Why do hamsters like wheels

Hamsters should be given a wooden or metal running wheel with a solid surface and a diameter between 27 and 30 cm 11 to 12 inches. This means that there are only a few products that are suitable for hamsters. Otherwise, it would make a perfect running wheel. There is no exact data on how long it can live without a wheel. Some other sources say that hamsters can run up to 6 miles a day. Your hamster will spend short periods running on the wheel, accumulating the 5 miles.

A hamster can develop an obsession with running on the wheel, running several hours each night. This excessive running behavior is often caused by stress. Find out what causes the stress and try to fix it for example a small cage or no toys. Hamsters need a wheel to get their necessary activity each day. A wheel is a necessity in a hamster cage. Your hamster will experience stress and will not get enough exercise, which can cause obesity. California has strict policies for keeping pet rodents when it comes to the protection of agriculture.

So, are gerbils illegal in California? Hamsters and dwarf hamsters need substrate to walk on and dig. They also need bedding to create nests. Skip to content Hey there! This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. However, know for a fact that it still needs a wheel if you are going to keep it in a cage without anything for it to do.

As such, this is when a hamster wheel becomes a necessity for a hamster. So, why do hamsters need wheels? Hamsters are natural runners that need to run a lot every single day because that is what they are used to in the wild for them to survive.

So, by giving them hamster wheels and letting them run on those wheels, the hamster can be its natural self again. Moreover, hamster wheels are the best ways for your hamster to stay healthy. As mentioned, hamsters are natural runners that require a lot of constant movement. It is their natural habit as runners that allow them to stay healthy in the wild.

So, by giving your hamster a hamster wheel to run on, you are allowing it to stay active so that it can not only burn off those extra calories but also keep itself away from diseases caused by obesity and inactivity. Finally, hamsters have nothing to do in their cages. But by giving them hamster wheels, they can stay mentally and physically stimulated as they are running tirelessly on those wheels.

So, do all hamsters like wheels? Yes, they do but only because the wheels allow them to run around and not because they like the wheels themselves.

In that sense, if you were to give your hamster another way for it to run around and stay active, then it might have no need for its hamster wheel. A lot of owners, in this case, would much rather give their pet hamsters a hamster ball where the hamster is kept inside an inflatable ball that it can use to run around the house freely without getting exposed to the outside elements.

The hamster ball allows the little animal to stay safe and have a sense of freedom while it is running around outside the confines of its cage. But because there are some dangers in using a hamster ball such as when your hamster bumps into things and falls down the stairs while using the ball , it is still better for you to use the hamster wheel as its main source of exercise and activity. Skip to content If you have owned a hamster or if you are currently a hamster owner, one of the things you would instantly notice is how your hamster loves playing with its wheel.

When you are about to buy a wheel to insert in the cage, always pay attention to some details:. These attentions should be taken in particular when the hamster is small: as a puppy its legs are more fragile, then as they grow they become less delicate and therefore they adapt more easily to all types of wheels that exist on the market. A little tip: if the classic plastic wheel starts to creak, pass a piece of cotton soaked in olive oil through the gears!

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