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Old 10-31-2014, 12:47 PM   #1
SquishyHelium
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Default How much is too much?

I am a little concerned that at times Melvin is running FAR too much on his wheel. Of the hamsters I've had he's the most exuberant of all of them.

He runs so fast and for such a prolonged time that eventually he has to stop and straight away will crash out and sleep. He's fine otherwise, is eating normally and hasn't lost weight.

I am thinking it is caused by the fact that when I adopted him he was in a poky little cage with a wheel so small he couldn't use it. I reckon now he's in the rat cage with a big wheel it's a novelty and he's maybe a little obsessed with it - which I understand.

But I am concerned he is overdoing it. I have tried to slow his wheel down by adding extra washers, or wedging things under to increase the friction - which hasn't really worked. He's been given a number of different wheels to try including a large flying saucer, a savic orbital 10" and a savic rolly giant. On a couple of occasions I have removed the wheel completely though I don't like to do this because I know how much he loves it.

So is it possible he is doing too much? Is that even possible for a hamster?
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Old 10-31-2014, 12:54 PM   #2
NiceCrocs
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Default Re: How much is too much?

Don't worry, he's just excited about having a wheel he can actually use! Most likely he'll slow down a bit with time, when the novelty wears off. But for now as long as he's not dropping weight, just let him run in the wild they can run up to 10 miles in one night! When he's tired, he'll stop ^_^
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Old 10-31-2014, 01:05 PM   #3
DrKMcK
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Default Re: How much is too much?

I agree. My Nutmeg had never had a wheel when I adopted her at 1 year of age. Once she figured out how to work it, she was off and running...to exhaustion. She would flop out and rest, then back on the wheel. It is still her favorite thing to do today. Melvin will get off when he tires.
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Old 10-31-2014, 01:25 PM   #4
RosieTheHamster
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Default Re: How much is too much?

I agree with what the others said When I got Rosie from the pet store, the cage she was in had a tiny wheel and I mean TINY, so it was hard for her to run. Plus there were a bunch of other hammies so I'm sure there was always a long line When I got her home with a properly sized wheel she was off and running! For the first few weeks I was worried she was running too much. But now after having her for a few months she uses the wheel a lot less and spends time doing other things.
If he doesn't stop on his own eventually, try distracting him with other toys.
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Old 10-31-2014, 01:28 PM   #5
SquishyHelium
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Default Re: How much is too much?

Thanks for your replies - that's reassuring. In the time I've had him, he is showing no reduction in the amount he uses his wheel though! Silly ham. He's got a massive cage with quite a lot of things to do and I give him new things fairly regularly - but he's got this love affair going with the wheel and will not be moved. Lol.
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Old 10-31-2014, 03:28 PM   #6
polishrose
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Default Re: How much is too much?

I think some hams just love their wheel. My new baby(well ok he's almost 13 weeks) adores his wheel and happily goes on it for hours at a time.
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Old 10-31-2014, 07:52 PM   #7
Skeever
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Default Re: How much is too much?

"The Wheel of Excess leads to the Palace of Wisdom"
-Wm. Blake
Edited by Ziggy
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