CRINKLES CRACKS HIS WHEEL

Well it finally happened,  the ONE FAST CAT EXERCISE WHEEL met it's match.  I was in the cat room at my desk, when Peggy-Sue got on the wheel.  I noticed that it was making a strange squeaking sound.  I thought maybe the wheel had come off it's tracking.  So I  readjusted the wheel onto it's tracking, figuring that the problem was solved.  Peggy-Sue then got back on the wheel, and again the wheel made that strange squeaking noise.  So I walked around the wheel, took several steps back, and realized that two of the small tracking wheels had collapsed and were rubbing against the exercise wheel. I took the exercise wheel off it's tracking and began to inspect the situation .  

Inspecting the damage

There is a metal hollow square shaped bar that connects the two sets of small wheels.  This bar and the small wheels act as a base to support the exercise wheel. I inspected the ends of the metal bar and COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES!  At the ends of this hollow square shaped bar are four tiny pieces of metal that holds the washer in place.  These four tiny pieces of metal, HAD BEEN COMPLETELY WORN AWAY!  LOL.  

Good Side

Worn Side

Now I know that the wheel was probably broken before Peggy-Sue got on it, so the culprit was none other than  MR. CRINKLES!  For the last three years, Crinkles has claimed that wheel has his very own.  He is on it EVERY DAY!  He lost 1 kilogram in two years, and went from 6.3 kilograms to a svelte 5.3 kilograms.  Crinkles always goes in the same direction on the wheel.  If you are looking at him directly on the wheel,  he mostly runs to the left side of the wheel.  And of course it was the left side of the metal bar that was broken.  It was a long 4 day wait for Crinkles before the replacement part arrived.  Crinkles seemed lost without his wheel.   I had taken the exercise wheel and leaned it up against the wall by itself.  Crinkles jumped on the exercise wheel thinking that it would turn and rotate, but he seemed quite shocked that it did not move.  When the replacement part finally arrived and the exercise wheel was back in working order, Crinkles seemed unsure if it had been fixed. Finally after a short while he got back on his wheel and was happy as a clam. So, I figure 3 years from now, I will be replacing that metal bar again LOL! 

Not impressed!