If you pet a hamster, you need to give them the same life they have in the wild. It’s just to keep them healthy and normal. Also, you can make a good bond with your pet hamster if you give the hamster all kinds of happiness.
So, you already know that you have to allow your pet hamster a running wheel besides food, water, and shelter, right? But what happens if you skip the “running wheel” part? Is there any bad thing that happens if a hamster doesn’t get a running wheel?
In this blog post, we will try to discuss the whole matter. So, stay with us to know more about this fact.
How Long Can a Hamster Go Without a Wheel?
Your hamster won’t die without a running wheel. It’s not a part of their diet. However, if you don’t give a hamster a running wheel, it may get bored easily and become fat. Obese in hamsters is quite bad as it leads a hamster to several serious health issues.
So, you may now understand the importance of a running wheel for a hamster. It’s not mandatory but it also should not be ignored. But what if you don’t manage a running wheel? What are the other alternatives to a running wheel? Well, stick to the article and you will know gradually.
Does A Hamster Need A Running Wheel?
To be frank, yes, a hamster surely needs a running wheel to perform their minimum physical exercises. A hamster can run or walk almost 9 to 10 kilometers a day in the wild.
When in captivity, a pet hamster doesn’t get the same chance to run or walk as the wild hamsters do. This is why a running wheel is needed for a hamster.
You see, a hamster is a nocturnal animal. It sleeps almost all day and starts being active from dusk to dawn. This means your pet hamster is super active at night. So, when a hamster gets bored it can run on a running wheel to keep itself cheerful.
Benefits of a Running Wheel for a Hamster
Now, you should learn the benefits of a running wheel for a hamster. Maybe you will be able to guess more about the importance of running wheels then. Let’s see what the benefits of a running wheel for a hamster are:
No Obesity
If your pet hamster runs on a running wheel, it gets adequate physical exercise. And physical exercises are important for both humans and hamsters. A hamster will be free from obesity by running and doing physical exercises.
No Stress
A running wheel is always fun to a hamster. If your pet hamster stays inside the cage most of the time, it gets bored easily. Who doesn’t, right? But you can help your hamster. If you provide a running wheel inside the cage, the hamster can run and have fun all night long. This will keep them out of stress. A Stressed hamster will not make a good bond with its owner. So, a running wheel is a must, eh?
Good Digestion
A pet hamster eats a lot like the wild hamsters. But it can’t hold the food inside of it for a long time. For good digestion, physical exercises are needed a lot. And a running wheel can be a good option for a hamster to do exercises. This keeps their body fit and helps in their digestion.
Strengthen Muscle and Bones
As a running hamster is more active, it develops its muscle and bones while doing physical exercises. Running on a wheel is safer than running inside of the house or outside of the house. A hamster can strengthen its muscle and bones while running on a wheel.
What Happens if a Hamster Doesn’t Have a Running Wheel?
Well, definitely a hamster will not die if it doesn’t get a running wheel. But surely it will get boring soon. Boredom can lead them to stress and stroke sometimes!
Hamsters are kind of lone animals. They like to vibe alone and try their best to stay inside the cage if all other things are comfortable to them.
So, staying inside of a cage for this long time is not an easy task. For this, a hamster needs toys and other things to keep itself cheerful. A running wheel is the most affordable option for a hamster to have a healthy and happy life.
Alternatives to a Running Wheel
Whenever you search for a hamster on the internet, you see a running hamster inside of a cage. Or if you search for a hamster cage both on the internet and in the local pet stores, they will recommend a running wheel with the cage.
Hamsters are tiny animals and nocturnal animals too. So, a hamster is active at night. And as they are too much moving animals, it’s hard to track them if you leave them inside of your house. Also, there are so much risk of a hamster getting in an accident and hurting itself while running inside the house. If a hamster gets stuck inside any thinner place of your house, it’s hard to find the hamster.
So, a running wheel is a must. But if you want to give your hamster exercise without any wheels, you can.
A play pan can be an alternative to the running wheel of a hamster. It’s safe too. It has a barrier so that your hamster doesn’t get out of it.
There is another option. A hamster ball can be another option for the running wheel. However, hamster balls are not always safe. Some hamsters get scared and hurt by using the ball.
If you can train a hamster to run inside your house or living room without getting stuck or having any accidents, that would be great. But a running wheel is always safe and the best option for a hamster.
Wrap Up
A hamster needs to run and do physical exercises. A running wheel is the best option for the hamster to do so. If your hamster is not using a running wheel that means it has some other issues. Maybe the hamster is scared or maybe the hamster is injured. However, when you think of buying a hamster as a pet, you should also budget for a hamster running wheel with it.