# Savic Runner Exercise Ball



## Tigerneko (Jan 2, 2009)

Has anyone got one of these?

[email protected] do them and they come in green, blue and yellow.

It's one of those that you get in two halves and have to clip together yourself and i've gotta say, i'm not sure I trust it!

The main two sections of the ball are wobbly and uneven (and i've definately fitted it together properly) and I can break the door open with a few little wiggles, even when it's 'locked' in place :scared:

So, can anyone tell me if they have one and whether it's any good or not?

my other one is a Hagen one and I have no idea where I got it from but it's much better as the ball is just one solid thing with a much better door, so i think im gonna get another one of them and keep the Savic as a spare.


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## Cat_Crazy (Jul 15, 2009)

I have one of the Savic ones from Pets at Home and if your thinking of using it for the new girls I woudln't bother lol.

I put one of the girls in it and she ran straight into the wall which meant the whole ball broke open and off she went.

Luckilly she was quite easy to catch!


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## Tigerneko (Jan 2, 2009)

Cat_Crazy said:


> I have one of the Savic ones from Pets at Home and if your thinking of using it for the new girls I woudln't bother lol.
> 
> I put one of the girls in it and she ran straight into the wall which meant the whole ball broke open and off she went.
> 
> Luckilly she was quite easy to catch!


haha that's exactly what I was worried about, I was even rolling it across my room (empty lol) at what I thought gerbil speed might be and making it crash into various objects... it didn't break but I just don't trust it lol I think I will buy another of the Hagen ones then when I remember where I got it from, it's a lot safer cos it can't come apart in the middle and the plastic catch things on the door are much wider and safer than the Savic one.

I wouldn't mind them running round the room but all my furniture is on legs so they will just disappear under the bed or wardrobe and i'll never be able to catch them


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

I take it it's for gerbil use then? I wouldn't use them for my rats (or hamster, come to think of it) as they can stress and overheat in them. When they roll all over the place, that's actually them struggling to get out, not having fun.

If you take the "door" off, they make great hanging houses in cages though - attached with garden wire or cable ties (if your pets dont chew).


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## Tigerneko (Jan 2, 2009)

LisaLQ said:


> I take it it's for gerbil use then? I wouldn't use them for my rats (or hamster, come to think of it) as they can stress and overheat in them. When they roll all over the place, that's actually them struggling to get out, not having fun.
> 
> If you take the "door" off, they make great hanging houses in cages though - attached with garden wire or cable ties (if your pets dont chew).


lol 'gerbils' and 'dont chew' does not ever come into the same sentance 

I only ever keep them in the ball for as long as I can tell they're comfortable with. I've not tried the new girls in there yet since I only got them yesterday but my other gerbil does seem to enjoy getting around in the ball. I have read that it's not something gerbils particularly enjoy in general so im not expecting them to 'enjoy' it and if they don't appear to be doing so, then i'd take them out and they wouldn't go back in.

Anyway, I don't see why i'm justifying my reasons for using a ball to you. That wasn't the point of the thread.

Also - i'd rather my gerbils were able to run around the room safely contained (or unsafely in the case of that ball ) than have them run around the room and chew through electric cables or beggar off under the floor.


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## Emmily (Mar 22, 2010)

I thought they'd stopped making those two half exercise balls years ago as they come apart so easily, shows how little the company cares about animal well-being and safety. :frown:


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## Tigerneko (Jan 2, 2009)

Emmily said:


> I thought they'd stopped making those two half exercise balls years ago as they come apart so easily, shows how little the company cares about animal well-being and safety. :frown:


Yeah, Savic are usually pretty good - they've got some good cages and accessories out there, I just don't think they've thought through the design of the ball very well.

I think it will be going in the bin...if i'd still had the box and the receipt, i'd probably have tried to get a refund on it but it was only a couple of quid so never mind.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Verbatim said:


> Yeah, Savic are usually pretty good - they've got some good cages and accessories out there, I just don't think they've thought through the design of the ball very well.
> 
> I think it will be going in the bin...if i'd still had the box and the receipt, i'd probably have tried to get a refund on it but it was only a couple of quid so never mind.


I agree with that...I like the Savic cages. I have to say I have never seen a ball not in two halves...but not really looked for one lol! Am going to today 'tough!! I don't like putting my Syrians in them as I mine kept breaking....so now they just run free in my sitting room....not really practical for gerbils i know! You could tape it possibly....but if you don't truat it then probs not worth it!

Will keep an eye out for one today! xx


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## Myth (Apr 5, 2009)

Electrical tape is good for securing doors on balls.
Quite a few of my hamsters have got opening the doors sussed.
I use it on all my balls for a bit of extra peace of mind.


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

Verbatim said:


> Anyway, I don't see why i'm justifying my reasons for using a ball to you. That wasn't the point of the thread.
> 
> Also - i'd rather my gerbils were able to run around the room safely contained (or unsafely in the case of that ball ) than have them run around the room and chew through electric cables or beggar off under the floor.


Wasn't the point of my post either. I dont remember telling anyone what they should or shouldn't do, as I dont even keep gerbils.

Defensive, much? :arf:


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## $hAzZa (May 2, 2010)

My hamster is fine in his, I've had another one which the doors kept coming off, but this one is fine

I guess some are more faulty than others

BTW my hamster can't build up enough speed to spilt open the ball which is good  x


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## Emmily (Mar 22, 2010)

It may well have been a different company that made the exercise balls years ago, though why one company would copy another's bad design I don't know. Then again, it could be an improved design. 

My son is 22 years old now, he was around 8 or 9 years old when Oscar's (hamster) exercise ball hit a piece of furniture and came apart, luckily he was near by and quickly caught Oscar. 

Years later I was pleased to see rodent exercise balls that had an opening at one end, rather than the two halves, which was what made me think the original two half type had been scrapped.


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## Lady Sol (Aug 20, 2009)

Are you sure you've clipped it right - It wasn't until I got my second I realised that although my first was clipped together it was easy to misclip it and still have it looking OK. None of mine have ever come apart when correctly clipped (although I had a few door incidents until I worked out how much you had to spin it around).

I've got a hamtrac now for the balls though. That way I don't worry about them rolling into the kitchen or down the stairs (open plan house). It also stops them running into furniture at a million miles an hour. Of course though, I guess an oval track isn't the funnest thing to run around. Toffee doesn't seem to mind, Sunshine just ate the ball, the robos are crazy anyway and Merlin, Bandit and Sandy are tame enough not to use the balls.


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