Opinions on hamster balls?

[Sharkie]

Hello!
A few years ago I had a hamster ball for my first hamster, Jeepers, but when we put her in it, she seemed quite scared and confused about it. We didn't use it again and i don't think I have it anymore.
My hamster Winnie is really energetic and loves to be out of her cage, but prefers having her freedom over being in a playpen (which she quickly found her way out of!).

I was wondering whether a hamster ball could benefit her. What are your opinions on hamster balls? Are they good for hamsters? If so, which might you recommend??

Thanks for any replies!!

[CMB]

I haven't had any problems with hamsters using exercise balls. I always put the ball near the hamster and let them choose if they want to get in. I would then let them run around supervised and after 15 minutes open the ball to see if they wanted to come out. If they stayed in the ball I would put close the ball and let them run around again.

They quickly learned to steer and not bump into things. I think if they didn't like using the ball they wouldn't get in or even go hide in the cage somewhere. I often had trouble getting them out of the ball to put them back into their cage.

You could try a ball and see how your hamster is while using one.

[Sharkie]

Ok, thank you CMB! I'll have a look for my old one or get a new one. Hopefully Winnie likes it, she's always raring to get out of her cage. (not that she doesn't have one that's big enough!!!)

[CMB]

Some hamsters can open a ball. So you may want to try in a hallway with doors closed. If she doesn't like it. A ball con be useful in transporting a hamster from their cage to a playpen etc.

The stylish playpen diy or other diy play pens with solid sides will make escaping harder. There are threads/videos on making play pens. You can adjust them to suit your particular hamster by making them taller or adding a partial lid/overhang/barrier.

[Drago]

Hamster balls are highly debated amongst hamster owners, but personally I'd say it's okay if you monitor closely. This shouldn't be an everyday thing and a playpen should be her primary form of excercise. I'd personally recommend hamster-proofing a room to make it safe for free ranging as I find hams tend to enjoy free ranging more than playpen/ball time. Good luck with whatever you choose!

[spacebyte]

Luna has a rat sized ball (Which... dunno why they exist because rats generally don't use them as far as I know?) she had a standard sized syrian ball before, but she could open it and I noticed her back was arching - the much larger (kind of looks ridiculously larger!) and better built ball solved these issues. The one Luna has is the 25cm Savic one. Her cage has a 29cm wheel, but it is a little big for her, so I went for the 25 over the 32, and it was a fine decision.

We have a single level flat, and there is no furniture the ball can get under. She is always supervised by someone and limited to the main rooms for around 15 minutes. She only gets in it if she wants to.

A playpen or free ranging would be great, but our house is a bit scary and I would be frightened of losing her. I've gotten rid of all the mousetraps I could find when I moved in, but I'm scared there's some in small places I've missed. I REALLY don't want her going missing, so she's never not watched. If I am cleaning her main cage she's either in her bin or in the bath tub..

[Sharkie]

Thank you all for your replies :^) I'll think about what might work best for me.

I do really like the idea of making a playpen (that does seem to make sense as the playpen I have now is kind of badly designed now that I think about it- wire sides which are easy to climb for Winnie, whose talents include monkey barring) so I will have a look at that. I think Winnie would enjoy free ranging the most, she loves to explore and run around; but I don't know if it's feasible, most rooms in my house are full of nooks and crannies. Plus I have read about hamsters disappearing into walls via radiators which scares me to no end.

Are there any good guides to hamster proofing a room?

[chesca_27]

You can make a good play pen with these. I recently purchased some to make a C & C Cage for Oreo (piggie) and they are very high quality. To flat pack, zip tie them together instead of using the connectors. Someone posted a tutorial for it in the DIY section of the forum. It may have been Fluffagrams, but can't remember.

As everyone else has said, if Winnie is willing to get in the ball, has a chance to get out every 10-15 minutes and it is big enough for her, then I don't see why she can't go in it. Just make sure she can't escape. I wouldn't use these for dwarfs though, as their paws and nails are too small and can get caught in the ventilation holes. Ooh that's another thing, make sure it has good enough ventilation! You may end up with some hamster poop trails at the end, if you're really lucky

[alpacassei]

It depends on the hamster, but if she likes the hamster ball then it's fine to use it Just make sure, as Chesca said, she isn't in the ball for longer than 15 minutes without a break and that the ball isn't too small (her back should be straight not curved). Most Syrian balls are only big enough for a dwarf hamster so get a rat sized ball

[InkyPen]

I take the exact same approach as CMB

The first ball we had did result in a few escapes, so we had to keep the doors shut - it's a good idea to keep a close eye on them! Luckily the new ball seems a lot better