Thanks for the feedback everyone. I have tried finding rope of that diameter and UNTREATED but it seems as soon as the rope gets that big it's in a marinia and it's treated with an oily substance.
I was researching the toy and found the company that makes it and the size of the rope and the squares (if you get the right size for your bird) seems safe. If you all would like to read about it I found the maker here
http://www.estarbird.com/GetaGrip.html . The size the store is raffling actually sells that size cheaper than the maker .... go figure! I don't have the cash to buy one, and I like gambling (TG I don't live in LV
) so I guess I'll buy a few tickets! Wish me luck (dice roll emoticon, LOL)!!!