No wheel or two different ones?

[Pebbles82]

Ok after Charlie's wheel broke the night before last, I've decided to get the same Wonderland one from Zooplus. They say they can't replace it or fix it as there is no guarantee, and if I buy another one it will be about 4 days before it is delivered - and they won't do a speedier service. The Trixie wheel has arrived. I think it's a bit lightweight and narrow for a hamster Charlie's size and weight so was going to send it back. But - would he be ok without a wheel until next Monday? (It could take that long witht he week-end in the four day delivery slot). Or would it be better to put the Trixie wheel in now and then change him to another wheel next week when the Wonderland one arrives? Either way he's not going to be happy but just wondered what people think is best. Is he ok without a wheel for a few days? The only other option is to pay over £20 for the Wonderland wheel and get it here for tomorrow from Amazon but I'd feel happier getting it from Zooplus - there are no compaints of splinters on Zooplus but there are plenty on Amazon.

[racinghamster]

If it was me, I would give him the Trixie wheel as a spare Serendipity and then once the Wonderland wheel arrives, you can keep the Trixie in storage in case you ever need a spare again? Does that make sense?!! x

[Piebald]

Yes given your Wheel Trouble a spare would be no harm. Can you put a rock on the base of the Trixie to keep it stable?

[cypher]

I'd do the same, give him the Trixie for now then swap them over when the wonderland arrives, I'm sure he'd be happier with that than being wheeless for several days!
I always keep some spare wheels just in case!

[Pebbles82]

Ok - can't send it back then lol! Means I'll have bought two wheels when I was going to get a different one after changing the cage which won't fit in this cage urgh. I don't have a stone to hold it down with. Do you think it could fall over with a big lump like Charlie climbing into it? It feels very light.

[racinghamster]

Does the Trixie wheel have a stand to clip onto Serendipity? Or can you attach it to the bars on the cage? I found them quite cheap and flimsy but they are okay for spares if only used for a few days! The Wonderland wheel will be much better, but a spare is better than no wheel! x

[Pebbles82]

Well I've put it in and taken it out again. Sorry to anyone who likes them but I just think it'll fall over when he gets in it. I don't think it will attach to 7mm bars either. Not worth £10! It's a pile of tosh. Off to see how quickly I can get a wheel delivered from somewhere else.

[racinghamster]

It may do a Russian dwarf rather than a heavier Syrian Serendipity, but I bought one myself and wasn`t impressed by it either. They are cheap and thinly made plastic. Buying a decent wheel these days is pot luck apart form the ones that stand the test of time normally like the Wodent wheels and the Silent Spinners.

Maybe see if you can get a refund or replace the wheel for something else? x

[Pebbles82]

Thanks - yes I'm double posting a bit here. Have a Wobust wheel arriving on Friday (Wodent Seniors out of stock) and another Karlie wood wheel ordered but no idea how long that will take because Zooplus just say 'up to four days', which could be Monday.

I'm feeling a bit stressed really. I'd like to put the Trixie one in for a couple of nights but I really don't think it will hold Charlie somehow, and I'd be worrying about it falling over and scaring him or hurting him.

He didn't wreck the cage or anything last night, he seems very quiet. I think he's just staying in his house, so probably a bit perturbed.

How do hams normally react with no wheel for two or 3 days?

[racinghamster]

I imagine he will miss his wheel as they do tend to look for it during the night! Do you know what I did with my Savic Rody wheel stand? Although it holds any wheel apart from a really large wheel (I have the small Rody stand not the large one).

Because I use a medium silent spinner for Chubs, I sawed a piece of wood from a pine shelf I had in storage. I measured the plinth by puting the stand onto the wood and marking how wide I wanted the stand. Then I got the saw out. Once sawn, I sandpapered the edges and then got a few small nails without heads on them and nailed the Rody stand to the piece of pine, folding over the nails so they were arched over the stand base.

It means the wheel stand is far more solid and doesn`t rattle around and it means the wheel has more weight to the base. Works really well and Chubs has a chew at the wood so it keeps his teeth working!!! x

[Pebbles82]

That sounds good! I could have used the wood base off the defunct Karlie wheel I guess but it would probably take me longer than it takes the Wobust wheel to get here. I think even if the base held the wheel might come off the base. After all look what his thundering did to the Karlie wheel lol. Well not much I can do tonight. I guess it does pay to have a spare wheel to hand all the time in case of breakages like this.

I shall just have to keep giving him treats for now. Hope he doesn't stick his bum out at me again! He came out to see what was happening when I tried putting the Trixie wheel in and then went back in his house again.

[racinghamster]

It`s tricky to know whether Charlie would be okay in this wheel as you say, they are not the sturdiest. Wait until you see the wobust wheel in comparison! It`s MUCH better made and the plastic is more rigid. x

[Pebbles82]

I think it is going to mean him going two more nights without his wheel. I'll try getting him out tonight and see if he wants to go for a run in his ball.

