# Rat wheel woes



## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

You'd think that SOMEONE would make a non-color clear wheel.

Maybe I'm mistaken, but all of my friend's rats have preferred the clear color or mesh wheels to the ones where they can't see out. And what's with all the terrible color choices too? 

I mean, I'll get a wheel either way for my babies but even if they don't care how it looks, I still want it to be nice for me to look at! 

*exasperated sigh*


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

I do hate that if you order stuff online you almost never get to choose colors and even in pet stores color choices are often limited.

I am lucky that two of my current wheels are purple, my fav color. But the newest one I got was red ugh.

But I think I much more prefer colors over a clear wheel. Clear, to me anyways, would look so ugly lol I guess I am not a fan of clear plastic look.

I do not think I have seen any clear wheels though. Mesh wheels are not safe at all. If a rat is running it is very easy for their feet to slip and get caught. And the mesh is just not good for their feet anyways.


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

moonkissed said:


> I do hate that if you order stuff online you almost never get to choose colors and even in pet stores color choices are often limited.
> 
> I am lucky that two of my current wheels are purple, my fav color. But the newest one I got was red ugh.
> 
> ...



OH NO I MEANT TO REPLY TO THIS AGES AGO. TT___TT

The mesh wheels I was talking about are these: http://www.ratwhisperer.net/2013/01/the-best-wheel-for-rats.html I know a lot of people put inserts in them (the company makes them) that actually help trim the rat's nails down too. 


I ended up going with the kaytee comfort wheel.... in purple actually! I wanted teal but I like the purple too!

I can't say I'm a fan of the clear plastic but I also prefer more neutral tones overall too so there's that!


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

smoteymote said:


> OH NO I MEANT TO REPLY TO THIS AGES AGO. TT___TT
> 
> The mesh wheels I was talking about are these: http://www.ratwhisperer.net/2013/01/the-best-wheel-for-rats.html I know a lot of people put inserts in them (the company makes them) that actually help trim the rat's nails down too.
> 
> ...


Yeah I am really not a fan of those wheels at all. I just do not find them safe. And I think cleaning them would be a nightmare.

I prefer silent spinners, I have comfort wheels and they seem to ware down fairly quickly and get loose and come off the plastic middle piece.


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## JellOh (Jan 3, 2014)

I've seen people paint Silent Spinners before and it actually comes out pretty nice. Because of the way they come apart you can choose different colors or just redo the colored rim. Here's a 6.5'' one painted to fit in a natural themed robo tank x


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## Tiwohunter (Nov 16, 2015)

I ordered my rats wheels off of Etsy (I picked ones that were billed as Chinchilla wheels) and got to choose the color, although there was no clear. I have a glittery semi-transparent blue with the ladies and another of it in green with the gents. I have 6 PEW's and can tell who is in the wheel, they're that clear. I think the rats liked the flying saucer better but they would break them after a few weeks and I had to find something else.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I have three atticworx stealth magnum wheels. My girls have been using two for now almost two years and I never had any problem at all. They are actually the only wheels my girls want to use. I tried other wheels, wheels like wodent and Kaytee silent spinner with a solid surface but they refused to use them. I'm actually happy they like it as they pee and poop while running and so the pee gets out of the wheel and the poop gets either dried quickly or out of the wheel too (not so much with the whodent wheel). The atticworx wheel is a pain to clean though, the Kaytee silent spinner and whodent wheel are much easier to clean. I wouldn't worry about bumble feet on that wheel as bumble feet would be more likely in a wheel that has a solid dirty surface and if your rats are overweight (it gets asked often). Two of the wheels are red and my male rats just got a yellow one recently. I love both colors, but they have also blue, green, and orange too, I believe.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Tiwohunter said:


> I ordered my rats wheels off of Etsy (I picked ones that were billed as Chinchilla wheels) and got to choose the color, although there was no clear. I have a glittery semi-transparent blue with the ladies and another of it in green with the gents. I have 6 PEW's and can tell who is in the wheel, they're that clear. I think the rats liked the flying saucer better but they would break them after a few weeks and I had to find something else.


I tried the flying saucer too and none of my rats were ever interested. It really shows that rats have very diverse preferences when it comes to wheels. None of my rats ever wanted to use the Kaytee silent wheel and it is probably the most liked and bought for rats. Go figure, lol.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I know that many rats don't like the light plastic flying saucer wheel as it can wobble a bit...I tried a metal flying saucer made for chinchilla, it is super steady. None of my rats want to use it.


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Gribouilli said:


> I have three atticworx stealth magnum wheels. My girls have been using two for now almost two years and I never had any problem at all. They are actually the only wheels my girls want to use. I tried other wheels, wheels like wodent and Kaytee silent spinner with a solid surface but they refused to use them. I'm actually happy they like it as they pee and poop while running and so the pee gets out of the wheel and the poop gets either dried quickly or out of the wheel too (not so much with the whodent wheel). The atticworx wheel is a pain to clean though, the Kaytee silent spinner and whodent wheel are much easier to clean. I wouldn't worry about bumble feet on that wheel as bumble feet would be more likely in a wheel that has a solid dirty surface and if your rats are overweight (it gets asked often). Two of the wheels are red and my male rats just got a yellow one recently. I love both colors, but they have also blue, green, and orange too, I believe.



They also let you order different colors on the inside and outside! I'm going to see if the babies have any interest in wheels at all before ordering though. My friend noticed none of her boys was touching the wheel and got one of these apparently and they still don't touch it. Her girls weren't enthusiastic about their old wheel but at least showed interest and she gave the wheel to them instead and they love it!


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

I have one of the Magnum Wheels from atticworx. It has probably been one of the best wheels I've purchased. It's not in my current cage because my boy does not run on one, but back when I had two rats who ran marathons on it the wheel really did a good job. I actually prefer that wheel over the Silent Spinner because it is completely silent. My rats live in the same room as I am in, and they run while I sleep. It was also much easier to clean the Magnum Wheel then it was the Silent Spinner. I just filled up my sink and soaked it. My girl had a habit of pooping while running and the Silent Spinner ended up with poop and pee caked on it nearly everyday. I think it does depend on the individual rat too when it comes down to it. Some rats like other wheels or do better with other wheels. =P


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

I'm..... half tempted to just buy this wheel now. So many people are recommending it!


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