To use a wheel or not? I have currently have three wheels in our main cages and have used saucers as well. By far the rat's choice is the Kaytee 12" Silent Spinner Wheel. The saucers are great to use if the rats have ALWAYS had them since a baby. Otherwise they do not seem to grasp the hang of them and fly off rather quickly. Two of my girls still love them however the rest prefer to run & sleep on the Silent Spinner. Our boys tend to be a bit too lazy/ big for even the 12" wheel. The last time our 2# boy got on it actually fell apart from the cage. This has only happened once, but that was enough to keep him from even venturing to that level in the cage. The connector that holds it to the cage actually came out of the main wheel. I had to accept that some of my boys needed an alternative exercise since they are just too big for the wheels while the younger boys and all the girls seem to enjoy running on it often.
The Silent Spinner is pretty easy to detach from the cage to clean. If you have a calm rat that likes to run it seems to hold up fairly well. However, one of ours likes to hop/run. This is just too hard on the Silent Spinners attachments. It wobbles and breaks down rather quickly and has to be removed because of the awful wobbly noise it starts to make.
To recap, the Kaytee Silent Spinner has a variety of colors, it is easy to attach to bars, easy to clean and nice 12" size. On average I have found it for around $22 at local pet shops. The biggest complaint, it wears down quickly with rambunctious runners.
*** I would rate the Kaytee Silent Spinner with - 3 out of 5 stars
If you are planning on getting a wheel, make sure you invest and get the larger one (at least 12"). They will outgrow the smaller sizes in just a few months and can develop many complications from running on the wheel if not closely monitored. This can include but are not limited to spinal curvature (wheel tail), back injuries, nerve damage and even muscular injury.
(Links may not be the current cheapest around but will give you an idea of what we are talking about. All of the Amazon Smile links can benefit Best Friends Rodent Rescue. It is simple to set up - follow directions at the top of the Amazon for 'Amazon Smile' then find their non profit charity. Once you set it up, save a bookmark for every time you use Amazon)
The Silent Spinner is pretty easy to detach from the cage to clean. If you have a calm rat that likes to run it seems to hold up fairly well. However, one of ours likes to hop/run. This is just too hard on the Silent Spinners attachments. It wobbles and breaks down rather quickly and has to be removed because of the awful wobbly noise it starts to make.
To recap, the Kaytee Silent Spinner has a variety of colors, it is easy to attach to bars, easy to clean and nice 12" size. On average I have found it for around $22 at local pet shops. The biggest complaint, it wears down quickly with rambunctious runners.
*** I would rate the Kaytee Silent Spinner with - 3 out of 5 stars
If you are planning on getting a wheel, make sure you invest and get the larger one (at least 12"). They will outgrow the smaller sizes in just a few months and can develop many complications from running on the wheel if not closely monitored. This can include but are not limited to spinal curvature (wheel tail), back injuries, nerve damage and even muscular injury.
(Links may not be the current cheapest around but will give you an idea of what we are talking about. All of the Amazon Smile links can benefit Best Friends Rodent Rescue. It is simple to set up - follow directions at the top of the Amazon for 'Amazon Smile' then find their non profit charity. Once you set it up, save a bookmark for every time you use Amazon)
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