I think for Shannon I might just do the chain although I do try to avoid those but she's been chewing through some of the types of rope that her toys are hanging from and they wind up on the bottom of the cage. I'll let you know for sure. What would you do in place of the chain? Leather? If leather how thick?
Every toy that hangs from paper rope winds up on the bottom of the cage but that might have been 1/8". Most of my red-bellies are buzz saws. However, I think I might give that to Claudé and, if so, the 1/4" paper rope might work but if she winds up not wanting to play with it and I give it to her sister or brothers the bottom of the cage is where it most probably will wind up.