Flamingo Metal Exercise Wheel for Small Pets - 20CM

The Flamingo Metal Exercise Wheel for Small Pets is a free-standing exercise wheel with a fine metal mesh running surface, made in three sizes for animals from mice up to squirrels.

Key Features

• Fine mesh running surface rather than open rungs, so feet and tails cannot drop through — the injury that open-barred wheels are known for
• Three sizes: 12 cm for mice, 15 cm for hamsters, 20 cm for larger rodents and squirrels
• Free-standing wire frame, so it does not need cage bars to mount on and can go in a tank or a playpen
• All metal, so it can be washed properly and cannot be chewed apart
• Made by Flamingo Pet Products, a Belgian pet supplier based in Olen with more than 45 years in the trade

Choosing The Right Size

• Size matters more than anything else here. A wheel that is too small forces the animal to run with its back arched, and over time that causes real spinal problems
• The rule is simple: the animal's back should stay flat while running. If it curves, the wheel is too small
• 20 cm is the largest here. A Syrian hamster needs 28 cm or more and is not well served by any size in this range — dwarf hamsters, mice and gerbils are the right match
• Put it on a level surface. A free-standing wheel that rocks will be abandoned
• Wash it in warm soapy water and dry it fully. Rodents urinate while running, and a wet metal wheel rusts

Good To Know

• Syrian hamsters need a much larger wheel than the 15 cm size sold as a hamster wheel. If you have a Syrian, buy bigger elsewhere rather than making do
• Mesh is safer than rungs, but check it regularly for damaged or protruding wire
• A wheel is not a substitute for floor space. Most small pets need somewhere to dig and forage as well as somewhere to run
• Metal wheels can squeak. A drop of oil on the axle — not in the cage — usually settles it
• Each size has its own SKU here, so the sizes can be stocked and tracked separately