# Exercise Wheel



## MustLoveAnimals (Feb 18, 2014)

Just curious:I have an exercise wheel for my and my boyfriend's male rats, but they've never used it. Have had one for two weeks and the other for one week. Mine, I'm assuming is approximately 15 weeks old, is very lazy (which I like.) The other just runs up and down the ramps to release energy. Do your rats use an exercise wheel? It's taking up a lot of space in the cage, should I remove it since they don't use it?


----------



## .275057 (Oct 22, 2013)

My girls used to, but as they have gotten older they have gotten lazy (and less mobile, so I guess it isn't their fault). I still put it in the cage during the day and take it out at night.


----------



## Daize (Jun 8, 2013)

My girl loves her wheel and uses it often. Some rats just like the wheels more than others. 

Sometimes it's the rat and sometimes it's the type of wheel that your using. My girl doesn't like the ones with wire mesh. She prefers a solid wheel, so that's what I gave her.


----------



## MustLoveAnimals (Feb 18, 2014)

Thank you for the quick reply. They seem completely uninterested in it. They don't even climb on it. It wouldn't hurt to leave it in another week or so, I suppose I will wait and see.


----------



## MustLoveAnimals (Feb 18, 2014)

Daize said:


> My girl loves her wheel and uses it often. Some rats just like the wheels more than others. Sometimes it's the rat and sometimes it's the type of wheel that your using. My girl doesn't like the ones with wire mesh. She prefers a solid wheel, so that's what I gave her.


That may be the problem. They have a wire mesh wheel. I can't blame them, I wouldn't like running on wire either.


----------



## evander (Jun 30, 2013)

Most of my 14 love their wheels!! They are all 18 months and younger.


----------



## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

None of my rats, regardless of age or gender, have ever enjoyed a wheel. It's a completely personal preference when it comes to the rat, and for those that show continued disinterest, there's no point leaving it in.


----------



## Jackie (Jan 31, 2013)

It's a girl thing. And even then some girl rats won't use the wheel. 2/3 of my girls use the wheel! Boys are unlikely to use it at all.


----------



## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

My boy V uses it all the time. V, Evy, and Lynn are the three that run on my wheel. =P


----------



## Ratbag (Nov 30, 2013)

George uses it every day, Barry-Bob I've seen try it once and I have never seen Squiggy use it.

George is my biggest boy so I'm glad he has taken a liking to the wheel as he needs the exercise!


----------



## MustLoveAnimals (Feb 18, 2014)

Thank you all for the replies!
I think I'll just take the wheel out. They want nothing to do with it anyway.


----------



## courtney+ella (Jan 7, 2014)

A rat breeder I went to told me if the wheel is big enough they will use it, Ella has so much energy and never used a wheel I have had her 5 months and I just upgraded to a bigger cage and got a bigger wheel and now she is non stop in it all night! It annoys me sometimes because of the noise but she is happy so I tolerate it, so my advice is get a bigger wheel if you can Ella is a dwarf rat and she runs in a chinchilla wheel so the bigger the better hope I was some help


----------



## veimar (Feb 19, 2014)

My rats never used the wheel no matter how hard I tried to make them run in it.  They are just too active to stay in one spot. They sometimes climbed on it and tipped it over, but eventually they lost interest in that too. So I guess it depends on rats.


----------



## glow (Apr 11, 2014)

Does anyone have any experience using a flying saucer for their ratties? Mine never liked their regular wheel, so I decided to give the flying saucer a try. It hasn't come in the mail yet, but I'm excited to have them try it!

Here a video I found, if anyone wants to see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8iFtkq3QH0


----------



## slynnski (Apr 12, 2014)

I have a flying saucer for my boys. They don't use it often, but it still gets used every once in a while, so I leave it in there for them. It's something for them to climb on top of, at least.


----------



## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

My girl Sophie before she passed away used the silent spinner wheel. My other 3 girls have no interest in it. Except sometimes I find Daisy sleeping on it lol. I recently put the wheel in the boys half and Remus has been using it a good deal and hes a year old. I think it just depends on the rats preference

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## WittleWatWuv (Apr 13, 2014)

Yes! When I first got my rats, I got a wheel that was much to small for them (though I didn't know it at the time) and as soon as I got a 12 inch wheel, all my rats run on it. Oreo runs daily but not constantly, Tink runs all night and sometimes day every day, and Cassie runs in it when Tink runs in it and also throughout the day. and Is rarely uses it but I still see her every once in a while on it. She only walks on it because she's old and fat. Bless her heart! <3 lol but maybe you should try a different wheel. I know that boys run on it too! My ex had male rats and they ran every night!


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------

