Walking balls for rodents
Runners for rodents are used if the animal is kept in a cage that does not allow it to move a lot and quickly.
Lack of activity causes obesity, muscle weakness, chronic diseases, and shortens life expectancy. Wheels and balls for rodents allow you to reproduce natural habitat conditions. The animal instinctively understands what the device is intended for and how it is used. Often, it is enough for the owner to help the pet once.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytcopyrightru
They are used when keeping fast-moving animals - rats, hamsters, mice, and less often chinchillas. The rabbit wheel is not used - this animal does not run, but jumps.
An additional device for increasing the activity of your pet is a walking ball for rodents - hamsters and chinchillas. Ensures safe movement around the apartment - the animal will not hide behind furniture, chew property, be eaten by a cat, or be accidentally crushed.
Recommended models:
- For walks around the house - do not allow the pet to get out on its own. IMAC Fun Bowl models are designed in the shape of a rugby ball, which prevents them from tipping over on their side. IPTS Beeztees and Triol - round design. The balls are easily opened by the owner of the animal and are equipped with holes for ventilation.
- For a cage, the animal can independently enter and leave the ball. Model IPTS Beeztees with entry holes is a walking ball for a hamster, used in a cage or apartment under strict supervision. Transparent material allows you to observe your pet.
You can buy a silent wheel and a walking ball for a hamster, chinchilla or rat at the price from the manufacturer in the 12 Monkeys store. There is a wide selection of models of different diameters. We sell high-quality and safe products from leading manufacturers.
Tips for beginner degu squirrel lovers
Degu, Octodon degus , is a South American rodent common in Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Peru. They are most active during the day, but graze mainly in the morning and evening; summer heat is avoided, as direct sunlight can cause them heatstroke. It is known that they live in family groups, consisting of 1–2 adult males and up to 5 adult females with young animals (from 5 to 10 individuals).
My daughter brought this creature 4 years ago in a winter hat, in the form of a small gray lump. Friends who breed degus have expanded their family. They gave away gifts left and right. And since my daughter is allergic to larger and more serious pets, she was allowed to have this miracle.
It must be said that for the first six months the “miracle” was not such a thing, since it mercilessly bit our fingers until we bled when we tried to grab him and put him in the cage. This is why degus and small children are dangerous neighbors! Both for the child and for the animal. I would like to note that you cannot take degus from above at all: at the level of an innate reflex, they think that these are birds of prey, and bravely dig into their enemies with needle-sharp teeth.
It was then, after several years, that Molly—that’s what we called our “mouse”—was convinced that there were no evil flying creatures in her new habitat, learned human language and turned into a tame and intelligent animal. A small but full-fledged member of the family. The main thing is that this family member does not get under your feet when he is walking free!
Now Molly instantly jumps into the cage at the first gesture of the owner. And if he bites your hands while sitting on your lap, it’s more affectionately and gently than in the hope of drawing blood.
A degu at home is an animal that rushes around the apartment with lightning speed (which is more like teleportation from one room to another), easily soaring onto the highest pieces of furniture (degus in nature jump up to 1 m in height), and has the ability to slip through fingers and the most unimaginable crevices, like the liquid robot from Terminator 2, and, what’s most unpleasant, with imperturbable persistence, he tries everything he can to his teeth.
Yes, yes, degus, however, like most pets, in addition to the joy of communication, bring a lot of sadness to their owners in the form of damaged household items. Be it chewed electrical wiring, the lower parts of the doors turned like a beaver, or leather gloves, wallets and bags decorated with ornaments from the bites of small but harmful teeth (if you managed to get to them unnoticed). How many times did we initially have to repair damaged wires until we secured them from our little animal! After all, there is still a danger that in its zeal the rodent will end up “gnawing” the wire to the point of current, and this will end disastrously.
Therefore, at home, the animal must be allowed out on the promenade at least once a day.
There are many funny incidents associated with walking.
One day, a degu stole a sea shell from a shelf, the size of itself. There was no way to take it away - it was like taking a bone from a dog. She grumbled menacingly and did not let go of her teeth. With great difficulty, she dragged the trophy behind the sofa and then periodically gnawed on it.
Molly is also a climber. Somehow I climbed onto a two-meter high cabinet without a safety net. It was scary how she would come back down. Incredibly, she did it! Remember the cow in the famous Russian comedy? “If you want to live, you won’t get so excited!” After this acrobatic sketch, she was barred from entering the room with the “killer closet.”
Photo: Irina Brichkalevich
The same as in the kitchen. You think that the “mouse” is still far away, and therefore you can sneak into the kitchen, closing the door behind you. But it was not there! We have already mentioned the degu's teleportation abilities. Before you even have time to blink an eye, she is already sitting on the kitchen table and peacefully absorbing crackers that were not intended for her, but are so delicious. From the floor to the chair, from the chair to the table... And the party began.
