Introduction: How to Make a Pet Exercise Wheel
Ms Lola was putting on a little extra padding and was becoming quite concerned about her figure. We tried to explain that we loved her and it was alright. She insisted on us making her an exercise wheel. We found an old cookie tin and a skateboard wheel for the basis of the idea and went from there.
Step 1: The Items Needed for the Project.
To create the exercise wheel. We used an old cookie tin, pliers, drill, a nut and 3 1/2" bolt, a screw driver, tin snips or high quality scissors a skateboard wheel with bearings and a washers and screws.
Step 2:
I found the center of the bottom of the cookie tin. Marked it with an X and drilled a hole.
Next I took the skateboard wheel with screw and lined up the screw in the hole so i could trace around the wheel with a green sharpie.
I cut out from the drill hole to the traced circle leaving about an inch or so between cuts at edge of the green circle.
Once the cuts are made. Carefully take your pliers and pull the tin until the wheel fits inside the opening.
take a few small screws, pre-drill them and screw them through the tin into the wheel.
Step 3: Seal All of the Sharp Edges
Be kind to you furry friend. Take some gorilla tape and wrap the wheel so that our little friend doesn't get cut from our handy work.
Step 4: Create the Cage Mount
I lined the inside of the tin with 1 layer of gorilla tape to allow Ms Lola maximum traction while running.
I actually created 2 different methods for mounting the wheel. The first method as you can see in the 2nd and 3rd picture I took a small piece of wood and the nut and bolt. This could have worked nicely with the second nut.
I decided the best way for my cage was to use 2 nuts and 2 washers on either side of the cage and snug it up nicely.
Step 5: Happiness and Furry Fitness!!!!
Ms Lola is getting a lot of joy out of her new jogger!!
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13 Comments
4 years ago
Thank you, very interesting and quite easy, but wondering what else we could use if we do not have a skateboard ?
8 years ago on Introduction
This is NOT a good tutorial.
Tiny cage from a mill broker and stained glider,.
This "wheel" will rust and gliders can't grip the "track". :/
You should use bucket lids with gaskets and a plastic mesh track.
9 years ago on Introduction
Thank you very much.
12 years ago on Introduction
Is Ms Lola a sugar glider? I've always wanted one.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
They are nice but usually it's a good idea to have two as they are highly social. If they are lonely they may bark a lot at night and I have been told (don't know how true it is) that they can die from loneliness. They also tend to be a little smelly.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
we do have 2 Sugar Gliders. Dexter's cage stays next to Lola's. The first time we tried to introduce Lola to a friend it didn't go to well. They could not get along at all. So a nearby friend was the next best thing. Lola is fairy tame she will come out and visit with me and my daughter. She especially loves mealy worms.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Interesting, were you able to determine who didn't like who? Usually males won't tolerate other males if there are females around. Females tend to be accepting . . . most times. But I've very rarely seen a male reject a female.
12 years ago on Step 5
I'm amazed you got clear pictures of a Shuggie. We've been trying to take pictures for months and can't seem to get a non blurry picture.
12 years ago on Introduction
My wife has a Leadbeater's mix that she makes. They get that and plenty of fruits and veggies. Occasionally they get grasshoppers and mealworms. Kiwi loves them Kayla doesn't care for them. Oddly Kiwi's absolute favorite food is peas. He gobbles up the insides and leaves the skin. We also give them a little dry food in their diet but understandably they don't eat a lot of it (they wouldn't eat anything like it in the wild). There's a lot of conflicting info out there on glider diet. we've done a lot of research and got a lot of help from our breeder friend.
12 years ago on Introduction
Shugies! My Kiwi and Kayla say hello to Ms Lola! A nice addition to this wheel is a removable liner that files their nails. Just don't leave it in. A breeder friend of mine left a liner in one of her wheels and the Shugie's nails got so short he couldn't grab onto clothing and fell off her.
12 years ago on Step 5
I like the way you drilled into a skate wheel to secure the wheel to the bearings. When i created mine for some degus, i found that epoxy glue would break (between tin and bearing flange) and that it the wheel hits the floor as the degus run on it. What i ended up doing with mine was using an old bicycle hub. Like what you did to secure the axle to the cage with nuts and washes, was how i secured the wheel to the bicycle axle. wires from the hub to the cage stopped it rattling around.
12 years ago on Introduction
and yes she is a sugar glider
12 years ago on Introduction
Miss Lola is a great pet, she loves her wheel ;)