Hedgehogs and their Wheels!

[wyvernrider18]

Hotaru is the strangest little hedgie with her wheel! Whenever there is no wheel available to her, she'll pretty much stop eating. This only happens when there is no wheel in her cage. She doesn't so it initially, but a few days of there being no wheel, she doesn't want to eat. Currently, the wheel I have for her is broken and I can't use it. I have one on order, but the person I ordered it from is taking her sweet time shipping it to me. I've been noticing for the past few days she really hasn't been eating her food, which I know she likes because she's eaten it in large quantities before. She's not sick and she's not trying to hibernate as she is contantly running around and knocking things over because she's bored. Anyone have any suggestions on what I can use to entertain her until her new wheel comes in? Currently i have a toilet paper tube and a cat jingle ball in her cage to play with as I don't have any ideas on what to use... I have been hand feeding her mealies and kibble to make sure she does eat something, so its not like she isn't eating at all, but I would like her to eat more normal meals.

[southcalihedgie]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear that your little friend is not eating. Do you live near a local pet store that may carry chin wheels? I have hand made bucket wheels, but I bought one of the chin wheels as a back up after one of my bucket wheels needed repair. They are about $15 at PetsMart. They are solid like a bucket wheel so they are hedgie safe. The bottom is not as sturdy as the ones made of PVC so they are easily tipped by a burrowing hedgie so I would secure the base to the wall of your cage.

If you do not want to buy another wheel maybe letting her run around (supervised ofcourse) will help her burn off some energy and work up an appetite.

I hope this helps. Keep us posted! :)

[freznow]

Yeah, you could make a quick run to a pet store to see if you can find a comfort wheel... It'd still be good as a back up for the future...

[wyvernrider18]

The only pet stores that would sell them are over an hour away and they cost like $30-$40. I already thought about that option, but why spend that much on a wheel, when I'm suposed to be getting the same kind of wheel, brand new for half the price? It just peeves me that people are taking so long to send the wheel I ordered.

[freznow]

Wow, that's tough... I really don't know anything to help... Hope you get the wheel soon though!!!

[Vincent]

I'd send a reminder to the people who're supposed to be sending your wheel, for one.

In their cages, my boys have several other options besides their wheel. They both have a jingly cat ball and a toilet paper tube, as well as a fuzzy little cat toy that they push around, a stuffed animal (beanie baby), and a section of plastic tube. :) Oh, and a blanket. Vincent has a comfort wheel, and he likes to crawl underneath of it and push up with his legs, so that the wheel pops off the stand. Needless to say, he's had a few wheel-less nights, and they haven't killed him. ;)

As long as Hotaru is eating something, it seems like a relatively harmless situation. The diet change may also be due to weather changes... at least, that's a trend I've noticed around here. :)

[Falcon]

I've heard of some hedgie owners having those plastic exercise balls that small animals can run around in. Most users complain that they have to be cleaned very often as hedgies tend to go to the bathroom while on the run. If they pee in it, the pee can slip through the cracks in it and make a mess. However, I think some people like them. Make sure you buy the large size one. Here is another thread about them you can review.

Hedgehog Exercise Ball Thread (http://www.chins-n-quills.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102075)

It's an additional cost, but at least you wouldn't be buying something you already have on order.

It's just a thought.

[southcalihedgie]

Wow I wonder why the wheels are so expensive, I would not want to spend that much on a back up wheel either. As long as your little guy is eating I guess thats okay, but I would gladly pay for an extra wheel if my guys stopped eating entirely not eating can cause health problems.

Maybe you should just try letting your hh run around and explore more to compensate for the wheel. Maybe you can use your bath tub. I have always wondered by watching my guys try to scramble out of the tub to escape a bath if they were trying to wheel on the smooth surface. The smooth surface will be safe for their feet, easy to clean, and you can throw in a couple of toys and a blankie.

[Jeanette]

I bought a 12" Silent Spinner for 28$. I personally love it (and so does Spiny).
What kind of wheel did you buy?

[wyvernrider18]

The wheel that broke that I have to replace is a Silent Spinner. It pissed me off because I paid $30 for that thing and it broke on the same day when I was trying to install it into the cage. It was still useable at the time, I just patched up the plastic and called it good, but for some reason, it no longer spins well enough that Hotaru is strong enough to use it and its difficult to get it in and out of the cage because its so big. Because of this, I ordered a 10" comfort wheel since it should be big enough for her and it'll better fit in the cage. I've always had good luck with the comfort wheels, so it works out. Now I just need to get the wheel... lol.