[Ben Aldhouse (OP)]

They get into them and go and go and go. Is the hamster fulfilling a need for exercise? What makes it get into the wheel in first place? I'm guessing it's not something they do in the wild. []

[DoctorBeaver]

I'm not sure if it's ever been studied, but my guess is that they enjoy it so they do it.

[JimBob]

What is it with humans and internet forums?

[DoctorBeaver]

Just found this at http://www.awionline.org/pubs/cq02/Cq-hamst.html

"The value of exercise wheels is still debated. The hamsters' intensive running in the wheel may simply be a locomotor stereotypy. The demand for a running wheel decreases with increased cage size, suggesting that rather than fostering stereotypical wheel-running in small cages, hamsters should be allowed to express their urge to move around in sufficiently spacious cages."

[lyner]

Have you visited a Gym recently?

[Alandriel]

Well, we once had two mini hamsters (those that are approx the size of your first thumb joint). They had a 3 floor cage of approx. 80cm x 40cm. Plenty of room for two such whimsical creatures you'd think yet they still LOVED nothing better than that wheel.

So much so that during the evenings we had to move them to the spare bathroom if we wanted to watch a movie.

locomotor stereotypy..... my foot!  []

 []

[Ben Aldhouse (OP)]

What is it with humans and internet forums?

Hah! *Goes back to loop of alt tabbing between forums*

[Monox D. I-Fly]

Well, we once had two mini hamsters (those that are approx the size of your first thumb joint). They had a 3 floor cage of approx. 80cm x 40cm. Plenty of room for two such whimsical creatures you'd think yet they still LOVED nothing better than that wheel.

Glad to know that the hamsters did having fun with the wheel. I recall some months ago I encountered a video on Facebook showing a cat trying a hamster wheel and gave up after just a few spin with annoyed expression.

[evan_au]

[NakedTruth]

Haha what a funny video! I guess if a hamster has no much space in its cage and sees the wheel, it automatically thinks of going inside and when it sees, that is spins, it will stay in so that it can do movements for its legs. Bc hamsters need movement, as they are going miles in the wild and therefore they really need to do "sports". For them this is the only possibility in the cage mostly.

[Monox D. I-Fly]

Haha what a funny video! I guess if a hamster has no much space in its cage and sees the wheel, it automatically thinks of going inside and when it sees, that is spins, it will stay in so that it can do movements for its legs. Bc hamsters need movement, as they are going miles in the wild and therefore they really need to do "sports". For them this is the only possibility in the cage mostly.

So a maze will also work?