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[Pyxie]

I just wanted to know what people think about hamster balls. I think they are okay for a short period of time but if you keep them in there for like 30+ minutes in pretty cruel.

Comment with your thoughs!

[Ben Jerry]

I placed my hamsters in the balls when they were younger.  Now, they are old and I tend to leave them in the cage. I think I did twenty minutes in the ball maximumly. Besides that, they used to listen to classical music.  They used to dance to the music.   

[~Ginger~]

I don't think they are the best things but I voted yay just because I do use them with Ginger, if she showed any signs of stress or dislike though I would remove her immediately but she seems to enjoy though

[Pyxie]

I don't think they are the best things but I voted yay just because I do use them with Ginger, if she showed any signs of stress or dislike though I would remove her immediately but she seems to enjoy though

  

I placed my hamsters in the balls when they were younger.  Now, they are old and I tend to leave them in the cage. I think I did twenty minutes in the ball maximumly. Besides that, they used to listen to classical music.  They used to dance to the music.   

Yeah I'm planning on rescuing a male dwarf hamster this week or next week. I was thinking about buying a ball but I wouldnt want to stress him out.

[SyrianSugar]

I personally do not use hamster balls.

 

I feel like the hamster is uncomfortable in one. The hamster has no choice but to pee/poop in the ball which

 

can be kind of disgusting. Also they have no available water/food. Plus, if they're tired they're STILL stuck in a ball.

 

I just don't find them worth the money. Not to mention the fact that they could get their little paws/legs stuck

 

in the holes, or even the top could pop off. :/

 

Just my opinion though! It's up to you as a responsible hamster owner. 

Edited by SyrianSugar, 19 January 2017 - 11:45 PM.

[Pyxie]

I personally do not use hamster balls.
 
I feel like the hamster is uncomfortable in one. The hamster has no choice but to pee/poop in the ball which
 
can be very cruel. Also they have no available water/food. Plus, if they're tired they're STILL stuck in a ball.
 
I just don't find them worth the money. Not to mention the fact that they could get their little paws/legs stuck
 
in the holes, or even the top could pop off. :/
 
Just my opinion though! It's up to you as a responsible hamster owner.

Yeah I agree. I was thinking of it but it wouldn't be smart to buy one since I have a dog....who likes to play with balls!

But to be they seem pretty cruel and they can stress them out

[Sycohearted]

They aren't cruel. Only time they are cruel is when they are in the hands of someone ignorant and irresponsible. My hamsters pick and chose what days they want to run in their ball. I'll take off the top and place it in their cages. Some days they hop right in, other days they snub it and walk by. Give your ham the option to walk in. Once in, place the lid on and see how he does. If he just sits in the ball the whole time, I don't recommend putting him in it again. And of course if he doesn't walk in by himself, don't force him into it.
My hamsters also don't like being in a holding cage, it kinda makes them panic. So, I went out and bought a 2 gallon tank and filled it with sand. I place them in that when they are getting their cages cleaned (not all together obviously).
They see it as a giant sand bath to play in instead of a "holding tank". It depends on the animal's personality. 

In my blunt opinion, the only reason a Hamster ball is dangerous is if the Owner is negligent. Every time I ever hear a horror story about someone's hamster getting hurt or killed "because" of a hamster ball, it has been the owner's fault. 
The number one reason being "THE LID CAN/CAME COME OFF" ...Okay? You don't know what tape is? If you don't have tape, you should always-always-ALWAYS- be in the same area of the animal in the ball at all times. I follow my hamsters around the house when they run in the ball....Because it's the responsible thing to do. All the other reasons I have personal rebuttals for too, but I don't feel like debating tonight. Just thought I'd drop my two cents on the question.

Hamster balls aren't for everyone and that's fine. But I'll always be an advocate for them. 

[SkyeChild]

I see it as a good way for them to freely run around, and actually GO somewhere. Most of my hams like it. There was one that just sat there cluelessly and went to sleep, so she didn't get to run XD Some of my hamsters think they're crazy Nascar drivers, and some are out for a sophisticated stroll. Whatever floats your boat, hammies!

[Vee~]

I personally don't like to use them, but I'm not strongly against people using them. They're fine, but my hamsters prefer to run around instead. I don't always know when they want to come out, eat, or drink. One of a hamster's most important senses is smell, and they can't smell much.

Edited by Echo~♥️, 08 November 2016 - 11:51 AM.

[TakingLittleSteps]

I never liked to use them.  I had too many issues with them.  The tops would come off, the hamster would pee and poo in them, one time my ham got her toe stuck in an air hole, poor thing.  The ball was the right size too.  I just do not like them and I prefer not to use them.  I think it's a personal decision, honestly.  Some hamster love them.  Mine never did.

[Zofia]

I love hamster balls, but of course there are "rules". I mean obviously you need a good sized ball, and your hamster shouldn't be in there for more  than 10-15 minutes. But I think it's a good and safe way for your hamster to explore.

[Melodie]

I say nay, not because they are particularly cruel, but because I see no point to them. 

