# Wheels for rats?



## Ratters838 (Jan 26, 2008)

Well at the pet store i got my rat from, I noticed the rats had no wheels, but all the mice, hamster, gerbils (you name it) did. Is there a reason for this?

I bought a wheel for my rat anyways, but she seems to ignore it and doesn't know what to do with it. If there's a way to introduce them to a wheel, how can I?


Thanks in advance!


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## Sami (Dec 11, 2007)

A lot of rats don't have much interest in wheels. I work at Petco and we keep wheels in the rats' cages even though they never use them... Well, one of the boys does, but he's the only one I've ever seen use a wheel in ages. I didn't buy a wheel for my girls because I think they probably wont use it and I don't want to waste $15 - $20.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

The Petco here doesn't have a wheel, but the PetSmart does. I think it depends on their policies and such.

Many rats, as stated, won't use wheels. But many will. Some love them so much they develop 'wheelie tail' where their tails curl over their backs, like they hold it while running. I think it depends on the rat and if they've been exposed to a wheel. My boys just seem to think it's an odd turny-bed-dealie. :lol:


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## CaptainFlow (May 16, 2007)

I think girls are more prone to using wheels, too, it fits in with their crazy nature. All my girls are manic wheel runners once the lights are out. But if they have something better to be doing, well, who wants a wheel when you have a bed? 

Part of it is that I have a Wodent wheel, which is a really natural thing for rats to use, since it's closed in on both sides, they feel secure. Two out of three use it, and I'm just waiting for that third to come around, I'm sure she will eventually.


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## rattieluver (Dec 29, 2007)

All 8 of girlies loved/love wheels!!!! I had no idea most rats didn't pps: I guess it just depends on the rat then...


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## kkdepp (May 22, 2007)

My girls are absolutely wheel crazy!....They've always had a wheel in their cage and won't stop running once they get started...they usually run non stop at night....I tried to introduce my boys to a wheel but they had little to no interest in it....All the girls I've had love wheels but none of my boys like them....


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## madeittothemoon (Nov 1, 2007)

Only one of my girls out of the four uses their wheel. How big of a wheel did you get for your rats? The first wheel I had was 6" or so (the people at a petshop told me it was the right size), but they need wheels that are more like 12".


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

i've heard that rats that had a wheel in their environment at a very young age tend to use them as adults, whereas rats that were introduced to a wheel at an older age often never get the idea. this is true for my rats, of whom only one runs on the wheel, and the other two don't, and didn't have wheels in their cages at the petstore.


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## Ratters838 (Jan 26, 2008)

Well i measured and it's about 8'' or 8 and half inches across...


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## madeittothemoon (Nov 1, 2007)

Ratters838 said:


> Well i measured and it's about 8'' or 8 and half inches across...


If your rats are young, that might be alright for a short while... but I would DEFINITLY go back to the store and try to exchange it for something that you can continue to use beyond the next month or so.


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## dragonegg (Oct 2, 2007)

I got Wodent Wheels for my girls, too. You can order them online, reasonably priced. The 12 inch is good for female rats and there's a larger one for male adult rats. My girls love their wheels, even the less hyper one. 

Some of the pet store wheels are supposed to be less appropriate for rats, because they can hurt their feet/tails in the slats. The Wodent Wheels have a solid running surface and are safe for rats to use.


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## shawnieshortcake (Jan 8, 2008)

I have a wheel for my girls but they don't really run in it. Luna likes to stand up on her back legs and push it around with her front. Sometimes they use it as another toy to climb on but I've never caught them actually running in it..


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## foxx (Sep 13, 2007)

my 2 males had no interest in my wheel


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## mink (Jun 24, 2007)

When I got my rat, she didn't have a wheel. The biggest cage I could buy, is a chinchilla / rat, etc. cage and it came with a wheel welded on! lol. Anyhow, my old Mika would sit in it, wash up in it sometimes, and thats about it. 

I noticed Kane would follow my fingers or hand. I got her to follow my fingers around when they were outside the cage. I put my fingers on the ceiling above the wheel and she got in it and then I moved my fingers to kinda in front of it, and she ran! She runs once in a while now and always runs when the lights go out! I can get her to do it on command sometimes by using the same hand movements.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

My newest rescue baby figured out the wheel in seconds 










I have 2 adult boys who still run on the wheel sometimes, but they were avid runners as babies.


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## Ratters838 (Jan 26, 2008)

Aw that picture is adorable!!! 

Yeah once I get my rat tame enough I'll try to show her how to use the wheel but i'm pretty sure she'll bite me if i try to now lol. 

Anyways thanks for your guys' input, and I'll make sure to get a bigger wheel for her haha.


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

I have a wodent wheel and my rats both have wheelie tails from using it and also sleep in it XD


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## susb8383 (Feb 24, 2007)

I adopted 2 stray adults, one of which was pregnant. Two babies survived; long story. All four are female.

The adults never used the wheel I put in the cage, but both babies did. In fact, one started running in the wheel just after her eyes were opened. As they grew, they loved playing in the wheel at the same time. Their favorite game was to try flip themselves. They would both run and then stop. Their record is 4 revolutions! They also liked climbing onto the top of the wheel on the outside and then riding it down.

The first wheel was the standard mesh wheel you see at pet stores. They loved it, but I didn't like the fact that their tails could get caught.

The second wheel was an 8" wodent wheel. It took 2 weeks before they started using it. The things I don't like about it: 1) Since it is a solid track, not mesh, debris stays inside instead of falling through. 2) It's harder to turn (slightly) which means they can't go as fast. 3) Since it isn't mesh, they can't grab onto the inside, which means they can't play their game of trying to flip.

They've outgrown the 8".

I just purchased a Chin Spin. Looks great on the internet and is 11". But got it in the mail and it's really heavy. They won't be able to move it very easily, so I'm returning it.

I just saw a Run Around wheel on the internet for the first time. It's the same as the standard mesh wheel, but they improved it by making the stand attach to the wheel at more of a 90 degree angle which means it's more tail-safe. Think I'm going to try this next. (This may be the one shown in the picture of a previous post; not sure).


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## Almi (Feb 11, 2008)

At least two of my girls use their 12" Comfort wheel, but it's only every now and then. I've only caught them on it a few times, other times I just hear it turn for a few seconds, then stop. I suppose I'd have more wheels in the cage if they used it more, but nope. I actually only have that one for them because no other wheel would fit an extremely obese Syrian hamster that I rescued from a pet store, so that used to be hers.


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## ratadoption (Jan 26, 2008)

we raised a rat from birth and she loves the wheel, we even call her ninja she goes so fast! but i think that they only really like it if they had it from when they were like a week old.


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## [x]RaeLovesRats[x] (Feb 7, 2008)

None of my ratties like wheels.


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## Urithrand (Feb 12, 2008)

I have a 12" plastic wheel and none of my ratties are interested in it at all. I've tried every trick in the book, from smearing peanut butter across the top to giving them treats for as much as _stepping_ on the wheel, and nothing will make them run. None of them were raised with a wheel.


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