Pros And Cons Of Available Bedding:
Wood Shavings:
These are regular wooden shavings that you see in hamster and gerbil cages. NEVER USE CEDAR OR PINE BEDDING! These woods have highly toxic phenols that over time can give your hedgehog, or other small pet for that matter, a respiratory disease. In some extreme cases, death can result. If you do use wood chips use aspen.
Pros
-Fairly cheap
-Easily found
-Smell nice
Cons
-Can harbor mites
-Becomes expensive over time
-Leaves shavings around your house
-Not very odor absorbent
-Large amounts must be used to cover the cage floor
Recycled Paper Bedding:
These are basically pieces of recycled paper, or compacted pieces of pulp that were too small to use by the manufacturing company. They are basically like wood bedding... but paper. Brands used are Yesterday's News, Carefresh, and CellSorb.
Pros
-Fairly cheap
-Low risk of containing mites
-Absorb odors and waste very well
Cons
-Some are very dusty
-Becomes expensive over time
-Large amounts must be used to cover the cage floor
Fabric Liners:
These are pieces of fabric cut to fit your hedgehog's cage. The most commonly used fabric is fleece which can be found in your local pound shop Helen (Nellie ) makes most of the forums beautiful fleece liners . Other fabrics can be used, as long as there are no loose threads and the edges don't fray. To clean them, you throw them in the wash and you're ready to go.
Pros
-Easily cleaned
-Cost efficient---buy only one blanket and you're done
-Easily found
-No risk of mites
Cons
-If your hedgie isn't litter trained they can get quite messy very quickly
-If your hedgie is an extreme digger, they may dig through parts of their liners
Toys And Accessories:
Hedgehogs are active little critters, and they need toys to occupy their time with. There is an absolute must for all hedgehogs, which is a wheel. These are like a hamster wheel, only bigger. The minimum diameter is 11 inches. All wheels must have a solid running surface, and no spokes to get caught in. Hedgies can really get going on these things; they will run up to 3 miles in a night! However, they will also poop and pee on their wheel as they run. In their mind, they are running away form their waste, so it is perfectly normal for them to do this. In fact, if you get a hedgie, expect them to, because I have yet to hear of a hedgehog that doesn't poop or pee on their wheel during their nightly runs. That said, here are a few other accessories and toys your hedgie will enjoy:
Hiding spaces: Hedgehogs love having places to run to and hide in. At least one hidey house is necessary for your hedgehog. Large Pigloos, plastic igloos, are a favorite among owners. This is where your hedgie will sleep during the day. It is also a good idea to place a strip of fabric inside the hiding spaces. This gives your hedgie something to sleep under or curl up with. Just make sure that the fabric has no frayed edges and no loose threads that can wrap around your hedgie's limbs.
Toilet paper rolls: If you cut a slit down the side of an old toilet paper roll, your hedgie may enjoy pushing it around and shoving their head in it. Some hedgies love it, and some hate it.
Plastic cat toys: Some hedgehogs enjoy pushing these around with their nose. Just be sure that there are no sharp plastic edges that can hurt your hedgehog.
PVC piping or ferret tunnels: Hedgehogs will usually enjoy running through these or hiding in them.
Stuffed animals: Several hedgehogs love these. They will crawl over them and tug them around. Some will even "parent" them, and treat them like a young hedgehog. Just make sure that there are no loose threads or open spaces where your hedgie can get to the stuffing. If ingested, the stuffing can cause internal damage.
These are by far not your only options for toys, they are simply suggestions. Look around your house and look at things that might make a good toy. As long as it doesn't pose a threat to your hedgie's health, go ahead and try it out, you may find a toy your pet loves!
Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:50 pm
