Mouse wheels

[Lisa]

Does anyone else give their mice a wheel to run in?
Ours are quite entertaining and entertained by the wheel. one of our smaller mice likes to get in when one of the bigger mice is running at top speed. this little mouse can barely hold on while the other mouse runs, never mind keep up. it's like watching a kid on the tiltawhirl, who always rushes back to the front of the line when the ride is over. I just find it kind of odd because sometimes she'll miss the inside of the wheel and end up on the out side and be flung off and she'll get up and jump back in.

I'm not sure what my point is, just sharing a story.

[Toshi]

We have a pair of breeder (for feeders) hamsters that have a wheel. Both try to run at the same time but the male can't keep up with the female and ends up getting "flung" across the cage.

[Kathy]

I used to have a wheel but the 2 mice that enjoyed it would try to run in opposite directions and then just end up fighting, so I had to take it away lol

[vanderkm]

All our feeder cages have wheels and they are used a lot - they run on the inside, the outside and underneath. We have a couple females that just stand on the floor in front of the wheel and make it spin with their front legs. I do take them away from some gerbil pairs for a week or so after they have their litter because some of them tend to want to pick the babies up and run with them in the wheel - which usually results in dead babies. The mice love the wheels though - I think the exercise is good for them - keeps them from chewing the plastic tub walls and keeps them fit for having lots of babies.

mary v.

[Lisa]

Now if we could just teach our rats to do the wheel thing.

[JasonBrennan]

I used to give them wheels, but could never get them to stop squeeeeeeeeeeeeking! No matter what I tried, those damn wheels would be going and going and making all kinds of racket that I finally took them away. Gave them a bunch of paper towel rolls instead. Not as good exercise, but still something for them to do.

[vanderkm]

We use lip balm on the wheels to stop the squeak - just rub a bit on the place where the metal meets between the wheel and the stand. We use if every couple weeks, lasts through several washings of the wheel - non-toxic, adherant enough that it lasts and works very well. We just get the no-name stuff in bulk -

mary v.

[JasonBrennan]

Ok, I never would have thought to use lip balm!!! I will actually give that one a try. I have tried several other things, but most of the things available are toxic, so I stayed away. Thanks for the tip!

[tai_pan1]

I use wheels in the three cages that I have mice in. I think it helps them to stay fit and healthy and that has to be better for them and eventually my snakes. It can be quit entertaining to watch two or three all try to use the whell at once though.

[Lisa]

we use soap for lubercation. i'm sleeping at night so it seams to work