Ball for a hamster: requirements and features of the choice

Hamsters are incredibly active creatures, if they do not sleep, then they must move. In the wild, animals wander up to ten kilometers a day. It is not easy in the conditions of the cage to provide the pet with the usual way of life. The ball for the hamster helps to solve this problem. With its help, the animal is always active, and the owner is calm that he will not lose the rodent and will not accidentally step on him.

To decide whether a hamster needs a ball, you should first find out what kind of simulator it is. The product is a transparent sphere with a door and openings so that the hamster can breathe air. The design is easy to manage, moves due to the muscular strength of the hamster itself, in other words, if the animal runs, the ball rolls. For a small pet, the walking sphere becomes a simulator, a vehicle and a capsule for exploring the outside world.

There are a number of reasons why you should give the hamster a transparent sphere. If you read them carefully, it becomes clear that not only the rodent wins, but the owner with his apartment.

• The hamster will satisfy his curiosity by exploring the space of the apartment. At the same time, furniture, books and other things will not be affected by contact with a rodent.
• The animal will not run away, and it will not be crushed, as it can happen during a walk without a ball.
• The animal will give its energy output. Daily training will have a positive effect on his health.
• The ball protects the hamster from falls and injuries that the animal can get during the study of the territory without restrictions.
• If you let the hamster run in the evening, tired, he will sleep at night and not disturb the owner.
• When you need to clean the cage, the animal can be invited to run, putting him in a sphere.
• What is nice, a walking ball is inexpensive.

I do not want to write about the shortcomings, but for the sake of justice it should be said that they are.

• If the hamster, walking in a walking ball, goes to the toilet, feces through the ventilation holes enter the apartment. He will have to be removed.
• From time to time, the door relaxes and can open. If this happens, the hamster will run away.
• The animal should be in the ball for no more than twenty minutes, further stay can cause overheating or inhibition of the condition from lack of air.

In order for the walking ball to be safe and comfortable, certain requirements are imposed on it. They relate to the quality of the product and its size. Different breeds of hamsters differ from each other not only in appearance, but also in volume. Therefore, balls of different diameters are produced for them:

• the animal is less than 8 centimeters in size (Roborovsky hamster or Dzhungarsky), you need a sphere with a diameter of about 12 centimeters;
• a hamster with a body length of 8 to 12 centimeters (Syrian) should choose a ball with a diameter of at least 18 cm;
• scope 25-30 cm is intended for chinchillas.

The size of the rodent must be taken into account when choosing a ball. In a too tight product, it will not be able to accelerate properly. A large sphere will be heavy for the little legs of the animal, they will begin to hurt from tension. The criterion for the right choice can be the angle of the slope of the hamster's back, or rather, its absence.

If the size fits, the back of the pet will be in a level condition. In addition to the correct size, you should pay attention to the ventilation holes: the more they are, the better. Running in the sphere allows you to actively load the rodent, during such exercises an influx of fresh air is necessary, otherwise the animal will suffocate. In addition, the hamster learns the world not so much with sight as with smell, a large number of holes will help him in this.

Requirements may be presented to the door of the structure: fasteners and tightness must be reliable, only this way the safety of the pet is ensured. You can choose a sphere with guide grooves or with special platforms, but for the animal they are not so significant.

In order to choose the right walking ball for a hamster, the requirements set out above should be taken into account. They relate to size and quality. The design itself in most cases has the shape of a sphere, but you can find models in the form of an ellipse. The second type of toy is not very popular with hamsters: during the run it can sway from side to side, so it is rarely on sale.

The hamster enters the sphere through the door. But sometimes two, three or even four holes serve as an input. They can be in the form of screw caps. Before buying, you need to check the reliability of the closing devices. Some people prefer to buy multi-outlet balls. If the hole begins to hold the lid poorly, it is sealed tightly and the remaining ones are used.

If a stand is attached to the walking sphere, then it can be used as a running in place, like a running wheel. Having removed the stand, the ball returns to its usual walking functions.

