The Necessity of a Hamster Wheel
Nov 29th, 2009 by Kenny
Hamsters make for wonderful pets, especially given the fact that they demand little responsibility in terms of their upkeep requirements. They settle well in captivity and are a choice of pets for most young kids. When you are out to keep one, there are some basics that are needed. The first has to do with the sheltering. A good well sized cage is required with the flooring needs being met. Besides the provision of the water barrel and feeding trough, there is one there essential needed- a hamster wheel.
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Westminster Toys The Happy Hamster Wheel Runner List Price: $9.99 Sale Price: $2.69  |
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Happy Hamster with Wheel RunnerHamsters Are All The Craze This Year! Watch as Happy Hamster runs and runs inside his spinning exercise wheel!Realistic Action!Cute 4" pet runs inside his spinning exercise wheel! He runs for hours on 2 AAA batteries (not included)... |
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Super Pet Hamster Silent Spinner 6-1/2-Inch Regular Exercise Wheel, Colors Vary List Price: $14.99 Sale Price: $7.19 |
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Silent spinner, regular is the wonderful, whisper quiet workout wheel for hamsters, mice, and gerbils. Patented ball bearing technology makes these wheels super silent. Silent spinners work two ways: free standing or attach directly to any wire cage... |
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Super Pet Hamster Comfort Exercise Wheel, Large, Colors Vary List Price: $9.99 Sale Price: $4.49 |
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Super pet's large comfort wheel is perfectly sized for your hamster, gerbil or hedgehog. The comfort wheel features a safe, solid running surface, quiet operation and a tail-safe design, allowing pets an easy entrance and exit... |
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Super Pet Chinchilla 12-Inch Giant Silent Spinner Exercise Wheel, Colors Vary List Price: $29.95 Sale Price: $16.79 |
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Silent spinner, large is the wonderful, whisper quiet workout wheel for pet rats and chinchillas. Patented ball bearing technology makes these wheels super silent. Silent spinners work two ways: free standing or attach directly to any wire cage... |
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Super Pet Hamster Run-Around 8-Inch Regular Exercise Wheel, Colors Vary List Price: $8.49 Sale Price: $3.99 |
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Run-around wheels provide free-wheeling fun for your furry friend. The 8-inch regular run-around wheel is perfectly sized for all hamsters and gerbils. These stylish wire wheels are available in a variety of four fun colors... |
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Super Pet CritterTrail Snap-On Comfort Wheel List Price: $13.99 Sale Price: $6.22 |
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CritterTrail Snap-On Comfort Wheel Accessory is the space saving silent spinner for small pets. Easily attaches to the outside of the habitat to save precious interior living space. Wheel has a solid surface so it's easy on your pets feet... |
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Hamster & Gerbil Wheel, 8" List Price: $3.89 Sale Price: $3.15 |
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8 hamster/gerbil wheel with mesh for easy safe footing for pet. Wire |
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Prevue Pet Products Hamster Wheel 6.5in List Price: $8.22 Sale Price: $4.49 |
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Coated steel for durability. Washable. Great fun for hamsters, gerbils, and mice. Whisper quiet for late night workouts. Healthy exercise that all small animals enjoy. |
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Super Pet Mouse Silent Spinner 4-1/2-Inch Mini Exercise Wheel, Colors Vary List Price: $12.99 Sale Price: $5.99 |
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Silent spinner, mini is the wonderful, whisper quiet workout wheel for dwarf hamsters and mice. Patented ball bearing technology makes these wheels super silent. Silent spinners work two ways: free standing or attach directly to any wire cage... |
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Super Pet Chinchilla Giant Comfort Exercise Wheel, Colors Vary List Price: $16.95 Sale Price: $9.61 |
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Super pet's giant comfort wheel is perfectly sized for cruising chinchillas or physically fit pet rats. The giant comfort wheel also provides a fun fitness experience for guinea pigs and ferrets. The comfort wheel features a safe, solid running surface, quiet operation and a tail-safe design, allowing pets an easy entrance and exit... |
Hamsters are rodents. They are instinctively created to be curious animals with the natural hunger for exploration. In cage conditions, they are away from their natural environment, but that does not mean that they are without their natural instincts. All that raw energy they have needs to be tamed as well and that is why a hamster wheel is of the essence. It is their modem of letting it out where they put all their energy to running until the point where they are ‘burned out.’ They are really necessary, so necessary in fact that some records indicate hamsters running a record 6 miles in a time spun of 24 hours.
The material of choice in making the hamster wheels is usually either plastic or steel each with its set of pros and cons. Hardened plastic is what is normally used. It provides a more comfortable running environment because the space between the rungs is solid enough, with minimal injury risk. However the same cannot be said about steel wheels. But some hamsters, a minimal numbers so to say, have this habit of gnawing the plastic wheels with their front teeth, either for recreation, or in an attempt to wear out their length. They cannot do this with steel as it is un-bitable. And that is why hard plastic is the recommended as it is harder, but more risk free in contrast to steel.
When getting a hamster wheel, besides looking at the material of make, you also have to consider the size. This ultimately depends on the size of the hamster, since some breeds are generally bigger than others. You will need to replace a hamster wheel at least twice in the course of their life. One indicator for a bigger wheel is an arched back when a hamster is running. It symbolizes the hamsters need for a much bigger wheel with more abundance in terms of space.
It’s important to highlight at this concluding point that hamster wheels are not limited to hamsters per se. They can be used with any other rodents in captivity, but the requirements of the wheels do differ. There are some rodents that would like some kind of bumps in the inner circumference of the wheel so that it can add a spin to the running. You should do an experiment with this for your pet rodent before semi-permanently installing one. Running is well enjoyed by humans, and in the same way rodents are into it to. The only way to provide a running environment in a cage situation is only via the use of a hamster wheel.
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