# Angel refuses to use her wheel =_=



## HedgeHopper (Feb 13, 2013)

I have tried putting her in it and letting her see it and then showing her it turns but she will not use it. The only reason I am worried is I dont want her to get fat and unhealthy.

Any advice would be appreciated,
HedgeHopper


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## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

How long has she had the wheel in her cage?


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## HedgeHopper (Feb 13, 2013)

At first I did not have it in there but for the last four days she has had it in there day and night. I even went as far as picking her up and putting her on it.

Thanks for the help,
HedgeHopper


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## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

She may be using it when you are not looking  Some hedgies are shy. Have you left flour on the wheel overnight to see if she uses it?


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

Sprinkles is the same age and she uses the wheel. yours might just be shy and using it when your not looking. What kind of wheel do you have her angel? Right now I have a comfort wheel in Sprinkles cage which is Sonics wheel. I ordered a carolina storm bucket wheel. I should get it sometime next week. I cant wait to get it so I can give Sonic his wheel back.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Agreed, try putting some flour on it before you go to bed so you can see if she's using it at night and just not pottying on it like most do. What kind of wheel is it? What kind of bedding do you use? And is there any lights in the room or from the window that might be bothering her at night? Unsteady wheel, too tall to climb into, sliding out of it, or too much light can all be reasons they're not using a wheel. If all of that seems to be in order and fine, she might just not have the hang of it yet.


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## HedgeHopper (Feb 13, 2013)

Ok so I didnt get a chance to put the flour in last night but I will tonight. As for lighting usually my lights are off by 9-10 and the only thing on is my tv witch is off by at least 11 and she has no problem with the tv light because I hear her running around while I am trying to get to sleep. And when it comes to the wheel I will post a picture with this post.

Thanks as always for the help,
HedgeHopper


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I would highly suggest looking into a different wheel - Silent Spinners are not safe. They have been known to fall apart easily, and the crack in the middle between white piece and colored piece can catch and rip off toenails. Some people have tried to use tape to cover that crack, but since it's meant to let pee drain out, the shape of the wheel then keeps all of the pee and poop in the wheel and your hedgehog gets MUCH messier. Also, it can be hard to judge just from pictures, but going by your hand, the wheel looks kind of small? You want to make sure store-bought wheels are the 12" ones. If you go looking for another store-bought wheel, the only safe ones are Comfort Wheels and Flying Saucers. If you want to get something that's easier to clean, though, I would look into getting a bucket wheel, which you can make yourself or buy from a breeder. LizardGirl, LarryT, and Moxieberry all sell bucket wheels on here.


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## Sugargliderlove (May 27, 2012)

I just ordered a wheel from LarryT. The wheels are on sale right now for 19.99 plus shipping.


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## HedgeHopper (Feb 13, 2013)

I am planning on building a bucket wheel for her from one of the various turtorials on it I have found but I still cant seem to get her to try the current one. When I do place her on it she cassualy walks a couple steps and then decides to go eat, drink, or go to bed.

Thanks for the help as always,
HedgeHopper


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I don't think you mentioned what kind of bedding you use. If you use fleece liners, there's probably not much anchoring the wheel at the bottom. Both with the Comfort Wheel and the Silent Spinner, they get a bit wobbly when the hedgehog goes to climb on them (since they're not as "light-footed" as other small mammals are, like rats, mice, etc.) if there's nothing securing them. Try anchoring the wheel to the wall of the cage - you can use twist ties, a clip, zip-ties, etc. (just make sure it's nothing she could get loose and chew on or get tangled in) and see if it becomes steadier. If they don't feel like it's steady enough when they go to climb on, they won't want to use it. And definitely try the flour thing - a lot of hedgehogs don't like to run in front of people. I would go ahead and build the bucket wheel anyway, and see if she likes that better when you get it done. With PVC pipe base, it'll probably be steadier and she might like the feel of it better than the Spinner.


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## HedgeHopper (Feb 13, 2013)

Real quick for future references right now I am using Aspen bedding but am planning on switching to fleece when I change cages.

Thanks for the help,
HedgeHopper


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## HedgeHopper (Feb 13, 2013)

Well she finally used it today.

Thanks for the help,
HedgeHopper


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Glad she got the hang of it! I'd definitely suggest getting a bucket wheel made ASAP for her then, to avoid issues from that Silent Spinner. That's definitely too small of a wheel, though it will work for her (since she's a baby) for a short while. Make sure the bucket wheel is at least 10" in diameter, with 12" or so more preferred.


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