Your Opinion: Wheel or Ball?

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Kaput33

Kaput33

Active Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2012
Messages
44
Location
Fredericton, NB, Canada
What do you guys think is better: a wheel (e.g. silent spinner) or a ball
e.g.
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or both?
I am thinking of getting a 12" silent spinner for my ratties, but it is quite big and I don't know if it will be worth it. With the ball, they are more expensive (I'd have to buy 2 large ones) but I'd feel better letting them roam around the apartment in them for long periods of time.

If I do get a ball, which size?
 
I agreee, it has very bad ventilation, as well as the fact that rats navigate their world using sound and touch ( whiskers) sicne most rats have poor vision. The ball takes away all senses BUT vision, leading to a very scared , blinded ( not literally) rat. Just as well, rats dontliek the unstable wobblign of balls.

Frankly balls arent good fro any small animal, becasue of the ventilation. Only thing I use balls for is to hang in the cage for them to sleep in.

Also. rats will usually not use a wheel, you coudl probably get away without one. unless you introduce thmeto it early in life, they will probably jsut ignore it.

Long story short, no balls, wheels are hit and miss. I woudl jsut have them play with you, sans ball. more fun for everyone that way.
 
Wheel, balls are a no with rats!

Wheels allow rats to get in and out as they please, balls do not give them that option which could lead to back issues.

Rats are free explorers, and like to interact with people and things around them, not kept in balls isolating them from the "outside" world.

Wheels are a hit or miss. Younger rats will learn to use them more so than older ones, but older ones can also learn. My girls run crazy in their wheels and my boys go for casual walks, they even sleep in them too!
 
My instinct was also no no for balls (thanks for putting words to it!) and have two groups of wheel users: the runners and the sleepers! :giggle:
 
I concur... definitely not the ball. And those silent spinner wheels are great! My girls have the largest one, and they love it.
 
I have a wheel for my boys, they weren't introduced to it until they were 6-8months old. Most of them now use it, some run, some walk, some sleep but it gets used. If you do get one and your rats won't use it you can always re-sell it or even return it if you can get it back in the box without it looking opened.
 
VNB said:
I have a wheel for my boys, they weren't introduced to it until they were 6-8months old. Most of them now use it, some run, some walk, some sleep but it gets used. If you do get one and your rats won't use it you can always re-sell it or even return it if you can get it back in the box without it looking opened.
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I should revise my statement they use it maybe once a month and run about 3 rotations and are then done. They are quite lazy little guys.
 
cbrown92390 I wasn't trying to say you are wrong, just presenting another perspective. (I don't know if you took it that way, I just don;t like not explaining things right.)

Not all rats like the wheel even when circumstances are perfect, some do. Some like it even when the odds say they won't. It's really hard to say what rats will like until you try it. :)
 
The 12 inch diameter silent spinner!
Rats who learn to use one will get lots of good exercise and continue to use them for life.

Many of us have large balls hanging in our cages ... which is why we bought them - they make good hammocks. :thumbup:

Balls are not fun for any animals and animals overheat and die in them every year.
Rats (and other pets) need at least an hour/day out out time ... runing climbing exploring and interacting with their owner.
They can't do any of that in a ball.
 
silent spinners are amazing! that hands down.

those roller balls make great hammocks when you break them apart, but they are hands down not good for anything else with rats. I'm not really a fan of them period.
 
On a tangent...are there any ways/tricks you can use to teach a rat to use a wheel? I'm thinking of getting a wheel to see if my new boys like it, but I'm wondering if there's any way to teach them to use it, or to teach my older boys to use it. They get plenty of exercise, but I feel bad that they spend almost all of their time in their cage laying around.
 
hprats said:
On a tangent...are there any ways/tricks you can use to teach a rat to use a wheel? I'm thinking of getting a wheel to see if my new boys like it, but I'm wondering if there's any way to teach them to use it, or to teach my older boys to use it. They get plenty of exercise, but I feel bad that they spend almost all of their time in their cage laying around.
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Some rats like it while others really don't care for it. I always have a wheel just in case someone wants to go for a walk. lol
 
I concur with everyone else:
I wouldn't buy the ball unless it was for hanging in the cage to sleep in.
I have a silent spinner and have always had one in the cage. I FINALLY have some ratties that will use it! The large one seems big at first, but it's not big with a full grown rat in it. I also moved it from the bottom of the CN to the top level, and that seemed to help increase its use.
I had one rat that was semi-trained to get in the wheel. I used food, and would hold it in front of her so she had to walk to get it. After a while she would jump in the wheel and run a few strides, and then wait for her treat. With more dedication, I'm sure you could increase the time they run. Maybe they'd like it enough to do it on their own after a while...
 
I'd love to try one of those flying saucers for chins. If I had young females I would... I bet they would be more inclined to try it.
 
jorats said:
I'd love to try one of those flying saucers for chins. If I had young females I would... I bet they would be more inclined to try it.
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Godmother had one. Her girls wouldn't go near it and they quickly escaped if put on it.
But you never know, other rats might like one.
 
I am sooo glad someone referred me to this site i am getting new ratties and was going to buy spinny balls!!! but the idea of using them as hammocks is neat!
 
Personally I chose neither ball or wheel, my boys get to free roam around my room nearly all day and a few hours at night hehe. I did get the wheel, the 12 diameter silent wheel as well, but it wasn't very silent at all which was dissapointing. My Gizmo was the only one who used it, and it clunked the entire time of use, really loud. At first I thought I set it up wrong, but I didn't. Not to mention it takes up alot of space on the CN cage for me anyway. I never used the ball on my rats, for what others stated, and just the fact I always gave my rats free range in my room hehe ^^
 

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