How do I train my pet mouse to use an exercise wheel?

January 19, 2006 3:02 PM

[BFSkinnerFilter] How do I train my pet mouse to use expensive exercise equipment?

I purchased an exercise wheel for my pet mouse. I was delighted to watch him explore this contraption; getting it turning from the outside, venturing into it, and finally learning to get running at full speed within it. The mouse seemed to love it. Sadly, my roommates could not tolerate the incessant squeaking that the mechanism produced. Back to the pet store I went. For twice the price of the cheap metal wheel, they had a plastic model with a ball bearing. In opposition to the very open wire-mesh drum, this model is like a plastic bowl with a bearing in the middle and a metal stand to hold it vertically.

I presented Ralph with his new Mini Silent Spinner and patiently waited for him to hop inside and get jogging. It went ignored for the first evening. The second day I tried to encourage him to explore the new contraption with a small dab of peanut butter smeared inside. Ralph gladly collected his treat, putting only his front legs on the rim of the wheel. I tried again, trying to find a place to put the peanut butter such that he could only reach it by entering the wheel completely. Alas, the mouse outsmarted me -- being able to reach every spot without getting inside the damned thing. I have since tried picking him up and placing him in it, putting some of his regular food inside, even placing the wheel on its side to allow him to get familiar with the interior on his own terms.

I feel tremendous guilt for having deprived Ralph of his exercise. He learned to use the first wheel in about half an hour, and I was hoping he would figure this one out even more quickly. How do I get Ralph to start running again?

posted by iloveit to Pets & Animals (13 answers total)

When I had mice and a metal wheel, I used vegetable oil to stop the horrible noise. The mouse ate most of the vegetable oil (a very minimal amount in any case) and I had to reapply once a week or so.

However, I do not have any idea how unhealthy vegetable oil for humans is for mice. My ex-girlfriend's stupid cat killed them long before they had an old age.
posted by Kickstart70 at 3:06 PM on January 19, 2006

Did you try putting peanut butter on the top of the wheel, so that he could only get it after spinning the wheel a bit?

You could also motivate him by dropping hints. Like you could say "Gee Ralph, you're getting fat!" or maybe put a fitness magazine within reading distance of his cage. Hope this helps!
posted by Hildago at 3:18 PM on January 19, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks for the input Kickstart! I had contemplated trying to fix the wheel with some lubrication, or perhaps wrapping the axles in teflon tape. I nixed this idea for health considerations as the mouse will eat anything softer than its own teeth. It never crossed my mind to use cooking oil as the lubricant. Great idea! I doubt the oil could have too much of a negative health impact, and I suspect the little guy would love some peanut oil.

However, having already purchased in the fancy wheel, I was hoping to get a return on my sunken investment. Also, I fear that should I be lax on the upkeep, and allow the wheel to start squeaking again, that my roommates may not be as forgiving the second time around.
posted by iloveit at 3:37 PM on January 19, 2006

I'm thinking the problem is that the old version had grips or bars for his paws like traditional kinds do, and the new version is smooth on the inside "like a plastic bowl." Is this true?
posted by booksandlibretti at 3:49 PM on January 19, 2006

Response by poster: While it is mostly smooth plastic, there are ridges molded into the running surface. They should be deep enough, and closely spaced enough to provide adequate traction. Ralph's problem seems to be his unwillingness to explore the device, rather than failed attempts at operating it.

Hildago: This has been tried. Alas, he was able to spin the wheel from the outside using his little hands. Also, he was only interested in the pictures -- he didn't even read the articles.
posted by iloveit at 4:08 PM on January 19, 2006

Maybe the plastic has a funky smell (that only a mouse can sense)? Try rubbing some of his usual litter - used, if you can stand it - all over it to make it smell more familiar.

You could encourage him to get exercise in other ways. Find some discarded wood and build him some ramps and/or a maze.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 4:22 PM on January 19, 2006

Maybe the new wheel doesn't smell right - have you tried making it smell more like Ralph? (Use your imagination.) Also, I know my hamsters have ignored some toys until I've given them a good wash - perhaps there's some pet store odor they dislike.

(On preview: what SuperSquirrel said.)

How long has it been since you switched wheels? I have many of the silent spinners (with 18 dwarf hamsters, it's the only way to sleep) and the only hamster who didn't like them at first sight is the one who was madly in love with another wheel. (That she can't have because it's enormous and sits inside the playpen.)

I gave her two new wheels for her home - a silent spinner and a generic "comfort wheel" (from Super Pet's Expansion Kit III), and after three or four days of only tenatively using the comfort wheel she started using the spinner and now enjoys both with gusto.

If you decide to try a different wheel, just be sure not to get one with the "traditional" bars. Those can be quite unkind to the legs and tails of small pets. (I don't understand why pet supply companies - like SuperPet - market the solid wheels as "so much safer" while continuing to manufacture the old-style metal ones, too.)
posted by Liffey at 4:36 PM on January 19, 2006

Vegetable oil worked very well for me and my mice. It's easy to apply, especially if you put it in a little squirt bottle. Every week or two, the wheel would start to squeak and I'd give it a couple of squirts of oil. The mice enjoyed licking the oil, but it didn't harm them. One reason Ralph may not like the closed wheel is that it traps droppings and urine, which he then has to run in. The open wheel is a lot easier to keep clean, so you'll probably do less work in the end. I had one mouse who refused to use wheels, but spent hours a day in one of those clear plastic exercise balls that she could roam the house in. Maybe Ralph would like one of those.
posted by GoatCactus at 4:40 PM on January 19, 2006

rename him algernon.
posted by k8t at 5:51 PM on January 19, 2006

you might just have to be patient. i've never had a mouse, but it took my rabbit almost a year to warm up to a toy that she now greatly enjoys playing with. you don't say how long it's been, but i'd give it at least a week (and possibly several months, although i realize you want ralph to get off his ass sooner than that)
posted by nevers at 6:15 PM on January 19, 2006

If you're sure it's not the traction, all I can do is suggest that you get him a motorcycle instead. Sorry.
posted by booksandlibretti at 7:10 PM on January 19, 2006

Response by poster: UPDATE: Returning home just now I heard a faint pitter-patter coming from Ralph's general direction. Upon inspection I found the tiny beast cranking his new wheel up to about 4500 RPM, his wee legs twittering into a blurry mass. The wheel was working silently, as advertised. I did not have a chance to try anyone's suggestions, but I wish to thank everyone for their input.

Lubricating metal wheels with cooking oil is a great suggestion. In my case, I think SuperSquirrel and Liffey were on the right track with the odor. I suspect that is what kept him from exploring the thing at all initially. After many days in the cage, he either got used to the smell, or the wheel picked up scents from the cage. Also, having patience is always sound advice. I was just anxious to see him take to the new toy the same way he had with the old one.

Now I must amend my question. How do I teach the little guy to do 360s? Also, why on earth does he shit while running at full clip?
posted by iloveit at 8:22 PM on January 19, 2006

If you're serious about training him, you might want to get him "clicker-trained" first. This will make subsequent training much easier. I am on a crappy old computer so I can't hunt links for you, but Google should help you. Also I reccomend the book "Don't Shoot The Dog" by Karen Pryor; a great book on training everything from goldfish to housemates.
posted by Rubber Soul at 9:48 AM on January 20, 2006