What is a Wodent Wheel?
Wodent wheels are safe running wheels for hamsters and other rodents. They are supposedly quieter than regular wheels and safer because they have a solid running surface. According to the manufacturer, Transoniq, these wheels were approved and recommended by the ASPCA during their Seal of Approval Program (1999 – 2006).
Wodent wheels come in three sizes: Junior (8 inches diameter), Senior (11 inches diameter) and Wobust (12 inches diameter).
I’ve read a lot of good reviews about Wodent Wheels by other hamster owners so I decided to get Juniors for my hamsters. The photo at the side shows Oatmeal the winter white dwarf hamster posing with the unassembled parts 😀
Here’s a photo of an unassembled blue wodent wheel junior:
Here’s what it looks like assembled, it was pretty easy to put together:
More wodent wheels from the manufacturer’s web site:
photo by Transoniq
Are Wodent Wheels better?
I would say yes! I thought my regular wheels were already pretty quiet since they don’t make squeaking noises, but the Wodent Wheels were even quieter when used by my dwarf hamsters. I specify dwarf hamsters because when my Syrian uses it, it isn’t really quiet (although still better than a regular wheel).
Also, because my regular wheels are on plastic stands, they’re much lighter and tend to get toppled over by the more active hamsters. My Syrian hamster topples her regular wheel a lot because she’s much heavier than the dwarves. With Wodent Wheels, the stands are made from steel so it’s impossible for a hamster to push it over 😀
Although I’m using the Wodent Wheel Junior, it’s big enough for my Syrian and she seems to prefer it over her regular wheel. I just tried replacing the Wodent Wheel with her regular wheel again and she wouldn’t run on it (was trying to make a video). When I put the WW back, she went on it immediately o.O This is completely based on the preferences of one hamster though.
Any negatives?
The smallest wheel is 8 inches wide so it’ll probably not fit in smaller cages (i.e. Crittertrails or Habitrails).
Also, they aren’t available everywhere so you’ll have to get them online. International shipping can get really pricey.
You have to take them apart to clean them well, some people don’t like that but I don’t think that’s really a big deal.
Where to get Wodent Wheels
The cheapest way to get these wheels would probably be to get a group of people and buy a dozen directly from Transoniq. However, if that’s not possible, the wheels are available here on Amazon US. If you are in the UK, you can find Wodent Wheels on eBay UK
Transoniq also has a list of online dealers in the US as well as international dealers if you are in other countries.
If you are in Singapore, you can get the Wodent Wheel Junior at Hamster.sg
