She is lovely

I'm not sure why you don't want to provide a wheel though. I've had a fair few hamsters over the years, and all but one have enjoyed their wheel. One however, simply would not run round it, but he did have hours of enjoyment pushing it round from the outside!

Cheap ones are easily destructable at the hands of a determind hammy and good ones are reasonbly expensive. Most are made from plastic I worry about them hurting themselves chewing at a plastic wheel.

Metal ones are dangerous as they can get cought in them.

Plus they look extremely repetertive I guess at least in a ball the hamster can go in different directions.

Its not that I refuse to buy a wheel I have just never felt they are a necessery part of their life. Wheels look just sooo repetertive it would be like putting a human infront of a tv for the rest of its life.

I much prefer letting her roam around the top floor of the house with the stairs boarded off to give her that extra freedom for a while then seeing her run around none stop in a wheel. A question hangs over me such as do they do it because the enjoy it? Or because they are board like a tiger in an enclosure passing up and down.

I think if a hamster gets plenty of freedom and exersize else where a wheel really isn't a requirement except for personall opinion. The may run a lot but a wheel is still not a must.

I will get her one but their are still many reasons I think she could do without one.

So buy a few and replace them when they get chewed.

Or buy a good one that costs more money and you won't have to replace it.

Simple, no?

That's a fair enough point and it's one of the reasons why I haven't had a Syrian hamster again after my last one, as I have major doubts over their suitability as caged pets.
I have to wonder why if you feel this way you don't appear to be prepared to get her a larger cage? Looking at your playpen in the other thread her current cage has got to be tiny, and without even a wheel to run on she must be going mad in it.

No not really. It would be like putting a human in a studio flat for the rest of their life, and giving them a TV to use to entertain themselves when bored. They can choose whether to have the TV on or off. The TV gives them another possible way to entertain themselves. If you provide them with one, a hamster can choose whether to use a wheel or not. I'm not sure how providing a wheel suddenly makes the cage more boring to a hamster
I'm really surprised you're so adamant that a wheel is a bad thing because it is boring and repetitive, but you think a ball is a great idea - at least the wheel gives the hamster the choice to use it unlike a ball

I actually dislike balls, and when we do sell them I always do so with a 'warning'.
Not to leave the hamster in for a long time, as they get dehydrated quickly.
Also, just cos the hamster is running, doesn't mean it is having fun. They don't like being out in the open, so often are running to try and hide, but can't cos of the ball, so bang into things.

£10.40 for an appropriate sized hamster wheel here:

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_..._wheels/174195

I wouldn't call that expensive on a cost per use basis.

I don't see how you can argue that wheels can be dangerous but exercise balls are not. I would never allow a hamster to run around on the floor in an exercise ball. I have heard many stories of toes getting stuck in the ventilation holes, injuries from bashing into something, etc. Plus I can't imagine that rolling around the floor in a round piece of plastic is anything but stressful for a hamster.

As I said I am not necesserilly against a wheel I will get one once I get a bigger office box.

I just feel that if adequately exercised else where if they really need one.

Diasy has really good controll over her ball she can stop and turn in it and if she wants to hide my desk supplie ample room to stay hidden even in her ball. One of my previous hamsters LOVED his ball and would park it in corners and the drive off again.

Naturally if a hamster does not seem content in a ball then don't put one in side. I have found Daisy looking up and sniffing around, grooming herself in her ball and doing the same things she normally would.

Daisy gets about 15 minutes a day as the recomended time the ball came with was 20 minutes but I allow her to explore the top of my bed for a short while though she usually prefers to stay to her cage if I do that.

Ill check that out.

Thats why you need to check the ball before use make sure their is nothing that can get caught and the hamster ball should not have holes large enough to get toes cought mine has quite thin ones which is why I got it as I did not want her getting stuck.

If someones hamster has difficulty using a ball in any way they shouldn't let them continue.