# Live plants/dirt in cage



## Mirabella (Sep 16, 2015)

I came across a very old thread where one of the members said she had successfully transitioned her hedgie into some live plants...people asked that she post pictures but I couldn't find any - has anyone had success with this? I was thinking about hanging something live at the top of her cage out of reach sort of as an air filter (ok - I just like plants) but now this is intriguing me...

I also read that hedgies are ok with spider plants, and thought it might be nice to let some leaves hang into her space - but couldn't find any backup information. Has anyone experience there?



hogmother said:


> I just wanted to update this post to let everyone know how it went. We've had the tubs in the cage for a good couple of months now and Priscilla LOVES the soil.
> 
> It took a couple of weeks before she learned what to do with it and stopped being scared, sad and yet understandable considering she'd probably never seen soil before. Now she digs and roots in the soil, does her business there in one area and uses the mini tree we planted as a scratching post. I once sat and watched her for half an hour in her soil tub and she seemed to be having a great time!


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## GitaBooks (Aug 31, 2015)

I just love natural enclosures for animals, but I have little experience with making them. However, you could check with something like a zoo.
You want to do it right as some plants are toxic and soil can cause extra moisture.

Best of luck with your plans! : )


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

There's been several discussions going on about this recently.  One person is planning on setting up a naturalistic enclosure soon - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/105-cages/117850-great-naturalistic-cage-overhaul.html

The conversations started with this thread, though it got rather off-track towards the end - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...r-hedgie-clean-dust-bathing-alternatives.html

I'm planning on doing a bio-active set up for my hedgehog when I get her in a couple of months. I'm still in the process of researching right now, but I have a list of plants to research further. I'm planning on checking ASPCA's list of plants toxic to dogs & cats and will rule out any that are on those lists. If they're not on those lists, I'll double check for more information on the plant to see if there's anything that shows up as a red flag before I consider it safe. Also something to make certain of is that all parts of the plant are safe - roots, leaves, stem, any fruit/flowers/etc., just in case.

I don't know about spider plants specifically, but do a little research on them & check some toxic lists for other animals.


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## PeppermintGirl (Oct 2, 2015)

Hi, I was wondering the same thing for my new hedgehog. I thought I could have a platform or something that made it so she could go in and out of her cage to a different spot with soil and or plants in it.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Be careful with platforms - some hedgehogs are particularly dense about edges & heights and will fall off them easily, which can easily injure them. It's frequently recommended on this forum to make sure raised areas like second levels, ramps, etc. are enclosed to help prevent that. But otherwise sounds like a good idea to try out!


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