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Rabbit likes large Hamster Wheel?

Happy Hopping

Wise Old Thumper
My lovebird likes hamster wheel, she sit on it and keep rotates over and over.

Does anyone know there is a place on the internet that you can buy a large hamster wheel 3 ft. wide for large rabbit?

And you guys think a rabbit will like it?

I was thinking of a pile of 2 x 4 as the steps, wrap ea. step in thick carpet, that's the easy part. But I haven't figure out how to build the circular part of the large hamster wheel.
 
I wouldn't have thought a wheel would be very good for a rabbits spine. I know they are not suitable for guinea pigs for that reason. Rabbits are not climbers with flexible back bones like the small rodents. It would be much better to simply give them enough space to run in.
 
But they only run in a horizontal position, don't they? How can it affect their spine? It's no different than running straight, except the wheel rotates.
 
Their body curves in the same radius the wheel does as the front/back legs hit a spot on the wheel that is higher than the lowest point. Usually they would hit the lowest point (as thats where the ground is). So the bun in effect dips in the centre.

So their spine curves in the opposite direction that it should.

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Rabbits spine curves in a sort of hump shape the majority of the time, even when they are running flat out it goes straight not curved up.

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You would need a wheel with a very large radius to get a flat enough point in the centre not to cause a curve.

Wheels that are too small in other animals can cause problems too, for example you couldn't give a rat a wheel sized for a hamster.

Tam
 
hi

:lol: A treadmill would be better - but you try keeping a bunny on a treadmill :lol:

Hamsters like wheels because in nature a hamster travels for many miles every night - they are programmed to run all night and it's frustrating for them if they can't - Bunnies on the other hand are programmed to do exactly what they feel like - changing constantly, like the weather :wink:
 
I don't know, only way to find out is to try and see. I not sure that bunnies would ilke it though, they're quite intelligent (no offence to hamsters) so it might be abit repetitative to hold their interest.

If your feeling up to some DIY a climbing frame would possibly be more entertaining. With different levels, hidey holes and ramps up. Abit like those cat activity centres.

Tam
 
Well, I just trying to build some new toys for the next rabbit. I have a book on rabbit, and it doesn't say what kind of toys do they like. All my rabbits seems to like sit and lay down on the carpet.

I need build 3 x sonic tube 4.5 yr. ago. It's those 18 ft. cardboard tube meant for put concrete in, they called it sonic tube, I ask the hardware store to cut it in 3 pieces, 6 ft ea. I then hire someone to put carpet on the inside and outside.

My bunny loves it. Remember in the ancient time, they used to dig tunnels? So I build them 3 tunnels.

Regardless, what's the best toy for rabbit? Besides things for them to chew, if there is nothing besides what you just recommend, I'll go w/ that.
 
parrot toys are good peach just loves big carboard boxes she always happy when i give her a new one or how about a ball they love playing with them too
 
Thats a great idea on the tunnels! Your right wild bunnies live in tunnels so thats probably why they like them.

Tam
 
hi

Best toy I find for a rabbit is another rabbit - honestly! So long as a rabbit experienced vet can neuter/spay both of them they entertain each other better than any toy can.

I adopted these 5 girls for my boy this week as he lost his brother last week and was very depressed - just sitting around not doing much...The girls were too much for him though - he got stressed and sat around sulking or trying to bite them through the wire mesh - so now I've made the boy a house rabbit and the girls have his shed...

But he doesn't have the run of the house - just a cage in the kitchen and run of the patio shared times different to the girls - He loves running around smelling where they have been and what they have been digging into, urinating, scent marking etc - He's had more exercise today, following the scent of these girls, than since his brother died nearly 2 weeks ago...Bunnies are social creatures :)

PS - the other problem with a wheel for exercise would be the horrible injuries a bunny would suffer from when it got its back feet caught between the rungs of the run - Solid type wheels are recommended for small animals for the same reason - and you couldn't make a solid wheel with a diameter of 3 feet - and if you did somehow it would simply be too heavy for a rabbit to turn without strain - most rabbits would just decide to chew it up for fun :)
 
Ah...excellent pt. Since there is a potential lower back problem, I'll cease the idea.

There is a few pet store that sells a plastic ball for a cat or presumably small animal like a rabbit to hop in, and the opening of that ball is permanent (no door), so he'll rotate inside.

Let's hear what you guys input on this. But I don't like the idea because he could be stressed inside a partly closed plastic ball.
 
Your tunnels sound great. I know my rabbits would love them.

I think you would have the same problem with a plastic ball as with a wheel, bending the spine the wrong way. And you are probably right that they wouldn't like being enclosed.

My son built our rabbits a three level platform to jump and climb on. You could have ago with something like that. At first we used cardboard but that got rained on and turned to mush - as well as chewed :lol: So then we used plywood so hopefully it will last. We have plans to build more different ones then we can swap them about and give them all variety.
 
I thought about the platform, but I am afraid a rabbit may fall and injured himself, so I withdraw the platform idea. Unless the platform is very low, but then there is not much climbing if that's the case.

How tall is your platform? You have a pic.?
 
I would stick with tunnels or stairs.
Rabbits haven't changed in the last 16 years since this thread started. They really just need plenty of flat space to run around in with another bunny, when they feel like it.
 
I've never seen a bun use a wheel. I'd worry that mine would fall off and hurt herself in an open wheel like that.
 
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