Is this normal?

[lovemychingary]

My 2 year old chin that i've had for about a week has no interest in running in his wheel. When I got him a week ago, he did not have a wheel so I bought him a new 8" standard wheel (is metal woven, no spokes of course ) He tried to chew on it once but never went inside and never ran in it. I started thnking maybe it was too small for him so I bought a 12" Flying Saucer today and so far, I was able to lure him onto it using food but as soon as it started to turn, it spun him around and he more or less fell off.. Now i'm starting to think he doesn't know that wheels are there for him to run on. When he is in his cage, he isn't too active and mostly likes to sit on top of his igloo and gnaw on wood I have in there for him. Will he warm up to it someday or is he just not much for running? When we have out of cage playtime, he loves to run and jump around. please help!

 

[ChinnyMom]

just want to clarify, which type of flying saucer did you get? the metal or the plastic one? if plastic, return it to the store. plastic shouldn't be in a chin's cage at all, and the plastic flying saucers are cheap junk that break easily.

same goes for his igloo (plastic), take it out and give him a chin safe wood house instead. there are members here on the forum that make and sell safe wood houses for our fuzzybutts.

the wire grid wheels are not safe either, regardless of the size of them. chin toes can get stuck in the mesh all too easily.

as for him not wanting to run on the wheel, it may be because he is not used to one, and needs to figure out what it is for. give him time (with a safe wheel - metal flying saucer, chin spin, or silver surfer) and he should get the hang of it.

my Rhino doesn't have a wheel and does just fine without one. he's pretty placid in his cage, even during the night. playtime is another story though! lol. i am saving to get him a safe wheel, but it's not #1 on the priority list at the moment.

 

[lovemychingary]

Thanks for the feedback. I wondered about them being plastic. I'm completely fine with pulling them out and replacing them, but right now, he hasn't shown any interest in chewing them.. Is it ok to leave them there until he starts to show interest in them?

 

[ChinnyMom]

i'd remove it now. you don't want to take the chance that he could chew on it when you are not there, swallowing the plastic and getting an impaction in his digestive system.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

most chins will NOT use the plastic flying saucer. Get a 'real' one - the metal kind. I know it is expensive but it is a life time investment - it will not break and it is safe. It might take a while for your chin to finally realize how to use it but they eventually catch on. By a while I mean a month or more. First they sit on it and then they realize - hey this moves

 

[GorillaJTA]

Thanks for the feedback. I wondered about them being plastic. I'm completely fine with pulling them out and replacing them, but right now, he hasn't shown any interest in chewing them.. Is it ok to leave them there until he starts to show interest in them?

The plastic shin spin is just not going to last. They are not made for the stresses a chin puts on a wheel with their stride.

 

[Naduah82]

- Just wanted to add I have a chin spin and it took about 2 to 3 months before my little fuzz-butt started using it. Please take everyone's advice and remove the plastic wheel and igloo, even if your chin doesn't seem interested it might start chewing while you aren't there. I agree with Mt. Zion Chins, once you invest in a flying saucer or chin spin it will last you a lifetime. I've had mine now for 5 years and it's still working like new. :thumbsup:

 

[Cuddlebug]

When you replace the wheel, make sure that it is at least 15 inches in diameter. Anything else is just too small and causes them to arch their backs when they run.