[Gpdd] Misc - Off topic hamsters in balls

[Georgina.Wien at wintershall.com]

 Dear Leah,
please don´t put the hamster in that ball they got for him/her. Putting
hamsters in hamster balls is dangerous and strenuous for the hamster. the
reasons for this are:
1.) The hamster hasn´t got a chance to hide, wether he wants to or not he
is exposed, and as guinea pigs, hamsters do like to hide away.
2.) Enough fresh air is often a problem in the hamster ball, so it´s like
suffocating him with a smile.
3.) The hamsters back is bent into an unnatural position and can cause
long-term damage, as the balls are so small, that the curvature of the ball
ends up in the force-bend of the hamster.
4.) The ball can get kicked along unintentional and the hamster is forced
and shaken around.
The only animal-approved running item for a hamster, is a wheel with a
closed back side and textile on the running surface, so they can´t get
squashed and/or hurt their feet. The diameter of the wheel needs to be 30
-50 cm depending on the size of the hamster, where 30 cm is for the
miniatures (roborowskis and similar sizes) and 50 cm for the usual size pet
hamsters about 10 to 12 cm in lengths.
Please also tell the owners of the hamster that a ball is not good for
their animal. They probably don`t know.
Sorry for going on on an off-topic theme, but it´s for the wellfare of an
animal.
Kind regards
Georgina