# Can i house my hedgie in a ikea detolf



## Jerryman09

I am looking for a cage to house my hedgie in. I really want it to look nice and I'm interested in buying a IKEA Detolf Storage unit and using it as a cage. I really don't want to use an aquarium/tank because I personally don't like them and I think it's cheaper to get a detolf than get a tank that size.


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## shinydistraction

You're really going to want something with more ventilation than that. I had to google what a detolf is, and the images don't really look like an appropriate hedgie home. Tanks and aquariums really aren't good either. Hedgehogs need good ventilation, their homes need to be able to be properly heated and you need a good bit of floor space. The problems with tanks and similar is the ventilation is poor, and they hang on to moisture. Neither of which is good for a hedgehog. 

There are some great options though. The ferret and critter nation cages are popular. C&C cages give you tons of flexibility. I've seen people re-purpose wooden cabinets (you'd need to make sure any would used is properly sealed as wood can harbor mites), some people use sterilite bins which is super inexpensive if not terribly attractive. Guinea pig cages (the larger ones of course) will also work. 

So long as the option you go with meets the needs of the hedgehog. It needs a lot of floor space (it has to be able to hold a wheel, food and water dishes, and a place to hide at minimum), it must be well ventilated, it needs to be easy enough for you to clean it regularly, it needs to be escape proof, and you need to be able to keep it at proper temperatures using some sort of heating system like CHE's or a space heater.


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## nikki

Ikea products are usually made out of pressed wood or fiber board. This type of material is filled with glues and other chemicals. They off-gas fumes for a long long time and these fumes can make your hedgehog ill. As mentioned there are a lot better cages out there that are safer.


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## AlexandPersephone

That shelving unit is very far from something appropriate to house ANY any animals in.


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## Draenog

It's usually used for hamsters, but I've seen some hedgehog cages made from Detolfs. They look nice and make great cages if you make sure there's enough ventilation.


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