FAQ: Wheels for small pets

Chewing is natural behaviour, and chewing the walls can signal boredom or a wish to get out. Provide more chew items and hiding places, and plastic panels that the animal actively chews are worth replacing with metal ones.

Hamsters are curious and love climbing, so corners and mesh walls become ladders for them. Choose smooth, taller walls, keep objects that could serve as a springboard away from them and do not leave the animal unsupervised.

It is not recommended, because different species communicate differently and can injure each other or pass on diseases. For example, a rabbit can accidentally hurt a guinea pig, so it is better to give each species its own pen time.

Only if the predator cannot get into the room or the pen has a solid roof, and always under supervision. Even the presence of a calm dog or cat nearby can cause a small pet a lot of stress.

Chinchillas are excellent jumpers and can clear a low pen, so only a tall, covered pen or a completely safe room suits them. Choose a cool time of day for running and remove anything the chinchilla could chew.

Degus are agile, jump well and chew everything, so they need a tall metal or solid-walled pen, or ideally a safe room. Add hiding and climbing places and supervise them the whole time.

Hide or cover electrical cables, block gaps behind furniture, remove toxic houseplants and small objects. Close windows and doors and check there are no openings the animal could escape through.

Small pets instinctively chew whatever they come across, including cables, so they can get an electric shock or burns. In the running area, lift cables out of reach, hide them in protective channels or unplug them.

Yes, rats are intelligent and active, so daily time in a safe room or pen is recommended for them. Free roaming, play and interaction with the owner often matter more to rats than any wheel.

The easiest way is to lure the animal into a tunnel, carrier or hideout with a treat rather than chasing it by hand. Repeating this routine regularly helps the animal learn to come back by itself.

Close the room door so it cannot get any further, and leave food and water on the floor by the walls. Hamsters are active at night, so they often appear after dark, and it can be lured into a box or bucket with bedding and food.

Climbing is a very important form of exercise for rats, mice, degus and chinchillas, so ladders, shelves and ropes enrich the cage. Heights are more dangerous for hamsters and guinea pigs, so low ramps and platforms suit them.

Hamsters see poorly and fall easily, so the height difference between levels should not exceed about 20–25 cm. Put a thick layer of bedding under higher platforms so a fall is softened.

Guinea pigs do not climb, but a low, gentle ramp with sides and a non-slip surface up to a second level can interest them. If the ramp is too steep or slippery, the animal may fall and get hurt.

A leg can slip through and get trapped in the gaps between rungs, especially for small animals. Solid ramps with crosswise strips or steps with small gaps are safer.

Yes, rats love climbing ropes and resting in hammocks, so they provide good exercise and enrichment. Ropes should be made of natural fibres, and worn ones with loose threads should be replaced so the animal does not get tangled.

A chinchilla needs a tall cage with several shelves for jumping, a wheel of the right size and daily supervised time in a safe room. Chinchillas are most active in the evening, so running time is best planned then.

A metal wheel with a solid surface is usually recommended, because chinchillas chew actively and can quickly damage plastic or fall ill from swallowing bits of it. The metal must have no sharp edges and the wheel must stand firmly.

Yes, chinchillas are very sensitive to heat, so intensive running in a warm room can harm them. The cage should stand in a cool place, and on hot days the chinchilla’s activity and the room temperature need close watching.

Yes, a degu’s tail skin is delicate and can slip off if it is gripped or pinched. That is why degus should only have solid wheels mounted on one side with no gaps, and they must never be lifted by the tail.