[racinghamster]

Yes, maybe give him a bit more running time on the couch! x

[Pebbles82]

Sometimes we take him upstairs in his ball and he runs up and down the landing and has a play on the floor in little boy's room, so maybe I'll do that tonight. Little boy is here for 10 days. I just hope he wants to come out. He tends to go reclusive when something upsets him.

I agree I think the wheel would be fine for a dwarf hamster, but I feel it's so flimsy it's a bit unsafe for a big heavy syrian. If I hadn't felt like that about it I'd have kept it and put it in for a few days instead of ordering two more! (Ouch my bank balance).

I wonder what he'll do all night though poor wee baby. It'll mess up his routine. When I got him from the pet shop he didn't have a wheel and I felt so sorry for the hamsters in there with no wheel - the more you think about it, it's really bad for hamsters in pet shops - nowhere to get any excercise. I might even take him to the bath for some real playtime like we did when we were taming, and put the Octopod and some toys in again.

[Piebald]

Can you give him a chance to try the wheel while holding it up?

[Jeir]

Two of my hamsters have used a 28cm Trixie wheel, and neither had issue with it being flimsy. My current hampuff is 158g, while my previous was 209g in his prime (going down to 200g when old-age hit).

Sorry for not knowing already, but how much does Charlie weigh? If not much more than my previous Fluffy, then it might be worth trying it out; setting it on the base of the cage, then flattening substrate on top of the stand works fine for mine. Not really sure what my little bundles of fluff would do if they didn't have their wheel for any length of time.

(Cue you saying he weighs 300g+. XD In which case, ignore me. I'm also one who has had good luck with wheels others consider awful (the Savic wheel that comes with a Hamster Heaven; my dwarfs loved it before I got them Silent Spinners, and it's currently a backup wheel for them as it works so well and is pretty damn silent. If only I didn't have to redo the clip on the stand every couple of days.) so perhaps my luck with the Trixie is also to do with that.)

[Pebbles82]

Thanks for suggestions people - Charlie is 220g - I think I'd rather introduce him to a new wheel in two days than have to do it twice and risk some kind of accident as well. Maybe I'm just used to a wheel with a heavy base.

Charlie has had lots of love and attention tonight. He came out quite happily for a piece of cheese, had a little run in his ball, then spend a bit of time upstairs in little boy's bedroom on his bed. I told him Charlie is a bit lost because his wheel has gone and little boy sang to him and gave him a stroke. At one point all three of us were up there and Charlie was looking all vulnerable, but fairly perky. He kept running for my skirts though! Which was quite nice, the male species in this house make more noises so he ran to Mum. He then had quite a long play on top of our bed, in semi darkness. Once the lights were out he got very active and kept making a run for it. Then a bit more time in his ball, then play and cuddles on the sofa with me and other half.

So even if it is a long lonely night without his wheel he had plenty of love first. I shall be champing at the bit until Friday when this wheel comes.

[Shannonmcn]

"Poor Charlie" had a great night by the sounds of it! :D well cheese and cuddles sounds great to me anyway! I hope the little lamb doesn't get too stressed without his wheel.

Like I said, I've had no issues whatsoever with my Trixie but if you're not confident with it then you're absolutely right to wait for the new Karlie. I'm a complete cheapskate and just made the Trixie work for me, if someone gave me a Karlie or a wodent wheel tomorrow it would probably be out the window.

[Pebbles82]

I don't mind it at all I just don't think it's right for a big chunky ham like Charlie - it wouldn't last 5 minutes and he'd probably pull it over. The night his current wheel broke he was hammering it lol! The Karlie one is the same price too if you get at Zooplus - but do they deliver to Northern Ireland? Can't remember. It's almost £30 on Amazon! The Wobust one was £19 which I didn't think was too bad seeing as the Silent spinner was over £20. Just hope his next wheel lasts a lot longer because my bank balance is hurting now! I just had my nephew's 21st present to get this week too. I think he needs something deeper too. I'm still not sure how he'll get on with the Wobust one tomorrow as he is used to jumping out of the wheel while it is spinning and he can't do that with a semi enclosed one. I hope he doesn't try! I'll just have to see if they both get here today. The Wobust one is due today and the Karlie from Zooplus - whenever - although I did say it was urgent, but they just say all their delivery speeds are the same and it could be 2 days or it could be 4 (5 if there's a week-end in the middle). It's the reason I didn't get the Barney cage in the first place. I needed something asap and the Savic Mickey 2XL from Amazon got here next day. It'll be good if he likes the Wobust one because it will fit in nearly all cages, despite being a 12" wheel it's only 33cm high (which I guess means it's a bit low to the ground but I'm used to having very little substrate in the wheel area and just slope it up away from the wheel.

He actually seems fine. I don't know what he did last night though - hope he didn't get too bored. Actually it's making him want to come out more lol!