Lets talk rat wheels!
Rats naturally love to run. They get lot of pleasure out of it and it’s very enriching for them.
The best way to give them an opportunity to do this is to put a wheel in the cage with them. But what size do you need? Where to put it? What brand is better. Here we will clear up a few things about rat wheels.
What size is best?
There is no true right answer here but my advice is to always go bigger just in case. Rat’s can run very fast. The bigger the wheel the easier it is for them to run quickly and their backs should be almost straight when running. The smaller the wheel the harder it is for them to run comfortably and it’s believed this can cause long term spinal issues. The same way that putting rats in exercise balls is now not recommended by anyone really.
So because of this I recommend going by the following sizes:
Bucks – 16 inches Minimum
Does – 14 inches Minimum
Kittens – 12 inches Minimum
Dwarves – 12 Inches Minimum
Some will say you can get away with smaller. You maybe can but why risk it? Bigger sizes are available anyway and the risk of any issues will be reduced greatly. Plus they will most likely enjoy themselves more. Also rats are very smart animals and if they are not enjoying themselves on a wheel too small for them they will most likely not use it and then there is no point in it being in there anyway.
Where to put it?
Honestly you can put it anywhere in your cage really. Some will prefer it down the bottom so they can get in and out of it on substrate but others are fine to have it higher up. Having it at the bottom can mean they use it as an extra litter tray as they are smooth and shiny and they likely do their business low down anyway so some people prefer to put them higher. Just remember they are very large and bulky so the best time to add this is during a deep clean or cage move around so you can put this in somewhere first and build round it.
What Brands are the best?
There are 2 current providers I would recommend for the larger wheels. These are Tic Tac Wheels and Speedyhogs. Both are great in their own rights. The Tic Tacs are very strong and long lasting made with sleek looking metal but are more pricey whereas the Speedyhogs are more budget friendly and come in a deeper plastic bucket style. Both are great options. As for the 12″ wheels you can pick these up from pretty much anywhere for quite cheap. Doesn’t really matter the brand just make sure they are not wired or mesh floored as this can trap feet.
Common brands of these are Silent runner, Silent Spinner, Wodent Wheels and Savic.
Anyway that is pretty much everything. It is worth saying a wheel is not Essential. Plenty of exploring and free roam time is also good exercise and enriching for them but if it’s something you can offer then go for it. Also some rats might not use. If they don’t it’s not an issue it’s totally up to them the option is there 
Hope this clears up a few unanswered questions for anyone wanting to buy a wheel.
TicTac Website: https://www.tictacwheels.co.uk/
Speedyhogs Website: https://www.speedyhog.co.uk/
The Rat Wiki 