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[marrria]

I just bought a flying saucer wheel for my two chins and I put it in their cage last night for the first time.  I watched them for a while to see how they would react to it, and it seemed like they were both really freaked out by it - like it was a huge scary invader in their house.  Monk did jump on it and would run on it awkwardly right from the beginning, but he would look freaked out the whole time and then would fly off of it and lay flat on his stomach under the wheel with his chin on the floor. 

Leon was very interested in the wheel, but it was like he was trying to figure out if it would attack him.  He wouldn't climb on it from the floor of his cage.  Instead he would hop up to a higher shelf and then jump down onto it as if trying to ambush it, and each time it would of course just sling-shot him to another part of the cage immediately.  He would frantically squirm under the wheel and behind it, even while Monk was running on it.  Leon would get stuck like this, once with one little arm stuck sticking up above the wheel, and I was afraid he was going to get hurt.  They also both would stand on the floor of the cage and put their teeth against the side of the wheel as it was still spinning. 

Then Leon, who is very friendly but hasn't yet come around to jumping into our hands and letting us hold him, would desperately want out of the cage and when we would open the door he would jump right into our arms and want to be carried around.  We would pet him and try to reassure him (all the while amazed that he wanted us to hold him and pet him for the first time ever) and then put him back in the cage with his brother and the wheel.  One of the times that we opened the cage door, he immediately hopped out to the floor and hopped into our bedroom - He has NEVER EVER  gone loose in our apartment before!  He has always been too scared to be that adventurous. 

When we put him back in the cage, he went to the ledge in the corner of the cage that was farthest opposite the wheel and laid down flat on his stomach with his chin resting on the ledge, just like Monk had done under the wheel.  Monk came and joined him on the ledge and they seemed to be fighting to be the one squished furthest into the corner, farthest from the wheel.  And they both wanted out of the cage really badly. 

We took the wheel out because I couldn't tell what exactly was going on with them and it seemed extremely stressful for them.  (And I was going to sleep and didn't want something to happen to them in the middle of the night.)  Is this normal?  Has anyone had this happen and knows what this means?  I can't tell if it is too stressful to have the wheel in there. 

The other thing is that I am afraid their cage might be on the small side for the wheel.  The way Leon was squishing himself beside the wheel and the back and side wall of the cage concerned me.  Also, whenever Monk or Leon would fly off of the wheel, they would be thrown against something else in the cage, like their box house.  I think they will love the wheel once they get used to it, but I definitely don't want anyone to get injured. 

[siker]

I wouldnt think those are very safe. Just because if they decide to stop, wont they fly off?
I never had one of those, Keep me updated please on how they work!

[Abby W.]

The flying saucer wheels are very safe.  There is a learning curve when you first put one in the cage.  And I place mine such that my chins won't get thrown into anything, even if they get thrown off.  But, honestly, once they pick it up (which usually takes about a week) they do seem to really love them.  In my opinion, the flying saucer wheels are better than the upright wheels, just because it allows them to run in a more natural position.  But either wheel is fine.  The big thing to be sure of when evaluating a wheel is whether it has psokes or sharp edges that your chin can injure himself on.

As far as how your chins reacted, marria, it sounds like they were a little intimidated by the wheel.  I would just try placing it in their cage, properly attached of course, for an hour or so each day until they seem ok with it.  I can say the one who was laying under the wheel might actually have been playing with it.  I had a chin who seemed to like the way the wheel felt when it spun over his fur, so he would jump on and run really fast then jump off and lay under it until it stopped spinning, then start all over again.  I would not worry about them getting hurt though.  The flying saucer wheel is very safe.  I don't think I;ve ever heard of a chin injury with that wheel, or the ED wheel, for that matter.  As I said, nothing with spokes or sharp edges.

[marrria]

That's really reassuring.  Thanks!     I am going to put the wheel back in tonight and see how they do.  I could tell that Monk was looking around his cage for the wheel once I did take it out.  Leon definitely seemed relieved that it was gone, though.  He's so funny about things! 

[siker]

ohhh ok I see. Thank you.
 

[Debbie.nl.ca]

As with any thing new start slowly, and don't leave it there 24/7 until you know they have the hang of it.
Safety first.
I have a home made type wheel. It's a round bird cage on it's side, with a bolt out each end to support it in a stand.
I leave it out in their play room so they can use it when they are out.
Some get in it every night, some now and then, some tried it once and never got back in after.
It does take them time to catch onto new things, glad your not giving up just yet. They might come to love it.

[tinabeana]

We got a saucer wheel for our chinchillas a few months ago. At first they stayed away from it but gradually started using it occasionally.

Honestly I didn't think they were that crazy about it until I had to take them to my mother in laws house and they had to be in a smaller cage with no saucer wheel for two night. as soon as we put them back in their old cage they ran for the wheel and went nuts over it. Both of them trying to run on it at the same time. I had no idea they would miss it so much.

They took turns running on it into the wee hours of the morning. It was just crazy.