Putting mice in hamster balls?

by Wishfulturtle Thu 15 Feb 2018, 5:27 am

Okay, I've seen videos of mice playing in hamster balls, and they are adorable!! I was wondering if it would be safe to have a mouse in a hamster ball, as I've been considering buying one or two for my female mice... Very Happy

by deleted Thu 15 Feb 2018, 5:38 am

The opinion on hamster ball are very spread, some see them as complete cruel while others think they are fine.

Essentially you can put any animal in there if you want, but whether or not you think it's a good idea is up to your judgment. =)
I personally do not like them, since the animal is trapped in there with no way to run or hide. It can also get hurt if it runs fast enough into something, gets kicked or goes over the edge of a staircase...

by Wishfulturtle Thu 15 Feb 2018, 5:43 am

Okay I shall take this into account, thank you! Smile

by stephlisa Thu 15 Feb 2018, 7:16 am

I've found that mice don't tend to enjoy them that much, they'd much rather be out on a safe space rather than in my ball. My current boy panicked when we offered it to him, so needless to say we won't be trying that again.

I've found that letting him play on the bed with a selection of blankets to play in is far more exciting for him.

by CinnamonPearl Thu 15 Feb 2018, 11:50 am

It's definitely best to give your mouse a very short trial run in a ball, and if they don't like it or don't understand how to use it, then just don't put them in one again. I rarely use them since I find them a bit of a hassle, but I've had mice who enjoyed them very much. Most of my current girls just get confused by them. Either way, so long as you have the correct size, they can be fun, but make sure to tape the door shut (they have a tendency to fall out during use and let the mouse escape), and only use them for 10-15 minutes at a time, as they get gunked up quickly.

by Blessed Thu 15 Feb 2018, 1:32 pm

Hello there, Wishfulturtle. Your profile mouse is gorgeous!! Heart Eyes

Yes, mice can be safely and comfortably(?) be in those exercise balls... I have a mouse-sized (so, the smallest one) green one for my girls. I haven't used it in so long, though, and rarely use it, anyways. I actually used it the most (which wasn't even once a week, most likely) with my first mouse, Danny. But, as the others said, mice don't seem to like them. Most of my mice wouldn't move a whole lot in them. Naomi, my wild mouse, she just zoomed away once she was put in it, but... that's because she was wild. Laughing

I think Lydia, one of my past mice, wouldn't actually go potty in it like the others do, and then a different one would roll a bit, I think, but other than that, they really don't seem to like them or move much on the floor in them. Razz

by CucumberMouse Thu 15 Feb 2018, 6:18 pm

Personally, I wouldn't suggest them. I find that it can stress mice, some just freeze up in the ball because they get frightened. There are also a lot of outside risks, even under close supervision. They would run into objects, plus any crumbs left on the floor can actually squeeze through the holes of the ball when your mouse runs over them. If your mouse were to pick up a crumb of chocolate that got stuck in the ball and eat, that definitely wouldn't be good. Mice can also get dehydrated very quickly, probably not in a 10-15 minute span, but still. I also think that the exercise balls can be a little...gross? Especially with males, the mice can pee inside the ball, the pee would get on the floor and probably on your mice too as they run around in the ball.
I don't think running in a ball is really detrimental to a mouse's health, but they usually don't like it and it's a hassle. You can still try it if you want though Smile

by Rodents rock! Thu 15 Feb 2018, 8:24 pm

My personal opinion is I don't like them for any rodent. There are many other fun ways for playtime, especially where you are interacting with your pets.

by BambaSnack Thu 22 Feb 2018, 2:07 pm

I have tried hamster balls with two of my mice and they soon grew bored them. I think they realized what was going on and new there was no where to actually run away and hide. My sister used these for her dwarf hamsters and both would constantly crash into things and get bloody noses. If you use them, I'd suggest using a track but honestly, I don't think mice enjoy them that much. It's a pain to clean out the poop in them.

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