Hamster Ball

aimsdavies · 05-27-2018, 04:00 PM

Hiya!
I recently put my new hamster (bought 3 days ago) into their new ball. I put the ball into the cage and waiting for him / her (I have yet to know the gender) into it before closing it securely and carefully placing it on my bedroom floor. I was a tad nervous as the last thing I wanted was for them to be stressed and thus possibly get ill. To minimize the chance I let them roam around in the ball for under 5 minutes before putting him / her back in her cage.
I was wondering whether the behavior is showing any signs of stress? Whilst I was lifting her out of the age and onto the floor, they did seem a tad nervous, as you would expect, and staying still in the ball for a minute before beginning to move. Throughout the whole time they sniffed around and rolled a bit. Their ears were up and I believe they were curious. As soon as I put the ball back in the cage and opened it to let her out, she was still sniffing in the ball.
What do you think?
Thank you!

BubbyandHamper · 05-27-2018, 04:22 PM

From my experience, this behavior is completely normal.
Also, i advise against using a ball to let your hamster free roam because there is a chance they will break out and escape, or worse break out and get hurt.

aimsdavies · 05-27-2018, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BubbyandHamper

From my experience, this behavior is completely normal.
Also, i advise against using a ball to let your hamster free roam because there is a chance they will break out and escape, or worse break out and get hurt.

I thank you for the concern

We were in a safe environment where I was watching him/ her at all times, and I did celotape the ball so that there was a minimal chance of them escaping. Thank you!

SKB_Hamsters · 05-28-2018, 02:24 AM

Hamster balls are quite controversial topic - people have very mixed opinions on them.

This is not just because the chances of hamster escaping the ball however when enclosed inside a hamster ball they cannot use their natural senses to navigate around safely therefore they run into furniture which isn’t safe for hamster - as outside the ball they would use their whisker to avoid running into anything and a ball prevents this. If you have a Syrian hamster the balls are often to small and they will run with an arched back which is very uncomfortable for them and dwarf hamsters have chances of their feet becoming stuck in the air holes.

I would instead recommend a secure playpen for time outside the cage - this way you can add enrichment to the playpen and it allow you to interact with them too.
I still use a hamster ball as a means of transporting my hamster from cage to playpen and that is all that I would use a ball for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BubbyandHamper

Also, i advise against using a ball to let your hamster free roam because there is a chance they will break out and escape, or worse break out and get hurt.

From my experience I wouldn’t advise free roaming hamsters even when you check that the room is entirely safe there could be something you may have overlooked. My past hamster Sherbet managed to get stuck beneath a wardrobe and in her panic to escape she broke her top teeth. Instead playpens are a lot safe and easier to ensure they are completely safe.

cypher · 05-28-2018, 03:04 AM

I think SKB said it all really, totally agree with that.

dreamtree1234 · 05-28-2018, 05:07 AM

I also agree with all that SKB stated.

BubbyandHamper · 05-28-2018, 08:03 AM

I agree with SKB. Having a hamster free roam at all isn't really a good idea. I'm not an expert.

aimsdavies · 05-28-2018, 09:53 AM

Thank you to all that have replied! I did pick the largest ball possible at the pet store and it seems to be the correct size for my hammy, but I will invest in a play pen as soon as possible. I’ve seen many people, particularly on YouTube, using hamster ball’s as a means of allowing their hamster to roam around whilst they clean the cage and such. Thank you again!

cypher · 05-28-2018, 10:18 AM

If you do choose to use a hamster ball your hamster should be supervised closely at all times which means they really aren't suitable to use when you're busy cleaning the cage.
Far better to put your ham in a carrier with plenty of substrate to dig down into while you're busy cleaning unless someone else can watch over your ham, still better to use a playpen though.