# do rats generally like those wheels that attach to the walls of the cage?



## becky1287 (Apr 23, 2010)

my guys, Dorian and Oscar, seem bored sumtimes so im looking for ways to keep them stimulated. im planning on getting plastic balls so they can run around in them outside their cage, but r the wheels that attach to the walls of the cage good to have to? i just dont want them to be bored.


----------



## VictorianVanity (Mar 18, 2010)

Those plastic hamster balls are useless for a rat; they don't like them (except for sleeping : ) and it's really not great for them to use anyhow; they're already half-blind, and those balls make it that much harder to get around.

You could try a big wheel in your cage, just make sure it's one with a solid bottom. We have one boy, Atticus, who just loooves his wheel, but our girls so far never use theirs. A lot of rats won't, they're just too smart for it.


----------



## noMoreFaith (Apr 28, 2010)

mine never use it...they just tried it once or twice and after seeing that running in the wheel gets them nowhere, they let it go..


----------



## clarry (May 19, 2008)

The wheels that attach on to the side of the cage often arent big enough, they need a rather large stand up one such as this;
http://www.equinecaninefeline.com/c...p-3554.html?osCsid=9tk01fcena32o6hts2a6944hv4

I have also read that the balls to run around in arent good for rats spines; plus they should really be allowed to run around on a floor space without the ball.


----------



## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Don't get them a ball - they'll likely hate it. It makes their spine bend too much and they can't escape so they tend to just stop and sit in it. Unless they were introduced to a wheel as babies, it's likely they won't want to use a wheel much either - I gave my girls one of those mesh wheels, and only one of them uses it regularly. But she loves it, so I'm keeping it in the cage for her. She'll outgrow it when she's older, so I'll get a 15" or something when she's too big. 

One problem with the wheels is they can get their feet and tails stuck in the traditional wire hamster ones, so it's best to get a solid one (like the silent spinner or a wodent wheel) or a mesh one like the trixie one that clarry linked. Make sure it's big enough that they can run flat on it without their tail being pushed up too much or else they can get "wheel tail" which is where their tail starts to curve upward from the wheel pushing it up.










That's an 11" and it's a little small for even my two month old girls. She can get going pretty fast on it but it pushes her tail up a fair bit so I'll get a bigger one of I can find it soon. I only paid $10 for it, as opposed to nearly $40 for the 12" silent spinner. So glad I didn't buy it because it would've been too small lol.


----------



## clarry (May 19, 2008)

With reguards to whether they will use the wheel...I would agree with jaguar, We had the same wheel for ages, kept trying to introduce it to my first two boys...no interest, then my first two girls...not interest, then I got my 5th rat, a girl, and miracle of miracles she used it, and she loves it, shes a year old now, and still gets on that wheel every day. Then we got another girl Millie, who was unsure at first but I think she copied Molly because she loves it now too. Then we got another girl who lives with them, Ruby, and she gets on it aswell! Its like a fight for the wheel every night!

Its good for them, keeps them fit and healthy if they like it, but not all rats will get on it-kind of like all people dont like the treadmill I guess


----------



## LittleShelby (Jan 4, 2010)

Only two of my seven rats that I have had, use the wheel. Bella was the first to use it, I got it when she was little and she took to it right away. I got Daisy a few months later, and she followed in Bella's rat steps. She is close to two years old, and she still uses the wheel. She doesn't run though, it's more of a waddle.


----------



## Xposure120 (Apr 1, 2010)

We use a wodent wheel. It's the only humane approved wheel for small animals. No places to catch tails or feet. All the rats love the wheel! We keep it zip tied to the inside of the cage.


----------



## digitalangel (Apr 16, 2009)

I have two boys who LOVE their wheel and the other ones just sleep in it. Not all rats get wheel tail I think it really just depends on the rat. The two brothers who both LOVE their wheel, one of them carries his tail up all the time and the other one doesn't. It does not seem to harm him in anyway and I can not find any evidence that a 12" wheel is too small for a rat. I've never seen a 15" wheel before. A wobust wheel is 12" diameter. They are fine for females and males alike. Aside from the Wodent wheel you can also look into a stealth wheel or a silent spinner which also are both considered safe wheels and come in 12" sizes.


----------



## dapples (Apr 24, 2010)

All three of my rats (2 girls and one neutered boy) love running in their wheel. It seems like once one rat likes it and does it regularly, then they all just copy and do it! I use a large silent spinner and have been extremely happy with it.


----------



## susb8383 (Feb 24, 2007)

I'm not a big fan of the metal mesh wheels because it is still possible to get hurt, especially with more than one rat. If one is climbing inside it and puts his head between the frame and the wheel support while another gets in and makes it turn, the first one's head will be scissored. Same about feet and tails.

The three mentioned above, Silent Spinner, Stealth, and Wodent Wheel all have a totally safe design. There are no wheel support bars. Instead they are the shape of a hatbox so there is no place where anything can get caught.

http://www.critterwheels.com has the Stealths and the Wodents.

My guys have both. They tend to prefer running in the Stealth because it turns easier. But they like to hide out in their Wodent because it is more enclosed.


----------



## susb8383 (Feb 24, 2007)

Oh, forgot to mention: my first two adult girls never went in their wheel. Their babies climbed in and started running from the time they could see. Since then all of my rescue rats (both adults and younger ones, male and females) have run in their wheels.


----------



## Kiko (Sep 18, 2009)

I have a cheap 12 inch Confort wheel, it's cheap and plastic.
I never bothered using it until recently, but i put in the boy cage and wow!
ALL 5 boys in the cage run on it.
Even my fat boys, they like go for a slow stroll it's adorable.


----------



## Sw0rd Raver (Apr 6, 2010)

a friend of mine who has owned rats for a long time told me the balls are bad for their backs, my friends grandpa (who is a vet.) said the same thing. my girls love the wheel i got them though, they even sleep in it sometimes. a solid bottom wheel is better to have especially for older rats so they don't hurt themselves. whatever you can aford at the time or whatever the case maybe is good, it's a good workout for them too though males (being more laxed by nature vs engery crazy females) may use it less.


----------