 

As Sycohearted pointed out, (except for potentially foot trapping vent holes) they are fairly safe and cruelty free in the hands of somebody who knows how to responsibly use them so that's not my problem with them. What I don't like about them is that they are basically the same as a wheel, except that the hamster can't jump off and go do something else if they want.

 

They provide next to no enrichment for the hamster, because they can never really explore or experience the environment in them. Hamster eyesight really isn't that great, and combined with the poor visibility of a plastic ball (yes, even a colourless ball is hard for hamster eyes to see through very well), your hamster really isn't seeing much. Balls also block a hamsters main exploration tool- their whiskers. Just like a lot of other animals, hamsters use their whiskers to probe and explore their surroundings, but in a ball, those sensors are blocked from the environment by plastic. You put all that together and you'll find that a hamster can smell and hear in the ball, but that's about it. There is no exploring and as such very little enrichment to be had. 

 

If your hamster enjoys the ball and you know how to use it correctly and responsibly, there is nothing wrong with using one, just know that your hamster is not exploring like you think they are. Your hamster is in fact running like they would on their regular wheel, its just more fun because its a different way of running, and maybe the smells are different. 

 

Personally, I prefer using a play pen. Specifically, the awesome coroplast playpen (I can post pictures if anyone is curious or interested in making one) I made myself I love it because its huge so I can sit in it with my hamster (or even lie down in it- yes its that big) and all of her toys and interact with her as she explores everything and has a good time. Its really great for bonding, and I have waaaayyyyy more fun playing with Maggie in the play pen than I ever did watching her run around in a hamster ball  I think Maggie enjoys it better too because she can really put those whiskers to work 

 

(Oh and also before anyone asks, Its not space limiting in any way, because I can also use the playpen as a wall to block off "out of bounds" areas so Maggie can have my whole room to explore if she so desires )

 

I say Nay to hamster balls because there are better ways to give your hamster out of cage time

Edited by Melodie, 08 November 2016 - 04:06 PM.

[SyrianSugar]

I agree with Melodie completely. I just don't see how it's worth it, just take your hamster in a playpen!

 

I'm sure they'd be just as happy.

[Pyxie]

I say nay, not because they are particularly cruel, but because I see no point to them. 

 

As Sycohearted pointed out, (except for potentially foot trapping vent holes) they are fairly safe and cruelty free in the hands of somebody who knows how to responsibly use them so that's not my problem with them. What I don't like about them is that they are basically the same as a wheel, except that the hamster can't jump off and go do something else if they want.

 

They provide next to no enrichment for the hamster, because they can never really explore or experience the environment in them. Hamster eyesight really isn't that great, and combined with the poor visibility of a plastic ball (yes, even a colourless ball is hard for hamster eyes to see through very well), your hamster really isn't seeing much. Balls also block a hamsters main exploration tool- their whiskers. Just like a lot of other animals, hamsters use their whiskers to probe and explore their surroundings, but in a ball, those sensors are blocked from the environment by plastic. You put all that together and you'll find that a hamster can smell and hear in the ball, but that's about it. There is no exploring and as such very little enrichment to be had. 

 

If your hamster enjoys the ball and you know how to use it correctly and responsibly, there is nothing wrong with using one, just know that your hamster is not exploring like you think they are. Your hamster is in fact running like they would on their regular wheel, its just more fun because its a different way of running, and maybe the smells are different. 

 

Personally, I prefer using a play pen. Specifically, the awesome coroplast playpen (I can post pictures if anyone is curious or interested in making one) I made myself I love it because its huge so I can sit in it with my hamster (or even lie down in it- yes its that big) and all of her toys and interact with her as she explores everything and has a good time. Its really great for bonding, and I have waaaayyyyy more fun playing with Maggie in the play pen than I ever did watching her run around in a hamster ball  I think Maggie enjoys it better too because she can really put those whiskers to work 

 

(Oh and also before anyone asks, Its not space limiting in any way, because I can also use the playpen as a wall to block off "out of bounds" areas so Maggie can have my whole room to explore if she so desires )

 

I say Nay to hamster balls because there are better ways to give your hamster out of cage time

Well put!

[Bibbi]

Definitely nay. In my country, vets have even classified them als dangerous and not suitable.
As it has been mentioned before, hamsters have a poor eyesight and use their whiskers and other senses, especially smell for orientation. In such a ball this is simply not possible. They can't outact their natural behaviour such als leaving new marks or picking up food.
What is more, many of those balls are very small so that they have all the negative effects a small running wheel has. And even with the right size, they don't provide additional benefits compared to running wheels. Maybe stopping the ball might be an issue, too, I'm not willing to test that out.
I've read about a small group of students who examined stress levels of hamsters, who were put in hamster balls. They were incredibly high.
So no, those things are of no use at best.
Hamsters might get in voluntarily, because they like to crawl in everything that looks like a cave, but I doubt that they want to stay in there for long. I would strongly advise everyone to let the hamster run around in a play pen.