Wheel?
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Typically-- yes. Females mor ethan males, though.
But, as are exceptions to most rules, there is one here. My boys don't act as marathon runners on their wheel like my girls do, but they DO enjoy the wheel.
So, go ahead and invest in a wheel. When introduced as youngins, they tend to be more wheel-oriented as well.
But, as are exceptions to most rules, there is one here. My boys don't act as marathon runners on their wheel like my girls do, but they DO enjoy the wheel.
So, go ahead and invest in a wheel. When introduced as youngins, they tend to be more wheel-oriented as well.
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My experience with rats and wheels is that they rarely use the wheels unless they're introduced when they're still really young. If your rats are older they probably won't like it. But, it's worth a try.
mozart never had a wheel as a baby and has never shown any inclination to run in one since. picasso will marathon for 3-4 hours a night every day, and it would break her heart for me to remove it (sometimes it gets pushed out of the stand; it's a mesh-wire wheel, and she seems at a total loss until i repair it, whence she will jump in and begin to run no matter what time it is).
picasso is rather small for her age, i think, and she is like 6 months old in a 9" wheel. it's getting a little small, but the 12" silent spinner is so gigondous that i'm going for an 11" wodent wheel, just so you can get a feel for how big of a wheel you will eventually need.
picasso is rather small for her age, i think, and she is like 6 months old in a 9" wheel. it's getting a little small, but the 12" silent spinner is so gigondous that i'm going for an 11" wodent wheel, just so you can get a feel for how big of a wheel you will eventually need.
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443 Posts
Thanks for the responses…I’m going to give it a try. A 9 to 11’’ wheel would work well I think, my girls are pretty small.
On a return visit to the pet store the girls came from I noticed an agouti hoodie rat running on a wheel, I may already have a trio of dedicated wheel runners and not even know it!
On a return visit to the pet store the girls came from I noticed an agouti hoodie rat running on a wheel, I may already have a trio of dedicated wheel runners and not even know it!
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14 Posts
I have 12" wheels in all of my cages. The girls are gungho for theirs and my boys love theirs as well...its actually kinda cute cause my boys will get on the wheel together and and run. But during the day the wheel in the boys cage becomes a bed which is pretty darn cute as well.
You can teach an older rat to run on the wheel, btw. I've gotten year old male rescues to run, by putting them on the wheel and turning it slightly. Then I give a treat. Then I let them turn it a little bit. Treat. More walking. Treat. Etc. Eventually it becomes a habit.
And I prefer the 11" Super Pet Run Around wheel, because the mesh is easy to clean and they don't get poopie feet. 11" is not quite big enough for a large male over a lb, though. But it'll be fine for girls.
And I prefer the 11" Super Pet Run Around wheel, because the mesh is easy to clean and they don't get poopie feet. 11" is not quite big enough for a large male over a lb, though. But it'll be fine for girls.
Jellybean loves running in the wheel. It's about 11", attached to the old Coast Cage I first used. I don't have a wheel for their new cage yet, so every night I move the old cage up to the door to give Jellybean a chance to run (which she does for hours on end). Coconut is about 10 weeks old now, and has been with me and around the wheel for 5 weeks, and has shown no interest at all, although she seems to enjoy trying to climb -on- the wheel ^_^
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