Are cat exercise wheels worth it?

[bodisha]

Hello, and thanks in advance to anyone who can offer their advice!

I live in a high-rise and the amount of space my 5 year old cat has to run around in is limited. While I regularly toss her favorite toys around for her to stay occupied and get exercise... I think I need more than that because she's getting kind of pudgy. I was wondering if anyone has purchased a cat exercise wheel and what their experience was with it. My cat can be very finicky about what she likes and doesn't like... and I have a ton of toys lying around my place she has zero interest in as proof. They're kind of large and can run over $100... I don't want to buy this huge exercise thing if cats don't really use them and they just collect dust... Does anyone have one and their cat that uses it?

 

[maggie101]

I have never tried it but when my cat Maggie was younger she loved to run up and down my 72inch cat tree.splat her paws against the wall,shake her head,chase her tail. Can't do that on a wheel. My cat peaches may have loved it but she is a curious cat,loves to watch.i think Coco would have but she is afraid of maggie. Just make sure you can return it

 

[stephanietx]

I have never seen kitties be attracted to the wheels on their own. They always seem to need prodding to use them. I think a better investment would be a cat tree or two cat trees, one shorter and one taller that she will be able to jump on and run up and down. You might also look to change her diet to include less dry food and more wet food.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

I've wondered about wheels too, but have the same doubts as you. I can see Phoebe, who doesn't need it, using it, and Daisy, who does, refusing point blank to go near it.

Do your toys include one of the feather on wand types? I just bought one and surprisingly, Daisy likes chasing it. Only problem there, of course, is that I need to operate it for her.

 

[maggie101]

I live in an apartment. I asked maintenance if I could put shelves up and he said yes! Which I had asked a long time ago

 

[SundaesPerson]

I have a friend who got one for her two cats. They enjoyed using it, but it’s incredibly loud, which probably wouldn't be a good fit for your situation. My friend was woken up every time the cats used it.

 

[maggie101]

I just bought another purrfect leather bouncer wand toy on Amazon. Finally broke after 4 years! It's been her favorite since she was 3 months,now 10 yrs old

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Wow, that's a long-lived toy!

 

[silent meowlook]

The only time I have seen cats use the wheel on their own is with Bengals or Savannahs. I have seen domestic cats use them but only when they are actively played with a wand toy or treats to get them on it.

Just want to mention that if you are concerned about your cats weight and your cat eats dry, you should try to switch to a canned diet and they will usually lose weight just from the removal of the carbohydrates. All dry foods are high in carbohydrates. That being said, always do be sure your cat eats though. You never want to let them go without eating if they decide they don’t want to eat canned. I’m

 

[bodisha]

Do your toys include one of the feather on wand types? I just bought one and surprisingly, Daisy likes chasing it. Only problem there, of course, is that I need to operate it for her.

Yes, I have one of the feathers on the wand toys...And Toothless goes through phases if she wants to play with it or not... In her first year or so she'd go berserk for it and it was her favorite toy... She'd drag it into whatever room I was in for me to wave around for her to chase. As she got older, it was less of a thrill for her, and her interest in toys changed. However, she'll still drag it into the room I'm in to signal to me she wants to play... lol... It doesn't mean she wants to play with that toy though

 

[bodisha]

you should try to switch to a canned diet and they will usually lose weight just from the removal of the carbohydrates. All dry foods are high in carbohydrates

Thanks for the tip... She's not morbidly obese but she could stand to lose a pound or two... For a long time, she refused to eat canned food for some reason so I stuck with dry....As a test, I recently bought some fancy feast small wet food meals and she dug right in...Unfortunately, I think it's too rich for her because it's not uncommon for her to puke it up not long after she eats it... I liked the fancy feast because they're small and I can control her potions more easily

 

[bodisha]

I have a friend who got one for her two cats. They enjoyed using it, but it’s incredibly loud, which probably wouldn't be a good fit for your situation. My friend was woken up every time the cats used it.

Thanks for the tip! I live in a larger 2 bedroom so it might not be an issue... It's certainly something to consider.

 

[maggie101]

Yes, I have one of the feathers on the wand toys...And Toothless goes through phases if she wants to play with it or not... In her first year or so she'd go berserk for it and it was her favorite toy... She'd drag it into whatever room I was in for me to wave around for her to chase. As she got older, it was less of a thrill for her, and her interest in toys changed. However, she'll still drag it into the room I'm in to signal to me she wants to play... lol... It doesn't mean she wants to play with that toy though

My cats wand toys have toys attracted that they can grab with thier mouth. Which is why they do not like feather toys. So switch it around. Her toys have a mouse attachment or bug

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Yes, I have one of the feathers on the wand toys...And Toothless goes through phases if she wants to play with it or not... In her first year or so she'd go berserk for it and it was her favorite toy... She'd drag it into whatever room I was in for me to wave around for her to chase. As she got older, it was less of a thrill for her, and her interest in toys changed. However, she'll still drag it into the room I'm in to signal to me she wants to play... lol... It doesn't mean she wants to play with that toy though

She's doing more than Daisy, other than chasing Phoebe around she only plays when I initiate it.

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

Thanks for the tip... She's not morbidly obese but she could stand to lose a pound or two... For a long time, she refused to eat canned food for some reason so I stuck with dry....As a test, I recently bought some fancy feast small wet food meals and she dug right in...Unfortunately, I think it's too rich for her because it's not uncommon for her to puke it up not long after she eats it... I liked the fancy feast because they're small and I can control her potions more easily

When we got one of our older cats she had been fed fancy feast. For whatever reason it appeared more greasy/ oily than I remembered from many, many years ago. ( could also depend on the variety). She had very few teeth,so we transitioned her to sheba and the puking and sometimes diarrhea stopped. Sheba is smaller portions also, but a little bit of a pain to open.