# is a wire wheel Okay?



## pigletxdobbyxbuttons (Feb 15, 2014)

I have a wire wheel or metal or whatever you'd call it, is it Okay for my rats? Or will it hurt their feet? I didn't put it in yet. Is a traditional wheel even Okay at all? Or should I get one of those flying saucer things? If you know What they are


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

At lot of times rats won't even use wheels. None of mine do. Wire wheels can be okay but only if the mesh is tight enough that no tails can get snagged in it. Make sure it is cleaned regularly or else bumble foot can happen. If you're going to get a wheel I would get a super large comfort wheel, but keep the receipt in case your rats don't even end up using it. I bought mine a wheel but they never use it and it's actually too small so I just took it out an wish I could get my money back. 


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## ratbasket (Apr 26, 2014)

I have a flying saucer for my rats, but it's huge and hard to fit in their cage so I offer it to them during free range. Do you have males or females? The females are more likely to use the wheel.


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## tpab23 (Apr 6, 2014)

i wouldn't risk using a wire wheel. they can get injured with their nails and can get bumble foot as ksaxton was saying. i have a plastic wheel that my baby boys love but no one else wants to touch it. i don't know about flying saucers as i don't have one but it might work. they seem pretty good. it really depends if your rat wants to go on it.


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

Also with the flying saucer wheel, some animals just can't figure out how to use it  I bought one for my mice and my boy rats had one too, and not one them between the 6 mice and 2 rats could figure out what to do on it 


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## franticfur (May 31, 2014)

According to some people the safest wheel is here http://www.ratwhisperer.net/2013/01/the-best-wheel-for-rats.html#.U5USlCiIi-0 looks like a mesh to me.

And I second the saucer fault. Hardly anyone uses it in my home. If you decide saucer you have to teach them to use it with peanut-butter or treats wiped onto the saucer.


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## ratbasket (Apr 26, 2014)

Both my mice and rats figured the flying saucers out with in days with no help from me. My mice even preferred it to their traditional wheel!


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## pigletxdobbyxbuttons (Feb 15, 2014)

I have boys, I wont put in the wheel we have, ill consider the flying saucer wheel, theyre pretty lazy but they do play, they just lay around on their beds and hammocks eat and wrestle most of the time lol


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## ahrat (Aug 12, 2013)

My one boy used to like a wheel occasionally. I had a left over one from I don't even know when, and it was wire, and I only used it during free range, so it was very supervised. But I wouldn't really recommend it. Rats don't generally enjoy wheels, and they need very specific measurements and types for them to be "correct" for their bodies.


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## LittleSparrow (Apr 14, 2014)

I would only use a wire mesh type wheel. I have one in our girls cage and 3 out of 4 of them do use it. i like the mesh type wheels better than the plastic ones because the pee won't stay all over the wire mesh wheels.


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