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View Full Version : Wheels - how much is too much???


Holly
02-04-2007, 05:25 PM
All three of our hamsters have Wodent Wheels which they've had for the past 3 weeks or so; they all seemed really taken with them at first (their Rotastak wheels became obviously too small as they grew) and seemed to be on them an awful lot which I took to be normal as they'd got a new toy to play with.

Now I'm a bit worried about Custard, my son's Red-Eyed Cream who is about 4 months old. The other two have settled down and use their wheels moderately but Custard seems to spend just about all of his waking hours on his wheel.

He generally wakes between 2 and 3pm and goes straight on the wheel. He'll have a break when he comes out of the cage to play but as soon as we put him back he goes straight on it again and remains on it for the rest of the evening and into the night from what I've seen. He'll come off a few times for a few minutes - occasionally he just sort of lies next to the wheel as if he's really, really tired.

Why does he do this? He's got an interesting and large cage with lots of levels, tubes and bars to climb and he gets out every day for playtime and time in his ball - so it can't be boredon - can it?

Should I be removing the wheel part of the time? I've read stuff where it says it's cruel to take away a hammy's wheel at all and also stuff that says you should limit the persistent wheel runner's time with the wheel in the cage - so I don't know what to do :?:

Any advice much appreciated (I seem to always be asking for advice - perhaps one day I'll know enough to be able to offer some!)

souffle
02-05-2007, 04:52 AM
They can run several miles on a wheel each night but then a hamster in the wild can run several miles in the open searching for food. I don't think you should worry too much at the moment. Why not start a growth chart and weigh him every week. If you find he is losing weight regularly he is probably running too much and not eating enough as he has become a bit wheel crazy so then I would restrict the wheel to evenings only say from 7 till morning then remove it all day. If he is still gaining weight or staying stable you have nothing to worry about. They run less as they get older. Babies and youngsters are always wheel crazy at first. We weigh ours on the kitchen scales. Put them in an old ice cream tub!

Holly
02-05-2007, 07:50 AM
OK we'll do that. I did weigh all of the hamsters about three weeks ago (when I was worried Mocha was getting a bit plump as he was so inactive - before we discovered how lively he is first thing in the morning!) and Custard was the lightest of the three but only by a couple of grams. I'll keep an eye on his wieght but leave the wheel in for now (so he can stay in training for Lymm!).

Incidentally, Mocha has now lost the roll of fat he seemed to be developing around his shoulders 8) ...he comes out every morning and is as lively as the other two are in the evenings now :)

souffle
02-05-2007, 12:19 PM
It is very good for teaching kids about weight and graphs too so make sure the youngsters do it and join the lines on the chart each week to see how they grow. Biology and maths lessons made fun!

Emms
02-06-2007, 08:32 AM
I find they love the wheel when they are younger but gradually use it less and less.

Emma x

Hana
02-06-2007, 10:41 AM
Snowy ALWAYS used to be on his wheel! But then when I had to seperate them he doesn't use it anymore, he spends his nights eating, sleeping and sitting there. He doesn't even touch his wheel and if he does he only goes on it for a couple of seconds (walking!) :roll:

babyboos
02-09-2007, 05:01 PM
At 4 months he is full of energy and in the wild he would be on a woman hunt around this time :oops:

Holly
02-10-2007, 05:43 AM
Thanks everyone, I've stopped worrying for now - I'd rather he run on the wheel constantly than bite the bars of his cage constantly - like another little hammy we know so well :?

At 4 months he is full of energy and in the wild he would be on a woman hunt around this time :oops:

Eek! If we do find a lady hammy I'd better keep her safely tucked away in another room - we have three boys so I'm guessing she'd be more popular than would be good for her!