A hamster ball may seem like a fun way to let your hamster zip around your home but unfortunately they can be a dangerous and stressful experience for your hamster. Blue Cross and The RSPCA have provided warnings not to use a hamster ball.
Blue Cross Say Hamster Exercise Balls Must Not Be Used
Blue cross say “Hamster exercise balls must not be used as your hamster can quickly become exhausted and won’t be able to escape. They do not allow good ventilation and the hamster cannot access their food, water or a safe hiding place while they’re in them. This can make it a very stressful experience.
Instead, we recommend giving them a safe, secure place to have a run around (like a hamster playpen) for when you want to let your hamster outside of their cage.”
Your hamster may seem happy to climb into the ball from the cage door but research has shown that they are happy to climb into anything i.e. a tea cup, as long as it is a means to get out the cage. Whilst in the ball research shows:
- A hamster will be stressed in a hamster ball as it’s senses are restricted.
- It will also be stressed to realise it is trapped with no access to food and water.
- As hamsters have poor eye sight, they will bump into things such as furniture and have little control.
- The slits on the ball also make for poor ventilation but whats worse is that claws can get trapped in the slits and ripped out.
- Depending on the size of the hamster ball it can cause the same back injury as a wheel that is too small.