As for the material, the walking sphere should be made only of light plastic, and the more transparent it is, the better. An iron or wooden ball will not give the desired view, and a small hamster will not be able to move it from its place. When buying a plastic ball, you should ask if the plastic is toxic.For crumbs, even a small amount of toxic additives can be fatal. Information about the material contains a certificate - if it is not offered, a pungent smell or poisonous color of the ball can prevent it from buying.

A walking ball for a hamster is inexpensive, you can buy a toy from 100 rubles and above. But some owners of rodents prefer to give them a gift with their own hands, so they lay in the sphere a piece of their love and energy. Such products also have pitfalls. Before conducting a master class on creating a home-made sphere, we will consider the advantages and disadvantages of a home-made simulator.

The biggest drawback is that creating the perfect sphere does not always work, the product takes an oval shape, not a round one. This means that the hamster will run forward and backward, but will not be able to move to the side. In addition, homemade products are difficult to wash from the inside.

As for the positive aspects, there are many more.

• A gift to a hamster will cost free, as it is made from improvised means.
• Not every village has a pet store to purchase a walking ball. And in order to do it yourself, you can find material in every home.
• Mounting a homemade simulator is carried out, most often, using a screw cap - this is much more reliable than industrial devices.
• Making a toy is quick and easy. If she loses her attractive appearance, throwing her away is not a pity and it’s easy to make a new one.

In the selection of plastic containers, several important points must be taken into account.

• The neck must be wide enough so that the hamster can get into it.
• It is better to choose a bottle from under food products. It is important that it does not contain previously toxic substances.

The manufacturing process is extremely simple. Two identical containers with a wide neck should be prepared, preferably from transparent plastic. Both bottles need to cut off the top so that at the time of connection they resemble a ball or an ellipse.

At the next stage, holes for air circulation are made. To do this, as many holes as possible are made in two covers of the structure. In addition, holes are cut in the bottles themselves, not far from the necks. They are made narrow and long. All slots on the product are well cleaned with sandpaper.

When the two halves are ready, they are connected together using adhesive tape. It is necessary to try so that the simulator resembles the shape of a sphere as much as possible.

See how to make a simulator out of a plastic bottle with your own hands in the next video.

Each hamster has its own character: someone is mobile, someone is lazy, one quickly thinks, the other needs time to understand what they want from him. In principle, any animal can be taught to move in the sphere - it will only take patience and a little free time. Consider what needs to be done so that the hamster begins to use the sphere for its intended purpose.

• Previously, the animal should be introduced to the new toy by placing it in a cage in the open.
• You can carefully put the baby in a ball. Of course, it would be nice if he himself went there, for example, for the treats left for him.
• When the hamster is in the sphere, carefully close the lid. Give him a little familiarity and move the simulator from the cage to the floor. After five minutes, return the ball to the cage and open it.
• After the walk, the pet needs to be treated to his favorite treat - this will reinforce his desire to repeat the journey.
• Accustoming a rodent to anything, one should not make sudden movements or make loud noises. It is necessary not to frighten the animal so that he understands that staying in the sphere is connected with comfort.
• During training and walking, there should not be other pets near the hamster. The head of a cat looking into a sphere will seem to the rodent huge and scary. Stress will discourage him from climbing into a ball.
• By placing the hamster in the simulator, you should pay attention to the environment. There should not be a staircase with which he could slide down, or a large amount of furniture that impedes movement. It should not be placed on a hill, as the sphere can fall, scare and injure the pet.
• You should not push the ball, the hamster must take the first step himself.
• To begin with, staying in the area is limited to a few minutes. Gradually, time increases. But even if the hamster has learned and enjoys running in the ball, its maximum stay should be no more than 20 minutes, and with poor ventilation - much less.

Having mastered, the hamster will be happy to walk around the apartment. But it’s especially not worth relaxing: you still have to look after the rodent. Forgetting the pet, the sphere can be encountered while walking, and it, like a ball, will fly off to the side. It’s scary to imagine what the hamster will feel at this time. In addition, on the go, the doors may open, and then there will be a need to look for a tiny hamster in a large apartment.

See how to use a ball for a hamster in the next video.