Hamsterball

Plumcore · 06-09-2015, 01:25 PM

So i want to get my Pip a bigger hamster ball, i have to choose between 18cm diameter and 25cm. The 25 is marketed for rats, and the 18 for hamsters, and there is no in between size..which should i get?

herbi7 · 06-09-2015, 03:51 PM

This is a really tricky one as the bigger ones r the right size for their backs but the ventilation slits r wider and they are heavier, less manoeverable balls. I would worry my ham would hurt her feet in the slits and not find it as fun and easy to get around. I went for the smaller one in the end, she likes it and so far hasn't hurt herself. Some people don't like balls at all as they are a bit unnatural and there is a risk of hurting the feet and toes. I need it for mine in addition to her playpen and free ranging as sometimes she needs to go further afield. I would be interested what people's view is of the bigger ball if they have exoerience of one.

Dalis_mum · 06-09-2015, 04:05 PM

Dali has the large 25cm one. she moves it just fine. It's not as nippy as the small ones but she still moves pretty quick in it and the air vents in mine are still small... I actually find the bigger ones more sturdy, if your ham likes smashing into walls like a dodgem its worth it, Dali used to smash the cheap small ones. I got mine in a trade though so dont know if it is the same brand as the ones youre looking at.

Plumcore · 06-10-2015, 12:11 AM

From the pictures it does nt seem as the slits would be wider, just more of them in the bigger ball, which is good. Im more concerned for the maneuverability of a such a large ball. Pip isn't fully grown yet, shes just kind of outgrown her ordinary ball, i think it's making her a wee bit claustrophobic now.

http://djurmaxi.se/smadjur-leksaker-...ml?cPath=39_76 This is the rat one

http://djurmaxi.se/smadjur-leksaker-...ml?cPath=39_76 this is the hamster size.

Also found this from Ferplast, like the transparent non color plastic, but not sure about the slit size..http://www.zoozoo.com/sv/ecom/produc...farg-104296002

Fluffagrams · 06-10-2015, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herbi7

This is a really tricky one as the bigger ones r the right size for their backs but the ventilation slits r wider and they are heavier, less manoeverable balls. I would worry my ham would hurt her feet in the slits and not find it as fun and easy to get around.

I can't speak for the rat sized balls as I've kept Chinese Hamsters for the past three and a half years so have never had the need to use them but just after I got May, I bought her a new ball which although was dwarf sized was bigger than the exercise balls that my boys had. She refused to run in this ball and when I looked again at the ball after having asked for advice about it here I realised that the slits were also bigger than they were in the old balls and they would have been big enough to trap her tiny feet. Thankfully she's not been injured but I wonder if her foot had got stuck briefly and that's why she wouldn't run. I don't use exercise balls with my hamsters any more other than to get them out of their cages and use a playpen instead but plenty of owners have used exercise balls without issues.

Is there any way you could visit a pet shop to actually have a look at the sizing of the ventilation slits on the different sized balls? It's not always that easy to tell online and when I bought May's ball, I wouldn't have known that the ventilation slits were that much bigger.

Plumcore · 06-10-2015, 05:22 AM

Not for the ones online. They only keep small ones in the shops, and the slits are small on those, and at least on the first 2 ones are the same company as the ball i have now, and Pip never had an issue with the slits.

EDIT: Might be good to mention that she is Syrian.

Plumcore · 06-10-2015, 12:34 PM

So I ended up getting the 18cm one. It's pretty big actually, and quite heavy but Pip seems to like it. It has a clear plastic surface, with red cups on the openings. The slits are a tad bigger than the 12cm one, but it does not seem like she can accidentally push her paws through. At least not enough to cause her harm or get stuck. I imagine it will be even less so once she's fully grown. Will post a picture soon.

Plumcore · 06-10-2015, 01:00 PM

https://youtu.be/yzDGRguFro8yzDGRguFro8