Ways to silence a squeaky hamster wheel

Ways to silence a squeaky hamster wheel.

About a month ago, I noticed that one of my quiet spinning hamster wheels wasn’t quite as quiet as it used to be. Squeaks were coming from the wheel when my roborovski hamster was running on the wheel. I was baffled as I spent a few more bucks buying a quiet spinner but it ended up making more noise than the normal ones. I googled possible reasons and solutions as to why my silent spinner was making these loud squeaky noises and realized what mistakes he made and how they can be resolved.

Ways to silence a squeaky hamster wheel

1. Use non-toxic lubricant to keep your quiet caster wheel rattle free! Strip down your silent spinner and separate the hub from the wheel. Use a cotton pad, moistened with a little lubricant, to thoroughly clean the shaft. Put the axle back into your wheel and your wheel will be as good as new. Some lubricants you can use:
   • vegetable oil
   • Vaseline
   • Butter – wears off after a while and you would have to apply it more often.

   If this method fails and your hamster wheel still squeaks, then you can try the following methods to solve your problem.

2. Instead of using a cotton pad to dry your hamster’s wheel hub, soak the hub in vegetable oil for an hour. Make sure that the plastic piece does not get into the oil. After that, take the axle out and wipe it clean with a kitchen towel before reattaching it to the other parts of the wheel. This will prevent the vegetable oil from overflowing in the wheel and reaching your hamster.
3. Another method you can use is to move your hamster’s cage to a closet at night while you sleep. It won’t silence the wheel, but at least the sound will be more muffled compared to leaving it out of the cabinet. Remember to leave it slightly ajar so your hamster has some ventilation.
4. Lastly, and this should be your last resort, move your hamster’s cage out of your bedroom.

This is some of the information gathered while looking for ways to silence a squeaky hamster wheel. In the process of doing so, I also came across 2 factors that could have caused your wheel to become squeaky and how you can prevent it.

Here are some of the reasons why your hamster’s wheels squeak and how you can prevent it.

1. Shaft Rust I’ve read on forums and some ‘online answers’ advising hamster owners to use vinegar to rinse their hamster’s toys to get rid of the smell. This is a great method of removing the smell, but the vinegar will oxidize the metal and cause it to rust. Once it oxidizes, the process will be irreversible. So my advice is to remove the hub from the wheel before rinsing it with vinegar and water. Then make sure it’s dry before you put the axle back into the wheel.
2. Wheels that are used for a long time Because hamsters run a lot, the axle can wear out in the long run. This wear is caused by friction and can be prevented by lubricating the wheel frequently with the recommended lubricants listed above.

Conclusion

In my article, I mentioned 4 ways to silence a squeaky hamster wheel:

1. Lubricate with a cotton pad
2. Lubricate by soaking
3. Leave your hamster cage in the closet at night.
4. Move the hamster’s cage out of the room.

I have also mentioned the 2 causes of ending up with squeaky hamster wheels and how to prevent them:

1. shaft rust
2. Wheels used for a long time.

I hope you have learned something new from my article and I want to emphasize that the use of lubricant MUST be non-toxic. This is because the lubricant can get into your hamster’s wheel and the consequences will be fatal if he ingests it. Another thing is that prevention is better than cure. So, before your wheel gets squeaky and noisy, clean the hub with an oil-soaked cotton pad. This will allow you to have more durable silent wheels. I wish you and your hamster happiness!