Are exercise balls safe?

[manxlisa]

My Basil has been with me almost 2 years now.Hes my first hamster. A month after I got him, I was given a hamster ball as a Christmas present. I wasn't going to get him one as I had read in a hamster book that hamsters shouldn't use them. Well,I offered it to Basil & he`s never looked back! As soon as I open the cage door, he throws himself inside it. He has about 10-15 minutes in it, then he comes up to our feet where we are sitting to let us know he wants out of it. Hes never once trapped his feet in it.

[manxlisa]

ps He also explores on the floor without the ball.He seems to enjoy doing both :O)

[evel_lin]

I use one for one of my syrian boys (Sherlock) occasionally and he seems to enjoy exploring areas of the house that he doesn't normally get access to because there are small gaps I can't block up e.g. the kitchen. My other syrian makes it very clear he's not going to use a ball if you put him in it so he free ranges in one room. My dwarfs don't have balls but they have a play pen they go in which they can't climb out of or they get handled on the sofa or kitchen work surfaces (which are cleaned before and after lol).

I don't think balls are necessary, but I do think they can be enjoyed by some hamsters as an occasional treat

[Popcornandme]

I bought a chinchilla size ball for my sister's mice....

[Babycakes]

Both mine use them and love them x

[de4life]

Exercise balls are fine as long as you get a good brand and keep a close eye on the hams to ensure they don't get stuck somewhere. It's easy to advise free roaming but in some situations that just isn't an option and a ball is the next best thing. It allows the hamster to experience an environment outside their cage, which is important, but the ball gives them a shield from what they would perceive to be potential predators, allowing them to explore with a sense of freedom they won't necessarily get with free roaming.

Saying that, mine almost always free roam now, but only because I'm in a situation where they can. They're used to the free roaming room, too, and now run about in it without concern.

[Sunset_Melody]

I've never tried my robo in one but he is pretty content going 100mph on his silent spinner
My Ronnie used to love his ball and a couple of times my elderly cocker spaniel would come in and he would weave round his legs in it and my cocker used to fascinated. He always loved little furry things when we had rabbits he loved them too. Soppy dog.

Whereas my other hamster Rory hated her ball.(The dog was never there when she was out) And most activity out of her cage really. She was very much a on her own terms kind of hamster. When I tried her with her ball she'd roll around for a bit and then try and get it open so I gave up in the end and let her just wander about freely.

So it does definitely seem it depends on the hamster

[DrKMcK]

I have had gerbils and/or hamsters for over 50 years. They have all had the balls to run around in and I've never had one injured. I suppose like anything else in life, there will be a hamster or gerbil who has an accident. I've had hammies and gerbils go off the end of the bed or off a shelf and never get hurt. But I had one gerbil break her leg falling from the top of her cage to the floor. Can something happen to a hammy in a running ball? Yes. Will something happen to a hammy in a running ball? More than likely, No. There are no guarantees. But I do know that all my furries love their balls. I prefer not to give my dwarf hammies run about balls only because the pee in them and wind up a mess.