Non Toxic Autograph Stamp

[Michael]

Kili and Truman might be signing some autographs. I'm looking to find a non-toxic parrot safe ink pad to dip their feet in and let them step on paper to autograph.

I don't foresee them playing with the inkpad but it's not out of the question. But mainly I'm concerned about them licking the ink off of their feet. Any suggestions for an ink or paint to use to make their foot impressions in a non-toxic yet durable way?

[sidech]

Any food coloring would be good, since its made for human consumption. I'm sure there is a totally natural one. Or even grape juice, maybe ! Ever seen a kid who spilled it's glass on his white tee-shirt ? It's pretty hard to wash off...

[entrancedbymyGCC]

Yeah, food coloring soaked into a sponge would probably work. Maybe even beet juice. They would be water soluble, so it would need to be laminated or something if it was to be truly permanent, but anything you would want on their feet would have to be water soluble.

[Michael]

What about something like this?

http://www.gotoforms.com/Charles-Leonar ... o92220.htm

It says non-toxic. Anything wrong with using something like this? I'm looking at a durable solution for infrequent use. So it's not one per day every day but instead perhaps 20 one day and none for a long time. Would ink from something like that stamp pad wash off their feet with just water?

I'm just worried that food coloring would be very watery and smudge rather than make a foot impression.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

You could write the manufacturer, but I guess I wouldn't assume that somethign labeled "non-toxic" would necessarily be safe for birds. Most of the cleaning chemicals we worry about are "non-toxic". And you'd also have to check with the manufacturer to see if they can be rinsed off with just water, I expect most inks would either be permanent or would require soap to wash off.

What surface do you want them to be able to stamp on? Is it important that the bird make the stamp with his or her foot? I could imagine training them to use a wooden stamp with this kind of ink, and closely supervise that. You could probably even have a stamp made (or make one) with each bird's foot impression -- hearing aid mold compound takes great impressions and you could then make a reproduction in polymer clay, which the bird could wield. Closely supervised, IMO this would be safer.

That said, here is a line of stamp pads that are made for children and are supposed to be wash-off:
http://www.1stopsquare.com/childpad.html

[Michael]

Probably going to be on paper. Teaching the birds to use a stamp would be cute. I'll keep that in mind if they ever have to do much more. For now I think I'll just have them stamp a bunch in a batch and leave them alone for a while.

I wonder what non-toxic means in the context of these stamps. I wouldn't think the manufacturer would know if they are parrot safe, but what elements of the ink that are non-toxic could still be bird dangerous? What do I need to look out for?

[entrancedbymyGCC]

. I wouldn't think the manufacturer would know if they are parrot safe, but what elements of the ink that are non-toxic could still be bird dangerous? What do I need to look out for?

I think you'd probably want to ask a vet that. Maybe birdvet can chime in here! If you can get the MSDS safety sheet for the product, that might give you a clue.

Here's the kicker -- what, exactly, does non-toxic mean? I don't think the use of the label "non-toxic" is generally regulated and it would in any case typically refer to "in normal use". Since most things are toxic in sufficient quantity, dosage is IMO a critical concern, and dosages for parrots seem to be tiny, tiny, tiny compared to even very young children. It's like a product being labeled "natural" -- it means nothing in the way of a guarantee. Organic, now, is a label that has a meaning. I did a brief online search, and while I think there are some organizations that grant seals, I can't find evidence that the label "non-toxic" is regulated or policed. Maybe someone else knows more about it?

Here is an example -- I use polymer clay in my jewelry work. It is considered nontoxic (think Sculpey). But it is not healthy to eat it, and the fumes created by burning it are quite nasty. I'm very careful with ventilation even when curing it normally. And while it is nontoxic and some brands are designed specifically for children to use, the manufacturers caution you never to make drinking or serving vessels where the food or beverage would directly contact the clay with it. Hence I avoid any contact between it an my birds, wash hands carefully after handling it, etc.