Questions about wheels and cages.

[MeganLouise]

Hi everyone ive always owned dwarf hamsters in the past but im looking to hopefully get a syrian soon. I just had a few questions about the cage, ive seen that savic have just brought out their new larger plaza cage and im intrested in it however im really nervous about bar biting because i know that a lot of syrians tend to do this. is there anyways to discourage this or am i best sticking with a more tank style cage?

Also ive been looking for a suitable wheel but im strugling to find one large enough that isnt super expensive of anyone could link me the wheels they use for their syrian hamsters i would be very grateful, (uk only please) thank you.

[Aegis]

For syrian hamsters, I highly recommend getting a Silent Runner hamster wheel. Syrians are extremely energetic, and this wheel will let them run as long as they want but it will be quiet. Also, a larger cage is a good idea because they need lots of room to roam, and if you give a Syrian a small cage, they will try to climb on the walls and attempt to chew their way out. Hopefully this helps!

Here's the link to the exact wheel that I use. It's 100% worth it: Amazon.com

[Jeir]

For bar biting, it really depends on the hamster. I've had those who never chewed on the bars, those who only nibbled to get my attention, and one who hated his wheel and always attacked the bars.
For the older Plaza, which I have, you can get acrylic screens to fit over the bars (or replace them entirely), from Viking Lazer. I'm not sure if/when they'll start making screens for the new cage. They are expensive, though.
Otherwise, if you go with the new Plaza, you'll just have to make sure it's super full of enrichment so your hammy wont ever think about what those weird metal lines are. =)

As for a wheel, I'm afraid a good quality wheel that is quiet and will last many hamsters aren't cheap. As mentioned above, there's the Silent Runner, which I used previously, and there's also the Niteangel wheels (and here's an Amazon link), which is what I currently use for both my robo (Medium) and Syrian (Large) as they're easier to clean than the Silent Runners (and I've had less issues with them).
Bucatstate also has wheels that are, erm, inspired by the Niteangel ones, but I haven't tried them, although I have a positive view of the brand (other things I've bought from them have been great quality). There's also the Trixie wooden and plastic wheels, but quality can vary with those, and the plastic ones are far from silent, so I haven't bothered with them in years.

[SKB_Hamsters]

I also recommend the silent runner. I have used the 12” wheel for 6 years for my syrians. It seems expensive but definitely worth it - when the wheel no longer runs as smoothy you can buy replacement ball bearings to extend the life of the wheel. I bought mine second hand so definitely worth looking on selling sites as you might find a bargain

Other wheels

P@H cork lines wooden wheel (similar to trixie wheel) - https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/p...exercise-wheel

Hope healthy treats wooden wheel (similar to getzoo wheel which I use as well)- 30cm Silent Wooden Wheell
– Hope's Healthy Treats

Trixie wooden wheel - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-6092...ps%2C91&sr=8-1

All the wooden cork lined its best painting with plastikote so it your hamster pees on it it wont soak into the cork.

Trixie plastic wheel (the dwarf one I bought a few years back was really noisy) however my syrian one which I have had for longer is quiet - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-6101...d_i=B00365P9NY

Bucastate do plastic wheel - I’ve got mixed opinion about. I have a dwarf sized one but the wheel has a plastic bolt and the screw ends cracked (as this is also plastic) when I tighten it so I had to DIY a solution out of metal nuts and bolts which I still use to this day so the wheel itself is good. So for the price tag I would be careful of these wheel - this was a few years ago I bought one so might be different today and might be metal but cant see online