Mice Fighting Over Who Gets To Use The Wheel?

by Plazmotech Thu 16 Feb 2017, 8:56 am

One of my mice figured out how to use her wheel about two weeks after we got her. The other took like two weeks longer. Once they both got comfortable and happy running, now they fight over it! Nibbles will go up to Snoopy while she's running and like scratch her or something and they make fighting/squeaking noises until she gets off. I'm concerned that Nibbles will hurt herself (like get hit in the face with the wheel or something) or hurt Snoopy while scratching her. How do I get them to stop?

I was going to go to the Pet store and get a new wheel today (probably a silent spinner since they make so much noise!) but I didn't want to get two, because I didn't want to waste cage space (I have 344sq in of space for the both of them, plus two higher platforms so I guess a little more) but I still would like to fill it with toys instead of wheels.

Thanks

by Winter Moose Thu 16 Feb 2017, 6:33 pm

You can always get another wheel, and put it on a platform, so that you can use the space underneath.

by MesaMouse Thu 16 Feb 2017, 9:32 pm

A saucer wheel atop a hide is always a good option as two mice can easily run together on it. When I had my quintet, three would always try to run together but one was usually running in the opposite direction Laughing

!

by scaredymouse Fri 17 Feb 2017, 4:53 am

I'm not sure what kind of wheel you currently have but by the sound of it, maybe a mesh wheel... Mice usually sort these things out in their own time. But I can tell you what wheels have worked the best in my colony. At one point, I had a colony of 6 females l, which is tricky! I had two wheels in that tank, an 8" mesh wheel and the 7" (medium) flying saucer. The problem with the silent spinner is that it is *not* silent and that only fits one mouse at a time... So despite having two wheels, you may still end up with fighting for the wheel.

So for that reason, I would agree that a flying saucer would be good and if you built a platform, you could make use if the space underneath. And if the wheel you have now is anything smaller than an 8", you might consider picking one of those up. All my mice love to run together on that big 'ol mesh wheel.

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Mice Fighting Over Who Gets To Use The Wheel?

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