[PeaceLove&Hedgies]

Hi! I feel like this is an unusual situation, my lovely hedgie adores her exercise ball. She runs around my room happy as a clam... before you get on my case about this hear me out!
1. I bought Daisy off craigslist and she came with her ball.
2. I didn't know they may be dangerous until she got accustomed to it.

I don't want to ruin her fun and rip away that ball, but I also want to make it safe. Help me please?

 

[nikki]

How do you know she loves it? How do you know she isn't running because she's trying to get out??

 

[writergirlmel]

I'm really not sure there is a way to make it safe.

My concerns would be as follows:

1. If she's running around your room outside of a contained area, she could bump into something at high speed, get stuck, etc. You're also likely to get any waste that drains out on your floor.

2. Toes and toenails can easily get caught in the ventilation slits, causing injury.

3. It's natural for hedgehogs to eliminate while running. If they do so in a ball, they are likely going to be showered with it.

4. Even with the slits, how well ventilated is it really? Being in a plastic bubble, breathing the heavy smell of your own waste sounds distressing.

Solutions?

You can keep her in a contained area and reduce the chances of her eliminating by making sure she does so before using the ball and using only for short periods of time, but the only way to address the issue with toes and toenails getting caught is to remove the slits -- and you can't do that without cutting off or at least reducing ventilation.

In my opinion, it'd just be better to find another activity she really enjoys and that is safe, such as a series of tunnels with treats hidden in various places.

 

[PeaceLove&Hedgies]

I know she loves it because at first, when I put her in or she goes in herself (she does this in her playpen) she sits in it for a while to think about whether she wants to run or not. When she decides she does, she runs around the room, and when she gets tired she curls up in it and goes to sleep. She looks completely relaxed in it.
Would getting a HamTrack help? That way she won't bump into things but she can still run.

 

[twobytwopets]

The hamtrack won't prevent her toes or nails getting caught. It also isn't going to prevent her from being trapped and showered in her own pee and poop.

 

[ellarose]

If you don't have a wheel, get one. Do not continue use of the ball. It won't hurt her, I promise. If you want her to get exercise, you need to have a wheel, and you can have her in a playpen or free range in a hedgehog proof room.

 

[PeaceLove&Hedgies]

I do have a wheel but she doesn't like it, she mostly hides underneath it. She's adventurous and loves exploring, and being showered with pee and poo comes with a wheel, too. She doesn't like to pee while she's moving anyways.

 

[twobytwopets]

The pee and poop have the ability of getting out with a quality wheel by adjusting the angle.
On top of the tipped porta-potty affect of the ball, it isn't safe. Those ventilation holes can catch toes and nails.

 

[MomLady]

Truthfully, "hamster balls" are not good for hamsters either.

They are not safe for any animal. You may think they are safe, but they promote not paying full attention. When you have your animal out, they deserve your full attention.

 

[Lilysmommy]

What kind of wheel do you have? How big is it?

 

[writergirlmel]

Here's the way I see it.

My kids love jumping on, off, and over things. Love it. But I have no issue "ruining the fun" if the situation is not reasonably safe. They can jump on trampolines, abuse my couch (my poor, poor couch), run and jump at the park, play leapfrog, and any number of other things, but I'd stop them if they decided it would be fun to take a flying leap down the stairs, jump from the balcony to the truck bed below, jump around an unsafe area or any number of other things. Why? Because there's a way to allow them to have their fun without unnecessary risk.

As Daisy's parent, it's your job to assess risk and decide what's acceptable and what's not. Obviously, you've heard about the safety issues with exercise balls and have concerns about letting Daisy use it. Now, you can choose to ignore the advice of every other person on this thread -- just as you have seemed fairly determined to ignore the advice of every other person on the thread you started about your plans for her cage and/or play area -- and none of us can really do anything about it. After all, it's ultimately your choice. But ask yourself this: why do you ask if you're not going to listen, even if it's not what you want to hear?