The Carolina Storm Wheel!

[evantide]

Before this rat came into my life, I have been preparing for a baby hedgehog. I am on the waiting list from a breeder up North. I purchased this wheel (which can also be ordered from Canada now) and I think it beats the Silent Spinner. It is homemade. I ordered it and received it only two days later. It feels very strong and sturdy. When it spins, you can't hear a single sound! It's safe for all small animals in my opinion, as the hedgie community is very serious about making things safe for their hedgehogs (as any animal community is).

The wheel can be seen and/or ordered here: Carolina Storm Wheel

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Pros:
- Very sturdy and durable. Size and weight is not an issue! It is made for hedgehogs so it's pretty large and can support any rat.
- Large enough that even males can fit comfortably, and stretch a little!
- Seriously silent (not like those "not-so-silent" silent wheels... I promise!).
- Extremely easy to clean. Honestly, you just wipe it down once a day and it stays pretty clean. No cracks or crevices for urine or feces to get caught in.
- Comes with six height adjustments. With the wheel attached at the highest position it stands around 15 and 1/2 inches tall. With the wheel attached to the lowest available postion the wheel stands around 14 inches tall. The running surface of the wheel is 5 inches wide and the wheel alone is 6 inches wide.
- Can be tilted up or down for preferred pitch/angle.
- Comes with a litter pan that fits underneath to catch droppings while the animal runs on the wheel.

Cons:
- When cleaning, do NOT get the barrings wet. That is a warning given by the maker of the Carolina Storm Wheel.
- Cannot be hung in the cage. It is best to sit on the bottom of the cage. It is large, and may take up a lot of room in smaller cages. Click here to see what the CSW looks like in one of those rabbit/guinea pig cages, and click here to see what it looks like in a Critter or Ferret Nation... I did see a picture once that looked like a CSW hung on the side of a Ferret Nation, but I'm not sure how they did it. So I guess with extra modifications you could fit it to the wall of a cage.

Compared to the 12" Comfort Wheel

 

[Moon]

I remember seeing those when helping a friend research hedgies, and didn't like that it can't be attached to the cage (at least, not easily) I can only find a diameter for their "bucket wheel", I'm not seeing one for the other version, but maybe I am missing it.

If the diameter is less than 11", it's too small for adult rats. And even then, I prefer a 12" wheel.

 

[jorats]

It might be one of those wheels that would do better on out time as part of the playground. It sure does look sturdy.

 

[SQ]

What is the diameter? It looks like about 12 inches.

It looks like it would be more difficult for me to break ...
When taking apart silent spinners to clean them, I eventually break them

 

[evantide]

I forgot to add the following pros: The wheel comes with six height adjustments. With the wheel attached at the highest position it stands around 15 and 1/2 inches tall. With the wheel attached to the lowest available postion the wheel stands around 14 inches tall. The running surface of the wheel is 5 inches wide and the wheel alone is 6 inches wide.

The wheel can also be tilted up or down for preferred pitch/angle.

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I'm not sure what the diameter is, but when measured from rim to rim, it comes out to 13 inches (if that gives you an idea).

And I'm sure there's something you could use to attach it to the side of the cage, but it's probably a pain in the butt to find when you can easily attach a Silent Spinner (I like those, too, I was just sharing the CSW since I had come across it when hedgehog researching also). I think it's a nice, sturdy wheel that other small animal owners should be aware of.

 

[kscanuck785]

I think I saw them before, are they the ones made with the cake topper and skateboard wheel and bearings?
I thought it was a brilliant idea

I was just wondering about the lack of grooves or something for traction? the surface is slick so are the rats able to run pretty good on it?

 

[evantide]

I think I saw them before, are they the ones made with the cake topper and skateboard wheel and bearings?
I thought it was a brilliant idea

I was just wondering about the lack of grooves or something for traction? the surface is slick so are the rats able to run pretty good on it?

Yes it is! When I got a hold of one, too, I thought it was pretty genius! xD

I wondered the same thought, actually. Then I remembered that hedgies are fast runners. At night, they are always on the move! Their undersides aren't that different than a rats, aside from being wider. I imagine if a hedgie can run fast on a CSW with no issues, then rats should be able to run comfortablely on it, too. However, I will have some proof of whether it is or isn't easy to run on in a week or two (Eli hasn't gotten to run on it, yet). Then I will add that bit of information to the review. It seems like an important detail to note! I will keep you posted!