Is it normal that my male hamster doesn't understand the physics of hamster balls?

Question

Everytime I put my hamster in his hamster ball he just sits there and cleans himself, and he budges a bit sometimes, so does that mean he doesn't understand how they work?

Answer 1

My male does that too, until my female zooms past him in her ball. Then he starts running around. Some hamsters just aren't as active in them as others. Once he's in the mood to run around in it though, he's just as reluctant as she is to leave and go back into his cage.

Did something happen to him associated with his ball? If so, that might be the reason. I know my male's first experience with the ball wasn't the best, I tripped and it slipped out of my hands and fell 1.5 feet onto the floor. I think part of him will always remember something unpleasant associated with the ball regardless how much he enjoys it most of the time. And he will use the ball to run past the cats because he knows the cats can't get him when he's in it but he can run them over when he is. He doesn't, but he know's he can. (She does.)

Answer 2

Your hamster hasn't quite gotten the handle on the whole hamster in a ball thing. It could be that the hamster does not like it either. At any rate, your hamster may need some more time to figure it out. Just keep trying and see where it goes, if at all.

Answer 3

I once had a hamster who loved his ball. He would go exploring and he looked like he genuinely had a mission to fulfill. It was cute.

I had a gerbil who knew how to use the ball, but didn't completely get it. It would just run a little, bump into something, turn, run, bump, turn, run, bump even if there were two big open areas it could run to. It wouldn't try moving around the house, it was like it was blocked by some imaginary fence.

And then I had another gerbil who would just stand there. It would stand there and look around and occasionally clean itself, but it would maybe move an inch in the entire half hour or longer I had it out.

It all just depends on the animal and its personality. If it is active and curious, it's more likely to know what it is and have fun exploring. If it isn't, it will just wonder why on earth you put it in there.

Answer 4

Some hamsters don't care for the hamster ball. If he scrunches down, he could actually be quite unhappy.

Try putting him in an open one and play with him, get him used to the idea and that he's not in there forever.

He might just also be bored.

xx

Answer 5

My hamster had the same problem. What I did with mine is held out his favorite snack in front of him. Once I caught his attention I would move back a little bit He would follow his stomach!! My hamster ball has little cracks for venting so thin slices of fruit and veggies work the best!

Hope that helps!

Answer 6

male hamsters have large balls anyway , but if they are causing you any concern then you should go and see a vet, they could be swollen or could be an illness, but to be on the safe side, a vet should take a look at the hamster.

Answer 7

Your hamster has a brain the size of a small ball of lint.

What makes you think he even has a concept of what a "ball" is, much less what it means to be inside one.

He thinks you have just moved him to a new enclosure/cage. And he's right.

Answer 8

Try to roll the ball slightly with him in it. Or roll the ball while the hamster watching it.

Answer 9

Try rolling him a little if you haven't already he doesn't get born with an understanding of what the ball is he has to learn that. Once he has an understanding of what it is and how it works he may not want to use it.

Answer 10

could be, or maybe he is just uninterested.

my guinea pig does that all of the time
and my hamster used to not even want to go in it