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Shannonmcn · 08-27-2015, 11:10 AM

I have only ever heard of a wheel being bad for very young hamsters though unlike Wanna Hamster I didn't hear anything species specific. I have heard also that some breeders also don't give their hamsters a wheel until they are past showing age as it can affect their condition. A name or a reference for the book would be good as, yeah, there is a lot of outdated information out there.

Personally I've never had a hamster younger than 6 weeks so I've always had a wheel in the cage at all times. Getting "overworked" in the hamster ball is a very different issue since they can't stop comfortably, or have a rest or a drink. Generally the advice is to only use a ball if there are no other free roaming options and to offer regular breaks every 20-30 minutes. In some countries (Germany) using a ball at all is considered dangerous.

08-27-2015, 11:10 AM
Shannonmcn PM Fluffy for custom title Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland Posts: 3,192	Re: Pertaining to the wheel. I have only ever heard of a wheel being bad for very young hamsters though unlike Wanna Hamster I didn't hear anything species specific. I have heard also that some breeders also don't give their hamsters a wheel until they are past showing age as it can affect their condition. A name or a reference for the book would be good as, yeah, there is a lot of outdated information out there. Personally I've never had a hamster younger than 6 weeks so I've always had a wheel in the cage at all times. Getting "overworked" in the hamster ball is a very different issue since they can't stop comfortably, or have a rest or a drink. Generally the advice is to only use a ball if there are no other free roaming options and to offer regular breaks every 20-30 minutes. In some countries (Germany) using a ball at all is considered dangerous.