Well, let me tell you, I made the mistake of not getting my little buddy a wheel and I tell you what, it was a disaster.<\/p>\n
I mean, I knew hamsters needed to run and all that, but I figured since I played with him and let him run around in his ball every day, he’d be good. Boy, was I wrong. It started off innocently enough.<\/p>\n
He was just a little ball of fluff, running around in his cage, nibbling on his food<\/a> and being generally adorable.<\/p>\n But as he got older, he started getting more and more restless. I would come home from work and find him pacing back and forth in his cage, his little paws pounding the ground like he was trying to escape.<\/p>\n It was kind of funny at first, but after a while, it started to get a little annoying. He started getting more and more agitated, like he was looking for something to do. He would chew on the bars of his cage, trying to escape, or dig frantically at the bottom of his food<\/a> dish like he was looking for buried treasure.<\/p>\n I tried giving him more toys and stuff to do, but it just seemed to make him more frustrated. It was like he needed to run, but there was nowhere for him to go.<\/p>\n Finally, I caved and bought him a wheel. As soon as I put it in his cage<\/a>, he ran over to it and started running like his life depended on it. It was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders (or paws, I guess). He was happier, more relaxed, and just generally seemed like a much healthier and well-adjusted hamster.<\/p>\n So, if you don’t give your hamster a wheel<\/a>, you’re basically setting yourself up for a miserable little pet. Trust me, just get the darn thing. Your hamster (and your sanity) will thank you.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/p>\n<\/div>
\nBut it wasn’t just the pacing that was the problem.<\/p>\n