How long is it healthy for a hamster to run on a wheel?

celmoy · 02-15-2014, 05:35 PM

Sorry for all te posts everyone... I'm being a paranoid mum here I think.

Due to a mix up, Manchee only got his wheel yesterday (6 days after we brought him home). He's 7 weeks old and I've heard they can get a bit obsessed with their wheels when they're young...

Last night I introduced him to the wheel at about 10pm, and he was still running on it at 6am. Tonight he's been on it since 10pm again and apart from coming out for me to check his eye and let my boyfriend hold him (I had to tip him out into his sandpit then let him step onto me) and it's now 12am and he's been on it more or less non stop. Before he went in He had a drink and some food, and he sort of runs for 5 minutes or so, stops and sits for a minute or grooms or maybe hops out and then starts again. Fortunately I don't think he's been peeing or pooing in it

What point should I start worrying?

Also as a little extra, while he's young and I'm taming him, should I take the wheel out before he wakes up, handle him and then put the wheel in when I put him in the cage again? He's not interested in me at all when it's there.

Grubbbery · 02-15-2014, 05:46 PM

Honestly, your ham will stop when he needs to, what is your cage set up like? Does it have lots to chew/explore? Mine both spend like an hour in their wheel stopping and starting, but if you think about hams in the wild + all that energy of being young, running for hours a day isn't beyond the realm of possibility.

I've not heard of hams "running to death" before, it's just an instinct to run and wheels help that!

celmoy · 02-15-2014, 05:58 PM

I'll try to attach a pic of my setup! The tea towel and grass matt are because he decided he liked dropping from the roof just after I got him and he did give his nose a good biff one night. I had more tubes but he didn't really use them and I took them out to try and make the taming process easier. There's an ice cream tub of sand in too

any advice on the setup is welcome too.

You're right about them running in the wild though.. I think I might be over worrying a bit!

**kyrilliondaemon** · 02-16-2014, 06:50 AM

I have heard of hams running themselves into health issues so with the wheel I'd actually be inclined to limit the wheel time for a while. Maybe let him have it for an hour or so every day until he stops running quite so madly. I often wait until a ham is over 8 weeks to give a wheel at all and if I don't like how much a ham is running I've got no problems limiting wheel time just to be on the safe side

celmoy · 02-16-2014, 07:05 AM

How much running would you say is too much then? He runs for maybe 20 minutes, hops out and eats then hops on again. Should he be breaking for longer between running? Before he had the wheel, he would spend the whole night running around the cage and climbing the bars

**kyrilliondaemon** · 02-16-2014, 07:34 AM

Its difficult to put a figure on it, if hes having breaks hes probably ok but if you're worried taking the wheel won't hurt. Its all up to you

celmoy · 02-16-2014, 07:46 AM

I did a bit of internet searching and most of the helpful links were old HC threads

I've seen a few people suggesting that I track his weight and make sure he's gaining as he grows... It's hard to decide! I don't want him to hurt himself, but I don't want him to be bored in his cage

when I first got him he would climb a lot, but he doesn't seem to ask much now..

I think I'm going to take the wheel out in the evening before he wakes up, mainly so I can move forward with taming him. He doesn't give me a second glace once he's on his wheel! And then put the wheel in before I go to bed and keep an eye on his? Does that sound like an alright plan..?

Scrubby · 02-16-2014, 02:43 PM

I think you may just be paranoid. When I bought my little Pumpkin home and put her in her cage (without a wheel) I remembered I had a spare wheel in my hamster box, so I got it, put it in and she was on it so much, pretty much constantly like yours.
I think it's just because they've not seen or used one before and have been in those little tanks. Probably just excited about having a wheel and giving it a try!
I would say it's nothing to worry about.
My Pumpkin stopped using it so much after a few days, still uses it, just not like crazy.

**kyrilliondaemon** · 02-16-2014, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by celmoy

I did a bit of internet searching and most of the helpful links were old HC threads

I've seen a few people suggesting that I track his weight and make sure he's gaining as he grows... It's hard to decide! I don't want him to hurt himself, but I don't want him to be bored in his cage

when I first got him he would climb a lot, but he doesn't seem to ask much now..

I think I'm going to take the wheel out in the evening before he wakes up, mainly so I can move forward with taming him. He doesn't give me a second glace once he's on his wheel! And then put the wheel in before I go to bed and keep an eye on his? Does that sound like an alright plan..?

Sounds fine to me if thats what you want to do