# Enrichment!



## Aj.t (Jan 29, 2019)

Hey guys! Thought I’d share my enrichment idea tonight. It was probably the most simple piece to make, but for Christina, it’ll be a blast! Enrichment is any form of sensory stimulus that encourages positive, natural behaviors in animals while reducing negative and stereotypical behaviors. Anything (safe) that gets an animal to smell new smells, feel new or exciting objects, or use their minds to solve problems is an important part of animal care. Here I just have two ingredients: fleece strips and a tissue box. I wasn’t even planning on making this, but as I used my last tissue, I realized I had some clean fleece I could cut up and shove in here! I’m going to add her dry diet into the box so that she has to dig and forage for her food, playing on her natural behavior of digging and foraging for food. So not only does it double as tactile (touch) enrichment and food enrichment, she also tends to take her day time snoozes in new boxes like these, ADORABLE! These mixed with her nightly strolls around my house will not only get her more active but it’ll also get her mind and senses stimulated in ways her excessive wheel can’t. Have a great night guys!


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## Aj.t (Jan 29, 2019)

I’d also like to add the critical step of removing the plastic film and glue from the box as this can become problematic for hedgies and pretty much any animal!


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## Buddysmom (Apr 20, 2019)

Cute, easy and cheap! Great idea! Has your Hedgie explored with it yet? If so, how does it like it?


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## Aj.t (Jan 29, 2019)

She loved it! Digging all night 🙂


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

That should work nicely. One of my very first hedgehogs discovered a tissue box on the floor once. I discovered a nice pile of shredded tissues across my floor and an empty box with a hedgehog inside. Don't be surprised if your enrichment box becomes a hide.


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