Hamsters love to scamper and run about. Long before they became our beloved pets they lived in the wild and needed to keep away from predators. Big carnivores would try to catch them so they needed speed and agility to stay out of harms way. Therefore fitness and exercise is important for their well-being. Fortunately for our pets there is a wide range of good hamster toys available to help keep them fit and healthy.

Hamster Toys - The Hamster Wheel

By far the most popular is the well known hamster wheel. No hamster home is complete without one. Finding the right one for your hamster isn’t expensive or difficult however there are a few things you ought to bear in mind.

The first, one could say, is size. However it isn’t necessary the first thing we think about. If the hamster wheel is too small your pet will feel cramped using it and on the other hand if it’s too large he or she might not be comfortable either, therefore choose a size that’s right for the hamster size you have. A golden hamster will need a big wheel and a Syrian Dwarf Hamster will need something smaller.

I would strongly recommend the clear plastic type of wheel. We originally had a wire wheel but our dwarf hamsters but they often slipped on the rungs and their legs would go through the gaps. Fortunately they never injured themselves, but they might have. Besides the plastic type of hamster wheels are easy to wash and keep clean, so are the wire wheels you may say, but they soon become rusty when immersed in water.

Hamster Toys - Fun Hamster Wheel

A couple of other things to consider, and one is noise levels! Not an entirely obvious consideration. But for those of us who have or who have had hamsters, we know they’re primarily nocturnal and are using their hamster toys at night. While we’re trying to sleep. Therefore test the hamster wheel by spinning it and listening for squeaks and other noises. Finally get a good quality product, some of them you can take the wheel part off the spindle, which is useful for washing and keeping the wheel clean and then greasing the axle before reassembling.

Good hamster toys are worth the few penny’s extra they might cost. Your pet will get plenty of needed exercise to keep him or her healthy and fit and you’ll have a hamster toy which will withstand the wear and tear our pets can give them.