Bucket Wheel, No traction

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Tessa.31

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 16, 2010
Messages
68
Hello,
Well I've had my hedgie for about a week now, and before we got him, my mom and I built a bucket wheel for him, he doesnt seem to like it because he has no traction and he constantly slips and falls, im also worried abiut him slipping and getting hurt, so im just wondering what I could use to prevent him slipping??
Thanks,
Tessa
 
That is common with a new bucket wheel.

First off, make sure that the wheel is either perfectly level, or even at a very slight tilt in so that if he slips, he slips toward the back of the wheel rather than out.

How high off the floor of the cage is the wheel. The closer it is, the less of an issue him sliding out is.

You can rough it up a bit using either sand paper or a kitchen scouring pad but if you rough up the surface it won't clean as easily. Usually a few days of normal washing will take some of the slipperiness off the surface and make it easier for him to walk on.

You can line the wheel with craft foam that will create firm footing but you have to be careful of where the joins are as that leaves an area where a little toe can get snagged.
 
Another thing you can do to the wheel is add a few strips of that stuff that people use in the bottom of bathtubs to your wheel.

I had a wheel that came that way and worked wonderfully for years. It stuck to the wheel; didn't start peeling off; really great. After about 3y, though, it collected a bit of hedgie mess around the edges, so I peeled it off. I tried giving it back to hedgie without the strips and she slid all over :( So back to the store, bought some more, cleaned the wheel really well, and cut new strips. They've been working wonderfully now for the past couple months.
 
My bucket wheels don't have traction and it has not been a problem. But as some of the older wheels have tilted forward has the base get loose the hogs slip out. You may want to check that the wheel is not tilted :). I like the no traction in the bucket wheels because they are easier to clean and no worries about foot damage. Good Luck!
 
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