What about the bathroom? Degu often infiltrated there too. Under the bathroom we have a small gap between the pipe and the wall that leads to the neighbors. One day the “mouse” disappeared into his darkness. We almost said goodbye to her. But by some miracle I found my way back.
Since then, her travel area has been limited to a room and a corridor.
If these difficulties and hassle frighten you, there is another option that is completely safe for both parties: put the degu in a large multi-story cage that can accommodate a wheel (degus spin in them like squirrels), wooden houses, and ladders with tunnels. Then the rodent will be able to warm up as much as he wants without going outside.
You can also put a bath there with sand, in which degus bathe - in the manner of sparrows. She does this, by the way, also very funny - she dives into the sand with lightning speed, makes a couple of sharp movements, emerges and rushes on.
In general, as we have already said, this is an amazingly smart and charming rodent. All zoo manuals say that degus are very social animals. This is true. Alone they feel sad. And they can even die from depression if no one communicates with them. Since we do not have the opportunity to make her a boyfriend, we compensate for the absence of mustachioed relatives with our communication and tactile contact. Sometimes it's enough to just stick your hand into the cage and pet it. This helps if the “mouse” breaks out of its cage or persistently “cackles” as if complaining about something. Or take it and carry it in your arms.
There is one more little problem. Degu loves hammocks. If only you could see how cutely she stretches and yawns in her cozy hammock, how funny she curls up into a ball or turns over from side to side, demonstrating her eternal high with her whole appearance. But here’s the problem: in her free time from sleep, she furiously gnaws the object of her desire, gradually turning her into torn rags. Have to change it often. So you can splurge on hammocks. I think she just, like all girls, loves new bedding... Of course, she has the appropriate mineral stones and branches in her home so that she has something to sharpen her fangs on, but tearing up hammocks is a nice thing.
But she has one more sweet quality: she is our house watchman. Size, as they say, doesn't matter. Have you ever heard about guard mice?.. Possessing amazing hearing, she hears from afar when neighbors or residents of our apartment open the common door on the floor with a key, and warns about this in advance with a war cry. Moreover, her “guard” cry is special - in other cases she uses other sounds.
And recently it turned out that she wants to be with us in the living room, and not in the corridor. If in the corridor she constantly made noise with the cage door, trying to break free, then in the room she began to behave as quiet as water below the grass. She can't be away from people!
And who will now say that rodents are stupider than cats and dogs? Or that they have no attachment to a person?..
Photo: Irina Brichkalevich
Believe me, the small everyday troubles that come from degus are nothing compared to the love and affection they will inspire in you. Unfortunately, these cute animals do not live long: at home - 7 years. But even in this short time, I’m sure the degu will have time to leave a huge mark on your souls.
Practical advice for beginning winemakers:
■ There are no problems with the diet of degus: all pet stores have enough of this stuff. We try to mix different foods so that there is plenty to choose from.
■ As far as human food goes, the degu loves dry bread, nuts and seeds. The main thing is not to overdo it, but to give these treats occasionally and in tiny pieces, since nuts are a fatty food. Degus should also not be given sweets, otherwise they will get - crazy - diabetes!
■ You definitely need to buy or prepare yourself apple, hazel, currant branches and dandelion roots. They also love hay (you need to take one that is specifically designed for rodents). It is necessary to give degus calcium in the form of tablets for rodents.
■ The food bowl must be cleaned and washed with hot water every day. The water in the drinking bowl must also be changed daily.
■ Degus are hypoallergenic and do not smell. It is advisable to clean and wash your home once a week. Wood filler is placed at the bottom of the cage.
■ A small intimate nuance. Unlike cats, degus, alas, are not litter box trained, so during walks it is better to lay an appropriate “mouse” blanket on the sofa or bed, from which you can then easily remove traces of your pet’s vital activity.
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Materials and technical characteristics of running wheels
There are two types of running wheels for rodents:
- Cages attached to the grid.
- Pallet mounted.
Both types of fastening are convenient. The second is suitable for more spacious enclosures. Mandatory
– solid surface. That is, there should not be large gaps on the plane on which the animal runs. This is important, since the degu has a long tail, which, if caught in the gap between the steps of the spinning wheel, can break and fall off completely. This is the peculiarity of degus.
For Chilean squirrels it will be convenient to use a wheel with a diameter of 25-30 cm. The material can be any - metal, plastic, plexiglass. But a metal toy, of course, is more durable, although it costs more. The price of a running wheel can vary from 100 to 1000 rubles. It depends on the quality of the material, manufacturer and design of the device.
A degu wheel made of thin plastic can be dangerous for the animal. If a Chilean squirrel tries to chew on it, the low-quality material will easily succumb. And plastic fragments can injure your pet’s internal organs and also cause intoxication.
