Wheels?

by Clementine Tue 27 Oct 2020, 6:45 pm

I have a few questions regarding mouse wheels. Firstly, at my local pet store there are not very many options. The biggest solid wheel is 6.5 in., which may or may not be too small. There are bigger wheels, but they're made of wire, which I've heard is bad. Which wheel should I choose? Or should I just skip the wheel all together and go with a spinning saucer, which I am nervous about, particularly because I have heard that mice don't like them as much? I need help!

by M O U S E Tue 27 Oct 2020, 6:55 pm

A 6.5 inch wheel doesn't sound too small. Personally, I find that wheels that sit upright or clip to the side of a cage make a LOT of noise and need a lot of oiling. On the other hand, saucer wheels make less noise but get very messy and are annoying to clean. Depending on how big the cage you have is and how many mice you are getting, you could use more than one wheel.

by Clementine Wed 28 Oct 2020, 7:36 am

Okay, thanks! This really helped me.08:35:45 Smile

by SarahAdams Wed 28 Oct 2020, 2:42 pm

I would not use a 6.5" inch wheel which can cause problems with the mouse's tail or even their backs if they are a little larger. Mine had 7" wheels and I realized they were too small for mice because of the tails, so I got mine the 8.5" Comfort Wheels. They are one of the most inexpensive, are safe and my mice love them. You can get them on Amazon for around 16$
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0002AS94C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

by Robin~ Wed 28 Oct 2020, 3:00 pm

You can also buy wheels online. If you’re in search of a silent one the Silent Runner (not to be confused with the Silent Spinner) is great; both sizes work for mice. The Wodent Wheel is great if you’re on a budget; again, all sizes work fine. Exotic Nutrition has some great prices/shipping rates.

by M O U S E Thu 29 Oct 2020, 6:34 am

I apologize for the misinformation about the 6.5" sounding okay. I didn't know their tails could get injured, but it makes sense.

Also, there is a difference between barred wheels and mesh wheels. Barred wheels have a bar going horizontally only, and are unsafe as paws can slip through and get injured. However, mesh wheels are safer, as they have bars going both horizontally and vertically.

by Clementine Thu 29 Oct 2020, 7:42 am

So I'm getting 3 females in a 15 gallon tank. How many should I get, and should I get wheels or saucers?

by chiroptera Sun 01 Nov 2020, 2:54 am

I use 6.5" silent spinners and have never once had an issue with wheel tail or seen them bend their spines, even for my bigger mice, personally I think 6.5 is big enough. Of course, if you want to be on the safe side and get bigger, that's never a bad idea either, but I haven't seen mine have issues with the 6.5.

I like to offer my mice both an upright wheel and a saucer wheel, and I've found that there are some mice that prefer the silent spinners, and some that prefer the saucer. If there's only one wheel in a cage, most mice will use either, but if there are both options, they tend to use one or the other in my experience.

For a trio of girls in a 15g, my personal recommendation would be to try a single saucer and a single upright wheel, and allow them both options.

by SarahAdams Thu 05 Nov 2020, 5:55 pm

Sorry if I spoke out of line about wheels. I did read elsewhere and also on this site about smaller wheels:

Small wheels can cause or aggravate "wheel tail." This is when the tail of the mouse curls up over the back to an extreme, and it can lead to spine injury and eventually cause stiffness and arthritis. When in doubt, get a bigger wheel. As long as your mouse can make the wheel spin, it isn't too big.

I noticed that when my mice were using their 6.5" wheels that their tails were in extreme curls over their backs. Since switching to an 8.5" inch wheel, their tails are in a much more natural position:
Wheels? 2phyXID

by Clementine Fri 06 Nov 2020, 6:50 am

Thank you for your advice!

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