastic too however I cut the toys off before I gave them the ball.

I also bought a willow ring once but I couldn't remember the brand, and when they got near the end a bit of wire was wrapped around it.

Just goes to show how important it is to supervise then they have new toys :roll:

The brand is Happy Pet.. hmm almost ironic isn't it? :?

On their website they have a contact us link at the bottom, you can call them or email them about what you found if you'd like too.

But your right, I should have supervised her with her new toy rather than just leave in with her overnight. I just thought it would be safe as it appeared to just be willow sticks woven into a ball with straw stuffed inside

Tempest said:

I should have supervised her with her new toy rather than just leave in with her overnight. I just thought it would be safe as it appeared to just be willow sticks woven into a ball with straw stuffed inside

Click to expand...

I've done exactly the same and also thought that natural toys would be safe.... this is what could happen (although Molly didn't get her head stuck)

Arnie got his head stuck is a grassy ball once too.

Luckily he is clever and before I could get to him he pulled it off with his front paws throwing it halfway across the room looking disgusted by it :lol:

One time I went to get poppy out of the run and she had three round sticks from a willow ball wrapped round her middle and digging right into her

I had to get my housemate to hold her down while i cut it off with wire cutters.