wheel problems

[hitbystars]

I introduced to you my new hamster a day ago... I have a wire mesh wheel with axels on the side... Peanut (my 3 year old syrian) walks so slow compared to this new younger hamster. NOW I see why you guys were flaming me for using "such a dangerous wheel".

But you gotta realize, I had no idea because Peanut walks on her wheel... while this new girl races.

The new hamster would tilt her head to the right, nearly getting caught in the axels.

My friend brought over her old hamster stuff, and one was a large silent spinner wheel.

This seems to take away the "I WANNA BREAK MY NECK WHILE RUNNING!" habit this new girl has... but she continues to FLY out of the wheel while running so fast.

Should I take the wheel out when she gets this active.. like for 15 minutes or so, just to calm her down?

What other activities does a hamster have besides a wheel? I don't want to take it away and take away her exercise/her mind exercise.

should I get a level cage (or a level topper for the glass aquarium shes in) ??

Peanut being so old, she was very low maintinance... I gotta keep an eye on this new one!

[Punkygirl0101]

Everyone here told you how dangerous those wheels were! Now you know to listen! :) Good thing nothing bad happened to one of your hamsters before you figured it out.

Maybe you could get a run-about-ball. That way she can run, but not get tossed out. She could go as fast as she wanted.

[KOKKINIKLOSTI]

A runabout ball is a good idea! And usually this way they get so tired running and running that that just go back to sleep! One other thing you can do with the wire wheel, until you find a new one, is cover the back side with cardboard paper, but only as long as she doesn't pee on it! Also a second level would be a good idea because it gives more space for toys! Of course as long as it is not high! Would you consider also making a hamster playground with cardboard boxes, paper tubes, places to hide and space to run? And maybe she likes digging! Yoe may try a small box filled with chinchilla sand as a start!

[hitbystars]

yes yes... but Peanut only WALKS in her wheel... like seriously.. I wished my friends digicam worked (or mine for that matter!) so I could make a video of just how slooooooooooooooooow she walks haha. Slow & steady, and she never tilted her head to the side or anything.

The new girl was running so fast that she nearly got caught in them.... I never saw what you guys were talking about until she did it. This is my second hamster, and she is a major difference from Peanut.. I think she is 1 month old, and Peanut is 3 years.

I have an outside ball.... but the new hamster would run on her wheel for 3 hours straight... what should I do with the ball? give her 30 minutes, then cage time, then 30 minutes again?

My friend said I could have the silent spinner wheel... she kept FLYING out of it last night so I took it out and put 3 toilet paper tubes in there... it seemed to entertain her (I'm guessing she has never seen them before) until she went back to bed.

She does love to dig! I've never seen a hamster do this before.... she was burrowing the first time I moved her into the 10 gallon. I didn't know they did this.

[KOKKINIKLOSTI]

Oh, yes they do like to dig! It sounds like your older hamster is much more laid back! But if the new one is so young the odds are that she will calm down a bit when she gets older! Until then leave her run into the ball for as long as she likes, but no more than one hour straight! We do not want to dehydrate her! Anyway it would be better if you left the silent spinner in! But what about sth like this:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00061V2E6/dealtime-kitchen-20/ref=nosim

[pixibubbles]

i let rocky out in her ball for ages. maybe hour at a time... but she knows to come back to me when she tired and when i call. babies aren't always so smart. i would say give her half hour in ball, then bring her out into your hands and see what she does. pop her bakc in cage so she can toilet and get a drink and if she still asks for out let her go back in ball.

Start time in ball few minutes at time and watch her carefully... some hammies can find them stressful. just sit wiht it on your lap and let her crawl in and out exploring.

baby girl syrians can be a real handful. the cage topper sounds like a good idea but be aware female syrians are AMAZING escape artists.

[HandcuffedAngel]

I wouldn't take the wheel out. Shinsei and Akari get tossed from their wheel all the time while they're speeding so I just put a lot of Carefresh down so when they get tossed they don't get hurt and they'll just run right back in and start going again.

[hitbystars]

That globe is so cute!

I saw at my local petsmart a few weeks ago some wheels with holes in them... like it wasn't a total open side, but it had tiny entrance & exist holes.

Do you think it would be a good thing for her to have? I can't stand seeing her fly out of her wheel & onto her back... then stand there wondering what happened.

This knew syrian really is a handful... I can barely touch her because she is so jumpy & fast.

[KOKKINIKLOSTI]

That globe is so cute!

I saw at my local petsmart a few weeks ago some wheels with holes in them... like it wasn't a total open side, but it had tiny entrance & exist holes.

Do you think it would be a good thing for her to have?
I think it will be cool!But make sure that they are the right size for a syrian! I have dwarves and i found something like that that was so small that even my girls did not want to use it! But anyway i believe that some hamsters in fact enjoy flying out of the wheel! One of my girls climb up the cage, steps on the top of the wheel and then lets herself fall down!