Wheels

Hamsters are very active animals and have a natural urge to run and walk. Depending on the species and age, hamsters can walk up to 30 Kilometers (about 18.6 Miles) per night. In the wild they would travel this amount on their search for food and nesting material as well as to mark their territory.

Hamster enclosures in home care are several times smaller than what their territory would look like in the wild, so it is essential to offer them a running wheel to relieve excess energy.

Since hamster wheel can come in many different sizes and materials it is important to make sure to choose the right one for your hamster.

Sadly many wheels offered in pet stores today are still too small for many hamster species. It is therefore important to properly measure the inside diameter of the wheel.

Again, these are general minimum sizes based on the average size of these species. Individual specimen can vary in size and some might require larger wheels to accommodate that.

Additionally, as long as the hamster is capable to turn the wheel, there is no harm in offering a larger sized wheel. A wheel cannot be too large. Especially Roborowski Dwarf Hamsters benefit from a larger wheel, as they offer a longer running track, due to the higher speeds they tend run at.

A hamster’s back is not supposed to bend downwards while running in their wheel, this is often the case when offering a wheel too small. Prolonged exposure to small wheels can cause permanent damage to their spine as well as back pain.

Even when offering a wheel that meets the above mentioned criteria, it can happen that it’ll be too small. Observe your hamster while running to make sure their nose is not pointing upwards and their back is completely straight while walking.

If you notice the wheel is too small, remove it immediately and get a replacement as soon as possible. Do not offer the small wheel, as it can cause more damage than not offering a wheel at all.