There is also the option to order a running wheel for degu made of wood. Such toys are reliable and safe. Craftsmen make such toys from hard wood. They are reliable and absolutely safe, even if your pet decides to try the wheel.
Running wheel designs
Manufacturers offer many types of running wheels, differing in design, mounting method, and material. Let's talk about the main varieties.
Stairs
Their running surface consists of crossbars. It is convenient for the rodent to push off, grabbing the crossbar not only with its claws, but also with its fingers. Disadvantage: the foot may fall into the gap, which can lead to injury. Careful selection of wheel size allows you to avoid injury.
For babies and dwarf breeds of hamsters, a diameter of 9-16 cm is recommended - models Darell, Inter Zoo, Triol, IPTS. The distance between the crossbars is carefully calculated - the likelihood of injury is minimized.
The Green Farm model hamster wheel on a stand is made of wood - a safer option and an excellent design solution. Suitable for adult dzhungarik, white mice, cubs of dwarf breeds - diameter 16 cm.
Solid plastic
Solid surface with relief for ease of repulsion. Models Triol WL05 and silent hamster wheel IPTS are equipped with sides that prevent the pet from falling out when running. The Triol Sputnik wheel has a parabolic shape - it is safe and designed for the smallest animals.
When choosing a model, pay attention to the installation method:
- Stand – installed on the floor, suitable for spacious cages.
- Wall mount – fixed on the cage lattice, allowing you to maintain space for the animal to move. If the kit does not include a fastening device, you can use improvised means - strong wire, cord.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytpolicyandsafetyru
For owners who have not decided on the choice of installation method, we recommend a universal model - Inter Zoo metal hamster stair wheels, the stand of which is equipped with hooks for hanging. The hamster wheel on the stand must be stable - we recommend additionally securing the device to the wall with a rope.
Rules for using a degu wheel
- The running wheel should not be installed too high in the cage. Since jumping off it, the animal can be injured.
- Make sure that there are no sharp nicks or parts on the surface of the degu wheel. If there are all of them, smooth them out with a file or sandpaper.
- A couple of times a month, lubricate the wheel mechanism with vegetable or machine oil, then its movement will be smoother and more silent.
- If a new addition is expected to the degu family, it is better to remove the wheel from the cage. Firstly, excessive physical activity is contraindicated for a pregnant female. Secondly, newborn degus can be injured by a toy.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with: Toys for puppies, useful accessories for education and development
Must-have accessories for degus
Feeders and drinkers
A cage/display for a degu must have feeders, drinkers, and kennels.
The most hygienic and convenient are special nipple drinkers designed for small animals, which are sold in pet stores.
Many degu breeders prefer glass drinkers - through their transparent walls you can clearly see how much water has been consumed, and dirt is easily visible when it first begins to appear. It is preferable to buy a drinking bowl with a volume of 100-250 ml.
Feeders can be ceramic or metal, on brackets, attached to the wall of the cage. The most convenient are considered to be metal and ceramic cups of different diameters (and, accordingly, price) (Germany).
“Trixie” metal cages are easily attached to the cage wall; their sizes vary in length - from 8.5 to 28 cm, which allows them to be used for various types of food. When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the distance between the rods of the feeder: the smaller it is, the better, because hay and grass will not spill out onto the floor of the cage.
The sennitsa should always be full of hay! Hay is one of the most essential nutrients for degus.
Sand for bathing
The next mandatory element for keeping a degu is a bath with sand, which is best purchased at a pet store, since the quality of the sand directly determines the condition of the animals’ fur (degus clean their skin by bathing in the sand).
The word “sand” for bathing degus means special minerals with high hydro- and lyophilic properties, crushed to the state of fine sand, or dust.
The basis of sand for bathing chinchillas and degus are the following minerals:
- — Sepiolite . Its deposits are in the USA and Spain. Sepiolite is the basis of many types of imported sand. In addition to high hydro- and lyophilic properties, it is capable of forming lumps when exposed to moisture.
- - Zeolite . It is mined almost everywhere, it is added to the feed of livestock, poultry and other animals as a mineral supplement (for example, zeolite is the basis of the common Tsamaks mineral supplement for domestic animals), cat litter is made from it, etc. The cost of zeolite is very low, so it is widely used on chinchilla farms. Unfortunately, zeolite generates a lot of dust, which makes it difficult to use in an apartment.
- — Palygorskit . It has all the necessary properties of chinchilla sand, clumps well and is practically dust-free. It is mined in Ukraine, but has not yet become as widespread as zeolite.
