new wheel not being used :(

[abrokecupoftea]

hi! i recently adopted pebbleheart my russian dwarf hamster and i got her while i was in a really bad mental state. it was a very spur of the moment decision and because of that i overlooked some of her needs. her original cage had a wheel but she was never able to climb onto it (it was raised and i couldn't deloft it) so i went out and bought another one today and set it up in her cage. she's gone almost 12 hours without a wheel (though she was asleep for most of it) and now she's seen the wheel but isn't using it or interacting with it in any way. i don't have any treats for her as i got dried fruit before realizing that it had too much sugar for her and i don't want her to go a night without it. any help would be appreciated!

(you'll probably see me a lot on these forums the pet stores i go to all give me mixed information and i'd like to double check what they say before making any decisions that may harm her)

 

[myhobbyismyhamster]

I did a little research on this, and a few reasons are that the wheel is too small or they’re stressed. How long have you had her for? If it’s only been a short while she could still be adjusting to her environment, and not feel comfortable enough to run. Also what size and brand wheel is it? Dwarf hamsters need a wheel that is 8 inches minimum. If the wheel is too small, that could also be why she isn’t using it.

I’m no hamster expert, these are just a few ideas I thought of that could be the reason behind her not using her wheel!

 

[Amy]

hi! i recently adopted pebbleheart my russian dwarf hamster and i got her while i was in a really bad mental state. it was a very spur of the moment decision and because of that i overlooked some of her needs. her original cage had a wheel but she was never able to climb onto it (it was raised and i couldn't deloft it) so i went out and bought another one today and set it up in her cage. she's gone almost 12 hours without a wheel (though she was asleep for most of it) and now she's seen the wheel but isn't using it or interacting with it in any way. i don't have any treats for her as i got dried fruit before realizing that it had too much sugar for her and i don't want her to go a night without it. any help would be appreciated!

(you'll probably see me a lot on these forums the pet stores i go to all give me mixed information and i'd like to double check what they say before making any decisions that may harm her)

I am sure as she gets more confident with her new home she will start tu use the wheel. My hamster didn’t use it the first day, now he addicted to his beloved wheel
You will find many helpful tips and advice here. Don’t be shy to ask if you have questions, I found it so helpful and comforting as I have not had a hamster for years and things have changed a lot (fortunately). Back in the days we didn’t have much choice with cages, setups or food.
I hope you are having a great time bonding and lots of fun with your beautiful little friend.

 

[abrokecupoftea]

I did a little research on this, and a few reasons are that the wheel is too small or they’re stressed. How long have you had her for? If it’s only been a short while she could still be adjusting to her environment, and not feel comfortable enough to run. Also what size and brand wheel is it? Dwarf hamsters need a wheel that is 8 inches minimum. If the wheel is too small, that could also be why she isn’t using it.

I’m no hamster expert, these are just a few ideas I thought of that could be the reason behind her not using her wheel!

it's been less than 48 hours since i got her and the wheel is roughly 5 1/2 - 6 in! the pet store employee told me it might be too big for her since the wheel she used was 4 in there! but i'll def give it some time and look into bigger options on the side to replace her current wheel with!

 

[abrokecupoftea]

I am sure as she gets more confident with her new home she will start tu use the wheel. My hamster didn’t use it the first day, now he addicted to his beloved wheel
You will find many helpful tips and advice here. Don’t be shy to ask if you have questions, I found it so helpful and comforting as I have not had a hamster for years and things have changed a lot (fortunately). Back in the days we didn’t have much choice with cages, setups or food.
I hope you are having a great time bonding and lots of fun with your beautiful little friend.

oh thats wonderful to hear! i'm a first time pet owner so everything she does and doesn't do makes me nervous haha. i appreciate ur advice hopefully she'll get back to running on her wheel soon!

 

[Amy]

it's been less than 48 hours since i got her and the wheel is roughly 5 1/2 - 6 in! the pet store employee told me it might be too big for her since the wheel she used was 4 in there! but i'll def give it some time and look into bigger options on the side to replace her current wheel with!

I posted a wheel review on an affordable wheel from Amazon, they have many options there.

 

[abrokecupoftea]

I posted a wheel review on an affordable wheel from Amazon, they have many options there.

thank you! i have an 8.3 inch wheel coming in tomorrow!!!

