# Is this type of wheel safe for mice?



## Zowie (May 30, 2011)

or is this kind better:










I have a silent spinner but it's no good as they just pee and poo all over it and it reeks! So I was hoping one of these would be ok so the mess can just drop through the bars/mesh


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## Fraction (Aug 29, 2011)

The mesh one will depend on the size of the mesh, but it'd have to be TINY mesh otherwise paws could slip through and break.

The barred one can often be responsible for mice breaking or otherwise hurting their tails, paws, legs, etc. They're just too small to go on them really.

EDIT
I use a flying saucer, and just soak it and clean it each week when I clean out the tank.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

The first is definitely better than the second, though cleaning a solid plastic wheel is safer for them. I take all my wheels apart (metal and plastic) and run them through the top rack of the dishwasher. If you have a wheel that uses them, don't put the part with ball bearings into the wash, though. They will never dry, and they'll rust.


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## Gill (Sep 16, 2011)

I have both silent spinners and flying saucers. The saucers are much easier to clean but I found that the trick with the spinners is to buy twice as many as you need. That way you can have one in the cage and one in the dishwasher.


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## Viry (Oct 31, 2011)

Flying saucers are also fairly cheep, so I suggest them


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

flying saucers are great! 100 safe and pretty silent! -easy to wash like people pointed out as well 

the second one you posted are just awful and I wish they would ban them. They can easily get legs and tails trapped in them as they spin around resulting in broken limbs, and this is the case for hamster, gerbils, mice etc etc.


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## Zowie (May 30, 2011)

The problem is that it's literally every day that I'm having to clean their wheel, I don't have time for that!


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## jadeguppy (Jun 4, 2011)

Your profile doesn't say where you are located, so I don't know if these will work. Many of my mice are in bins so I need something with a low profile. These combine an igloo house with a saucer wheel: http://www.bio-serv.com/product/Mouse_Igloo.html

Is it you bucks that stink? If so, try adding a few drops of quality vanilla extract to their water. It does wonders in minimizing the urine smell.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

> The problem is that it's literally every day that I'm having to clean their wheel, I don't have time for that!


Take it out then, they don't need 'em to be happy!  I worry about animals developing obsessive-compulsive behaviours from running on a wheel, so have never given an animal one.

On the subject of the two wheels you posted; the silver one is flat out dangerous, and I reckon you'll find you have a harder job cleaning the green meshy one than a flat plastic one.


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## hlforumhl (Oct 2, 2011)

I use the first type, the mesh wheel. I have housed hundreds of mice on them and I have only once had a mice break a bone. I love them.


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