Ordinary river sand, quartz, construction sand, sand from sandboxes, are not suitable for swimming, they do not absorb fat, moisture, and therefore cannot clean the fur, and are harmful to degu fur: sharp particles of quartz will damage the fine hairs of the fur. And how clean and sifted it will be does not matter in this case. Some use sand that is sold in pet stores, which is marked “Quartz”, although in production it has already been more or less processed to the stage that the animals need, but it is still coarse, which means it penetrates worse under the fur and therefore does not clean her. Many of those who keep chinchillas are definitely against such sand; chinchillas have more delicate fur; many degu owners also refuse it. In general, opinions about him are mixed. In stores you can buy sand for chinchillas from different manufacturers, but always check the composition, there should not be quartz. You can also get an unbaked brick or a terracotta pot for cleaning fur so that the animal can rub against these objects.
How to recognize good sand:
As mentioned above, you need to bathe your precious pets in good, proper sand. Some manufacturers position ordinary quartz sand as bathing sand. It is very easy to distinguish - quartz crystals are quite large, glitter and shimmer in the light. If you sprinkle it on your palm and rub it, it will feel like your skin is being scratched. When moistened, it is impossible to shape it or roll it into a cord. There are practically no dust fractions in it. Such sand will not clean the wool, but will only spoil the hair. The correct sand we need (zeolite, sepiolite) is matte, with a high content of physical clay particles (<0.01 mm). Large particles of such sand in a dry state are difficult to rub between your fingers, but when ground, you feel a homogeneous fine powder. Small particles give the skin a powdery feeling. When wet, it smears greatly and rolls well into a long cord, from which you can easily make a ring that does not crack when rolled.
Hammock
Degus love hammocks. Here you can save money by sewing a hammock yourself. The basis will be thick fabric or faux fur; chains, carabiners or ordinary metal paper clips will be suitable for fastenings.
The hammock is suspended from the top of the cage, providing a secure approach to it. Degus are amazing animals, each with their own individual habits: some like to sleep in an artificial nest, others like to sleep in the corners on different floors of the cage, but most prefer a place to sleep from which they have a view of the entire home.
As practice shows, degus prefer homemade hammocks made from an old sweater, fur linen, or cotton rather than beautiful store-bought hammocks.
Wheel
Degus love to run around in a “squirrel” wheel, but it must be metal (the animals will quickly chew plastic ones) and have a diameter of at least 28 cm. This is one of the required elements of cage equipment; it can also be purchased at a pet store. The wheel can be cellular or lattice. Whatever wheels you purchase, you need to sew removable covers, because... in lattice wheels, injuries to the tail and paws occur; in a wheel with cells, claws and tails are injured, and in both, without a cover, corns can form, which will cause the animal a lot of unpleasant, painful sensations.
It is impossible to install a wheel in an animal’s home, especially in a multi-tiered one, any where, the main condition is: the degu should not be able to jump onto the wheel, or from the wheel from a height. It is unacceptable to have sharp parts or jagged parts in it, and if there are any, they must be cut off with a file. Yes, do not forget to lubricate the wheel once a month with vegetable oil, and remove it when your pets have offspring. Curious kids stick their noses into the most inappropriate places, which often causes injuries. Sometimes animals do not immediately accept the wheel. It happens that little athletes do not show any interest in him for months. Don’t worry, sooner or later your efforts and expenses will pay off, especially if you don’t have the opportunity to walk the degu. Animals love to run in pairs, this is a very beautiful sight, especially if the wheel has a large diameter (30 cm or more, and preferably mesh as shown in the photo).
Toys
For degus, due to their great curiosity and activity, there are no enemies more terrible than boredom and idleness. To keep the animals from getting bored and lead an active lifestyle, you will need to purchase various hanging wooden toys, wooden stairs, and tunnels. All these toys are sold in pet stores in the rodent departments, or are made independently from scrap materials.
But here you can save money, because for a degu the shape of the block that it will gnaw at its leisure is not at all important. Therefore, you can simply cut a few logs from an apple, pear or linden tree, and if the wood is fresh, you don’t even need to peel off the bark. In order to grind down the teeth of the animals, you can simply place branches of trees (pear, willow, ash, walnut (Suitable tree species for arranging degu housing). But remember: you cannot cut branches from trees treated with pesticides, growing near industrial enterprises, chemical and cement plants , roads and railways.
The filling of the cage should be made of wood and metal. Wooden: house, shelves, stairs, toys; Metal: wheel, bowls, hay barn. Only the drinking bowl can be plastic or glass, because... She hangs herself outside the cage. Plastic accessories are NOT allowed in the cage! Since plastic elements will be chewed, and small pieces of plastic that enter the body can cause irreparable harm to health: damage to the mucous membrane, esophagus, stomach. Such damage can lead to the death of your pet.
Please note that the information about bedding in this video is not current and has been revised. It is recommended to use sawdust as filler, and hay only for food.
