Ginger never wheels ..

[Ellaki44]

Ginger is my four months old syrian hamster . From the moment I got her [ just a few weeks ago ] she doesn't wheel at all .. I do not know why this is happening .. Hamsters are supposed to love their wheel , aren't they ? What is more , if she doesn't wheel , she doesn't exercise when she is in her cage [ plus she gets really bored ] . She only exercises when I put her in her hamster ball . Why is this happening ?

[Thin Lizzy]

My eldest hamster didn't use his wheel for the first 6 months and loves it. Some take to the wheel straight away and some don't. My youngest took to hers straight away, she became quite obsessed with hers and she would sleep on it.
Is your wheel big enough? Hamsters can damage their spines if the wheel is too small.

[Ellaki44]

Yeah , her wheel is big enough for her .. However I am thinking of getting her another type of wheel [ like sauser ,sorry for the mistakes I am greek hope you understand what I mean ] in case she likes it more . This is Ginger ;

[SinNyx]

What size is her wheel? Sometimes I found that even with an 8" wheel, my Syrians wouldn't use them, but were fine using an 11". In particular some hamsters like the Trixie or Wodent wheels because they are more 'enclosed'.

I've actually just read your other thread, you said Ginger had babies. Well, then the wheel should be taken out anyway, and it's a good thing that she isn't using them. Sometimes if a wheel is kept in with the mother they will ignore the babies and just want to run, so I wouldn't worry about giving her a wheel until the babies are a lot older and are living away from her.

Also, don't put her in her exercise ball while she still has the pups to feed. She needs to be with them, and if you are getting her out for handling, it should be very minimal, if at all

[Thin Lizzy]

She's gorgeous!

[racinghamster]

What a gorgeous Syrian Ellaki. Being in Greece I`m not sure what`s available to you in terms of wheels, but if you can purchase online, Zooplus do a nice selection. The Wonderland wheel is a nice large, quiet wheel, but recently the forum have been discussing the safety issues with this wheel causing a hamster`s paws to bleed due to running on the wooden surface, so this wheel does need some work before it can safely be used. Using Plastikote paint on the inside makes it safer as well as light sanding of the surface, but you might be better looking for a plastic wheel like the Wodent wheel. Search this forum for some ideas about wheel size and types. You would want a wheel that is around 10 inches across for a Syrian hamster or bigger, so your cage or tank would need to be tall enough to accommodate a wheel this size.

Your hamster may not be using her current wheel for a number of reasons. Too small, won`t turn easily or it`s spoked?

If you can say what the wheel size is, we can advise. x

[Ellaki44]

Thanks everyone for your advise ! I try really hard to find a bigger wheel than this one ... Also getting one online is not an option , as I live in an island and it is very difficult to get things delivered to me ... It is true that Ginger has babies now and I have rmoved her wheel since she gave birth . I started this thread to learn what I must do to help her wheel when her babies are given away . Thanks a lot for your beautiful comments on Ginger's selfie too !!!

[racinghamster]

Have a good look around as you may find a local pet shop that could order in a larger wheel for you? Show them a photo or give them the brand name of a wheel and see what they say? It might be the best way to get one! x

[Ellaki44]

Ok thanks again !

[Thin Lizzy]

I get my local pet shop to order stuff in for me.
So ask, I think they'll be more than happy to help.
Good customer service leads to more sales and word gets round.