My dwarf won't run in his wheel - or do much in his aquarium

strawberrysmom · 08-11-2012, 08:20 PM

I got Strawberry about a month ago and he's yet to run in the wheel. My husband has to get up around 3-4 am to get ready to work. NEVER see's him out. I get up with my son at 7am. He's not out. All day long we don't see him come out except to eat. Then he goes back in.

I made him a bigger habitat with more to do. I even bought a different wheel (silent spinner) in case it was the other wheel that was the problem. He won't come out of his house unless he eats.

I then started feeding him Oxbrow (the labblock formula) and cut back on seeds and etc and no more fruit and only veggies like broccoli (in case he has or will develop Diabetes) to try to manage his ever growing chub.

If I put him in his hamster ball he'll do that. But I can't have him in that all the time (for the amount of time he probably needs! Don't they run miles in a night?)

Anyway, he otherwise seems healthy and alert. Great coat. Loves his tube set up. But other than that he pretty much only sleeps.

Is this just his personality or could something be wrong? I only had syrians growing up and they were all wheel hounds. My two robos are crazy for their wheel and their flying saucer. But Strawberry just sleeps!!!! Night and day!

strawberrysmom · 08-11-2012, 08:23 PM

And I should mention I stay up until Midnight most nights before going to bed. NEVER comes out. So unless his only active time is between midnight -3am and/or 5am-7am ...he's not coming out to do anything!

edit to add that the wheel is the larger one. Not the small. It said "regular" on the package but I forgot what the measurements are but it's big but not too big but definitely not small like the ones my Robos have.

LoveMyHams · 08-11-2012, 11:00 PM

Hmm, maybe place him in the wheel and slowly turn it so he get's the idea? Maybe he just doesn't understand how it works? Otherwise I'd say more ball time. It will give him the exercise he needs. Have a water/food break planned for halfway through for if he get's thirsty or hungry.

strawberrysmom · 08-12-2012, 06:58 AM

I purposely went downstairs around 1am just to see if by chance he was AWAKE. He was awake and he was in his wheel but he was sitting in it and looking at me as though he was expecting me. I think his hearing must be superb. I guess I'll never know he's using it because I can't even catch him in it because he must stop running when he hears me coming.

He must be shy about running in it? I'm hoping that because it's a new habitat and a brand new better wheel that he'll slowly but surely start losing weight and getting more active. My husband said this morning when he came downstairs he was going in and out of his tubes and walking about but not in the wheel. But the fact he was actually moving about his environment is promising compared to his lack of activity the day before in previous habitat.

I'll put him in the wheel and push it a little to see what happens and I'll just need to make more time to put him in his ball. He's getting SO FAT!

Thanks!

Rhubarb · 08-12-2012, 06:03 PM

You could try setting up a camera and filming him during the night to see how and when he's active, and if he's using his wheel?

strawberrysmom · 08-14-2012, 08:04 AM

I AM excited to report that for two nights in a row my husband has "walked in" on Strawberry running madly on the wheel. And I have actually sneaked downstairs after a mid-night restroom break to catch a peek myself of our dwarf boy running in it!

Also, day by day he's becoming more active. The answer was a new/better wheel and the bigger habitat. Now we're actually going to get him a bigger aquarium. Apparently, he was depressed and that was probably the cause of the inactivity!

Knotty · 08-14-2012, 10:41 AM

Some hamsters take a while to take to their wheel, sometimes they take to them straight away. It's great that your ham has finally got the hang of it

jesselle · 08-16-2012, 02:42 AM

hey, my hybrid wonton was very similar. he came in a small but tall cage and i kept him in it for about 5 months. towards the end of that 5 months he became depressed. never came out, got fatter and just didn't seem to be enjoying life. he's been in bigger cages with room to burrow and i have noticed he is much better! not the most active but he seems much happier in a spacious cage

Jodzie04 · 08-17-2012, 12:35 PM

Haha I am sorry but I had to laugh at the sneaking down to peek on him, I can imagine doing just that too but it's very funny thought. What a cheeky boy must have been trying to trick you.
I do find dwarfs seems to have more of a random bit of energy so are up random times but not for as long. Could just be Wispa though.

strawberrysmom · 08-18-2012, 03:31 PM

LOL!! We had a good laugh at our behavior too. My husband and I take things SUPER seriously lol!!! I'm writing this from my hospital room. I just had my 2nd child but as happy and consumed as I am with my precious newborn and missing my toddler I'm still ALSO missing and thinking about my little hammies so I had to come here to check for updates.