One extremely important similarity between young kittens and kids is that both seem to have a limitless source of energy. In the colder, darker months of the year, pet and child owners frequently struggle to come up with indoor activities for their active kids and pets. In reality, regardless of the season, cats of all ages feel safest indoors.
Whether you have a young, active cat or an older cat that has put on a few extra pounds, finding a simple method to exercise your indoor cat might be difficult. Introducing the cat fitness wheel! These objects, which resemble huge hamster wheels, allow your cat to burn off some calories while staying inside the comfort of your home. Read our reviews of the top six cat exercise wheels of the year and decide if it’s time to start your own at-home cat gym!
Ranking of the Top 5 Cat Exercise Wheels:
1. PawHut Cat Tree Activity Condo & Hamster Wheel
The PawHut Cat Tree Activity Condo with Exercise Wheel is our choice for the best cat exercise wheel overall. Due to its adaptability, we started with this item. This cat tree features numerous areas for your cat to nap and scratch in addition to an exercise wheel. You can still utilize this tree even if it turns out that your cat doesn’t like to run on the wheel. This item is especially great for houses with multiple cats because it provides a place where the cats can hang out and play without fighting over the space.
Large adult cats may not be able to fit comfortably in the exercise wheel because it is on the tiny side. This training wheel is more space-efficient than some of the others on our list, and the raw wood can be stained or painted to complement your home’s decor. The tree is a touch unsteady for some owners, especially when set up on non-carpeted surfaces.
2. Penn-Plax Wheeled Sisal Cat Tree
The Penn-Plax Wheeled Sisal Cat Tree is the smaller, more affordable alternative we think makes the greatest cat exercise wheel for the money. It is comparable to our top recommendation. The key advantage of this training wheel is that it’s not only an exercise wheel, similar to our top overall option. It is covered in sisal and carpet and can be used as a scratching post. The two linked rest platforms provide a place for your cats to rest. Unfortunately, including this one, all of the cat exercise wheels we tested are very pricey.
Even if your cat is too large or uninterested to run on the exercise wheel, this option, like our top recommendation, is more likely to be helpful. It is said that this product is robust and simple to assemble. Even though it’s made for cats up to 15 pounds, heavier cats can find it challenging to use the exercise wheel. Additionally, this wheel is a smart option for households with multiple cats.
3. TWW Treadmill Ferris Wheel
The TWW Treadmill Ferris Wheel should be taken into consideration if you have some spare cash. Since this training wheel is the most expensive on our list, you might want to make sure your cat will utilize it before you buy it. This wheel, which is made of durable PVC materials, is open on both sides for easy access by cats of all sizes. Soft blanket material that is simple to clean lines the wheel. For owners whose cats love late-night exercise sessions, this is an excellent option because of the solid base and the wheel’s silent construction. Along with being expensive, this item is also somewhat massive and won’t exactly match your home’s design.
4. PawHut Round Hamster Wheel Cat Tree
The PawHut Round Hamster Wheel Cat Tree may be the best option for you if you have kittens or particularly petite adult cats. Although it has some of the greatest reviews of any exercise wheel we researched, users almost universally agree that most adult cats can’t utilize it comfortably. For those who are concerned about the aesthetics of their cat furniture, this exercise wheel is an excellent choice because it doesn’t take up much room, is a neutral color, and has a cute cutout pattern on the base. Users claim that this wheel is simple to assemble, typically stable, and quiet to operate.
5. Go Pet Treadwheel
The Go Pet Treadwheel works well for cats, especially larger breeds like Maine Coons or overweight cats, despite being intended and marketed for small dogs. This wheel is made of metal, which makes it enduring and simple to clean. This wheel is slightly heavier due to its metal composition, so it will require more effort from your cat to get it spinning. An enormous benefit, especially for people who are less handy, is that it comes pre-assembled and ready to use right out of the box. When a cat utilizes this wheel, some noise is produced. This product’s price, which is more than some of the others on our list, is another significant drawback.
Buyer’s Guide: Purchasing the Best Cat Exercise Wheel
After reading our reviews, it’s time to start reducing your options in order to locate the ideal cat exercise wheel for both you and your feline companion. Here are some important factors to think about when you try to make a decision.
How Much Space Do You Have?
As you discovered by reading our evaluations, there are many different sizes of cat exercise wheels, some of which can be rather large. Which cat wheel suits you the best depends depend on how much room you have. Small-space dwellers will have fewer options unless they choose to let a piece of cat furniture take over their entire living space.
How Noisy Is The Cat Exercise Wheel?
The quantity of noise produced by a cat wheel is something to take into account because many cats have more nocturnal waking schedules. If you can’t sleep soundly or can’t move the wheel far from your bedroom, you should probably avoid some of these wheels because they produce more noise than others.
Do You Care What The Cat Exercise Wheel Looks Like?
Customers looking for cat trees will also face this conundrum. Unfortunately, the majority of cat furniture and accessories won’t win any style prizes and, in most circumstances, may be accurately classified as garish or unattractive.
Conclusion
The PawHut Activity Condo With Hamster Wheel is a flexible solution, beneficial even for owners whose cats refuse to use the wheel as intended, and is our pick for the finest all-around cat exercise wheel. The Penn-Plax Wheeled Sisal Cat Tree, which is our best value option, is a more portable, less priced version of our top pick with comparable adaptability. You should now have a solid understanding of the vast world of cat exercise wheels after reading our reviews. It’s important to keep in mind that cats are always safer indoors, so even if you decide against buying a cat wheel, fight the urge to let your cat play outside and get some other indoor toys instead.
Read more: The Best Cat Travel Accessories: Ultimate Guide