Guide to suitable hamster Wheels - Page 2

Shannonmcn · 10-30-2015, 03:13 PM

Yes but you're so good at putting it all together, take the compliment

Pebbles82 · 10-30-2015, 03:17 PM

Thanks! Compliment accepted. It was Virtual Keith who suggested a wheel thread might be useful so credit to him too!

virtualkeith · 10-30-2015, 06:41 PM

Wow Serendipity! I just casually mention this, and you have it done!! Great job! I will add a few more options when I get back to my computer.

virtualkeith · 10-31-2015, 12:13 AM

Hello all, Back again! I did a list a while ago, and this seems like the perfect place to link it.
This list has alternative wheels to the more popular ones in the US.

Alternative Wheels for Syrians

virtualkeith · 10-31-2015, 12:17 AM

...and this wheel looks like the UK equivalent of the Carolina Storm Wheel:

CritterCribs

This is the metal flying saucer which is available from Amazon UK. It's expensive, but you will never have to replace it.

Running Plate Large made of steel: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike

Penguin · 10-31-2015, 02:21 AM

This is great! I'm sure it will help a lot of people.

I was wondering if you could write a short part about what to look for to categorise a wheel as unsuitable?
When I was new, I loved to read the 'avoid this' section of everything hamster related I could. It made me feel safer when picking out things that I couldn't find on a 'safe list'.

Again great job! I will definitely look at this first thing when I get a Syrian (:

Pebbles82 · 10-31-2015, 02:51 AM

Excellent Keith! All those links of yours that I couldn't find! Penguin that's a good idea. I just listed the well known tried and tested ones with some of their pros and cons. You are right - safety is a big issue.

An unsuitable wheel is:

1) One that is not large enough for the hamster - one size doesn't fit all. You can get small syrians and large syrians. You can't really go wrong with a larger wheel but a wheel that isn't large enough can cause spinal problems, pain and possible deformity and this can lead to vet bills.

2) One that has a mesh or grid running track - the running track must be solid. With mesh or grid running tracks, toes and feet can get caught and cause serious injury.

3) Placement of the wheel needs thinking about. For example if you had very deep substrate of 15cm or more with a heavy wood wheel sat on top, a hamster might tunnel under it and it could fall on them. Better to have a free standing wheel in a lower substrate area, fenced off, or stood on a platform of some kind. Or fixed to the bars or hung from the bars.

Wodent Wheels have been passed as a safe wheel in the US and Germany and the type of plastic used is considered safe if chewed. I personally feel they are safer hung upside down from the top of the cage, for a larger hamster so they can't wedge themselves between the stand and the wheel if they go behind the wheel.

Wheels need checking for safety and proper running now and then. I've seen stories of Silent Spinners 'unspinning' the nut on the back and the wheel flying off its hub, so wheel nuts like that need checking now and then.

Wood wheels like the Karlie Wonderland wheel are quite solid and sturdy but can have splinters and some people have found their hamsters with bleeding feet - so they need checking for rough splintery areas and light sanding if splintery areas are found. Plastikoting them also seals them a bit. It's a shame they don't come ready sanded and waterproofed!

I think those are the main safety issues but if anyone wants to add, feel free!

Bertiebobbins · 11-21-2015, 12:34 AM

Just a note about the Trixie wheels - I have too of these, one is on the cage floor on the stand with the stand cable tied to the bars to stop that ham from picking it up and moving it (I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen him do it lol) and the other has the stand cable tied to the roof of the cage. The ones I have attach very securely to the stand and takes quite lot of force to remove it, so there's no danger of it falling off while in use.

The one tied to the roof of the cage runs quietly with no problems, much more quietly than when I had it clipped to the bars rather than on the stand. The one with the stand resting on the cage base I have to keep adjusting to make sure it's running quietly.

flowerfairy · 11-21-2015, 06:12 AM

I have the large trixie wheel for my syrian. It kept moving and therefore rubbing against the shelf (in a barney 100cm cage) so I put a large flat stone on the metal base (lower than the wheel so that it doesnt stop it spinning). Works a treat.

Amethyst_ice · 11-21-2015, 07:10 AM

I have been using an 8" comfort wheel for years now though on inspection they may be "willy wheels", that look the same or perhaps different name branding. I have them with stands but I think they work better attached to bars. I haven't had any issues with them being noisy or breaking easily as aforementioned and have them in blue, purple and white. No arching of the back to even my biggest syrian and have stood the test of time.