 

[Maz]

Yes a 6" wheel is too small really. I'm wondering about your cage as well actually? From your other post. Is it a crittertrail? And if so, what size is it? An 8" wheel might completely fill it! They do take a couple of weeks to settle in and to be able to settle they need plenty of bedding depth and somewhere dark to retreat to - eg under bedding or a house that's dark inside. She will be ok for now and maybe just add a big pile of torn up strips of plain white toilet paper so she can build a nest

 

[abrokecupoftea]

Yes a 6" wheel is too small really. I'm wondering about your cage as well actually? From your other post. Is it a crittertrail? And if so, what size is it? An 8" wheel might completely fill it! They do take a couple of weeks to settle in and to be able to settle they need plenty of bedding depth and somewhere dark to retreat to - eg under bedding or a house that's dark inside. She will be ok for now and maybe just add a big pile of torn up strips of plain white toilet paper so she can build a nest

yes it's crittertrail! i got a bigger one that im using as a base and the dimensions are allowing for platforms, bigger wheels, and chambers! i'll be changing her into her new cage once all my supplies arrive (sand for a sand bath, some platforms, a new water feeder etc) im trying to give her as many hiding places and as much burrowing opportunities for her as i can!

 

[Amy]

yes it's crittertrail! i got a bigger one that im using as a base and the dimensions are allowing for platforms, bigger wheels, and chambers! i'll be changing her into her new cage once all my supplies arrive (sand for a sand bath, some platforms, a new water feeder etc) im trying to give her as many hiding places and as much burrowing opportunities for her as i can!

Great that you are taking so much care and informing yourself she is lucky to have found you

 

[abrokecupoftea]

Great that you are taking so much care and informing yourself she is lucky to have found you

yes! honestly there's so much i wish i knew beforehand just to make the transition easier for her but im hoping the cage switch won't stress her out! thank you so much

 

[Rescued One]

it's been less than 48 hours since i got her and the wheel is roughly 5 1/2 - 6 in! the pet store employee told me it might be too big for her since the wheel she used was 4 in there! but i'll def give it some time and look into bigger options on the side to replace her current wheel with!

I agree with Maz that the 8" will be the perfect size. If she wasn't able to use the other wheel either, and this one is smallish, she may simply not know what to do with the thing. I just adopted a year-old dwarf hamster who had a flying saucer but no wheel, and he truly didn't know what to do with it! He kept climbing in and just sitting there while the wheel rocked back and forth. Once he figured it out he couldn't get enough laps in. Pebbleheart can do without a wheel for a few days without harm

 

[abrokecupoftea]

I agree with Maz that the 8" will be the perfect size. If she wasn't able to use the other wheel either, and this one is smallish, she may simply not know what to do with the thing. I just adopted a year-old dwarf hamster who had a flying saucer but no wheel, and he truly didn't know what to do with it! He kept climbing in and just sitting there while the wheel rocked back and forth. Once he figured it out he couldn't get enough laps in. Pebbleheart can do without a wheel for a few days without harm

okay thank you so much! that's so reliving to hear! pebbleheart is my first ever pet so i think im overthinking a lot of her needs! Thank you so much for adding in though! i've bought an 8.3in wheel and im excited to see if she likes it!

 

[ilguy]

Something overlooked, if you can get a pet camera. They might be waiting until you're asleep and coming out to zoom on the wheel then. Very helpful in general to monitor your hams behavior & health

 

[Maz]

Exciting that it’s your first pet . We are all super conscious and anxious about our first fur babies I think- but I’m sure you two will get along fine

 

[abrokecupoftea]

Something overlooked, if you can get a pet camera. They might be waiting until you're asleep and coming out to zoom on the wheel then. Very helpful in general to monitor your hams behavior & health

omg ur right wait i forgot about them! r there any recs or differences for hamster specific cams ? or do i look for one that'll hang on her cage? ty!!!

 

[abrokecupoftea]

Exciting that it’s your first pet . We are all super conscious and anxious about our first fur babies I think- but I’m sure you two will get along fine

>< yes!!!! tyty im really excited to see her settle into her environment

 

[Maz]

It’s not essential to have a hamstercam . It’s nice if you can but if you have other things to get, the costs can start adding up. I got one for a Christmas present one year - it cost about £30. It can be nice to see what they get up to at night (you watch the footage next day and mine just records movement so you only watch those bits).

Another way to check if they’re using the wheel at night, is to put a bit of bedding on top of the wheel before you go to bed and see if it’s gone in the morning. It is common for them to only use the wheel once the lights are out

 

[abrokecupoftea]

It’s not essential to have a hamstercam . It’s nice if you can but if you have other things to get, the costs can start adding up. I got one for a Christmas present one year - it cost about £30. It can be nice to see what they get up to at night (you watch the footage next day and mine just records movement so you only watch those bits).

Another way to check if they’re using the wheel at night, is to put a bit of bedding on top of the wheel before you go to bed and see if it’s gone in the morning. It is common for them to only use the wheel once the lights are out

ooo that's a genius idea i'll test that out tonight! my birthday is coming up soon anyways so im making a list of hamster stuff i want lol thank you for the tips!