# Do rats/gerbils/hamsters/mice know that they can get on and off the wheel whenever they want?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-rats-gerbils-hamsters-mice-know-that-they-can-get-on-and-off-the-wheel-whenever-they-want/701367
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 15, 2014, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-rats-gerbils-hamsters-mice-know-that-they-can-get-on-and-off-the-wheel-whenever-they-want/701367 "2014-10-15T02:30:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2014, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-rats-gerbils-hamsters-mice-know-that-they-can-get-on-and-off-the-wheel-whenever-they-want/701367/1 "2014-10-15T02:30:41Z")

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I was watching some of these rodents get whipped around and tossed off and stumble back on.

Do they want to get off sometimes–perhaps–but can’t?

Do they know what they’re in for when they step into the wheel thingy? For better or worse–I would think it’s enjoyable also.

Do some like it more than others?

I’m sure someone, somewhere, must have tested this or it’s been observed since forever. “Enjoy,” “want,” and “don’t like” are all translated daily in lab rat tests using behavioral vocabulary.

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### Author: ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-rats-gerbils-hamsters-mice-know-that-they-can-get-on-and-off-the-wheel-whenever-they-want/701367/2 "2014-10-15T03:36:57Z")

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[Apparently some do.](http://i.imgur.com/Sieni8m.gif)

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### Author: ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2014, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-rats-gerbils-hamsters-mice-know-that-they-can-get-on-and-off-the-wheel-whenever-they-want/701367/3 "2014-10-15T04:01:39Z")

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It’s not like Jojo Sr. \</obscurereference\>. They get bored/done. If they tumble, the wheel probably turns too fast.

In my experience, rats don’t give a crap about wheels, at least to the same extent that hamsters et al. do. Also, most wheels are too small for them. But even juvenile rats won’t use them as much.

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### Author: ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2014, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-rats-gerbils-hamsters-mice-know-that-they-can-get-on-and-off-the-wheel-whenever-they-want/701367/4 "2014-10-15T04:23:47Z")

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Even wild mice will use an exercise wheel if it’s left outside, according to Scientists.

> **[Mice Run for Fun, Not Just Work, Research Shows (Published 2014)](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/21/science/study-shows-that-mice-run-for-fun-not-just-for-lab-work.html)**
>
> Two researchers in the Netherlands placed exercise wheels outdoors in a garden, and tracked what happened.