# What type of dish is best?



## britters (Aug 17, 2011)

I've read on a couple websites that heavy ceramic dishes are best for
them to eat & drink out of. But on others I've read that metal or plastic dishes are better & to try & get them to drink from a bottle instead of a dish. Help?


----------



## kelybely (Oct 19, 2010)

Ceramic dishes work best in my opinion. They cant tip them over and spill all they're food or water. Drinking from a water bottle could cause chipped teeth so I would stick with a dish. Plus it's easier to clean.


----------



## ProjectParanoia (Jan 27, 2010)

Definitely heavy ceramic. They don't make a mess, and can't be chewed on like plastic. And over time, metal rusts and that would concern me.


----------



## britters (Aug 17, 2011)

Thank you.(


----------



## Guest (Aug 17, 2011)

Hello,

Drinking Bowls/Bottle is entirely up you we will offer the opinion that water bowls are best with ceramic dishes are ok.

There reason most feel a water dish is better is its a much more natural drinking position and they can freely drink without contorting their neck and attacking the water bottle for minutes to get water at a much slower rate.

In some cases a water bottle ball as cut/chopped the tongue of the hedgehog and chipped teeth and others have never reported this however most will tell you here we follow a "Better safe then sorry"

If your using bedding such as aspen a bowl can be a bit troublesome if you have a messy hedgehog and another reason fleece is recommended.


----------



## Ava99 (Jul 6, 2011)

I use ceramic dishes. His water goes in one of those 4" ceramic dishes a lot of breeders sell (they're an odd gray on the outside and blue on the inside) and food goes in this little cat dish I got at Walmart. It's about 2 inches tall and ceramic, and works perfectly for me because the amount of food Westley eats every night almost perfectly covers the bottom of the dish. He stands in the thing ( :roll: ) to get all the food out (it's up against a wall, so he cant reach the back of the dish, he could if he tried, but he's too lazy...) and puts his feet up on the edge to get in and out and never tips it. I had previously used the water dish as a food bowl and he would have to stand on the edge to get to his food (hence the change) and never flipped it either.

You can really use anything though, as long as it isn't an obvious danger to your little one (sharp edges, bad chemicals, etc.) and it can't be flipped. I know one person here (dexterthehog maybe?) uses measuring cups (very cute ones) as the food and water bowls. So it's really up to you.


----------



## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

I use heavy ceramic ones also  My food dish is the smallest one that wouldn't fit a hedgie inside if they tried, maybe like a diameter of 2" as an estimation. I started out with the smaller water dish also but I did change it to the ~4" diameter one once I was sure they wouldn't trying pooping in it. One tip if its a new or baby hedgie is I moved my dishes apart at first so they couldn't be using one and pooping in the other. Once they were fairly good where they went to the bathroom I moved them together where they are to present.


----------

