# Getting a Hedgie, Needs help with Cage Choice!



## rbarile92 (Apr 1, 2011)

Hello everyone!
My name is Rachel and I am fairly new to this site.
I am getting a hedgehog soon, but before I get one I want to be sure I have everything I need for the little guy to live a happy and secure life.
The biggest issue I have is the cage.
I am not sure as too which cage is the best choice for a hedgehog? I have looked into the C&C Cages, but there is no top to most of them and I am not sure how I feel about leaving a top wide open for him to escape in my room and never be found ever again.
I found a website that makes C&C Cages that you can buy, so maybe I can ask if they can build a top to it? They have it so the coroplast is high on the sides so I don't think that the hedgehog will be able to escape, but I am not sure.
I do not want to go with an aquarium because they are really heavy and poorly ventilated. I am afraid if I get a plastic bin then it will melt under the heat lamp so I don't think that is a good option either...

If anyone has any suggestions for me that would be great! Thanks so much!


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## HappyHedgies (Feb 17, 2011)

Welcome to HCC Forums 

Have you thought about a large rabbit or guinea pig cage?? They are well vented, large and only the bottom is plastic and it has a top so no melting or escaping hedgehogs  They are also light and easy to sterilize.


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## rbarile92 (Apr 1, 2011)

Thank you!! 

I never really thought about that!
I have a large rabbit cage that I used for my chinchillas that is down in my basement since I upgraded them into a FN Cage.
Do you use a C&C Cage?
I have been looking at cage pictures and a lot of hedgie owners seem to use the open top cages. Are hedgehogs known for escaping even if the coroplast is like 12 inches high on the sides of the cage?


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

I cannot say 100% but I think there's been a few smart hedgehogs that were able to escape in a C&C by moving their house or stuff around in the cage to use as a step. But I'll let the C&C owners confirm that. (I use a Ferret Nation).


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## HappyHedgies (Feb 17, 2011)

I use large transparent plastic bins. The hedgehogs have their own room now. We have all the bins on shelves and the bins offer a really good space for their wheels and huts with dishes with more room to spare. Bins are really light just like a rabbit cage. We have a fan and a heater in the room so we have lots of circulated air.

I have not used C&C so I can not answer your questions about C&C.


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## Judi (Jul 9, 2009)

I had a c&c cage which I quit using because I got tired of playing hunt the hedgehog for an hour every morning  We had configured it so that it had a top, and it had the smaller square mesh, but Spikey still managed to squeeze out of it every night.

I've got him in a large rabbit cage now and he doesn't escape. There's plenty of room for his wheel, large igloo, litter box, and I added a little second level but he doesn't use that much.


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## Nebular (Dec 28, 2010)

I have a C&C cage without a lid - partially because I don't want one, and partially because the wheel is taller than the cage wall. I made sure to run coroplast the entire height of the walls though (about 14" - 15"), rather than the 8" that some people use. Norman likes to try and climb the couch arms from time-to-time, so I figured I'd line the entire wall so he can't climb on top of his igloo and then out. He tested the walls the first night and found that the stuff doesn't give him anything to hang on to and quickly gave up.


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## CritterHeaven (Feb 21, 2011)

I have mine in a ferret nation.

Did you look through this thread? Lots of options.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1860


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## habs_chick (Jan 23, 2011)

I'm using a C&C cage with a loft (that i put a top on...easily removable for me so I can get Bobo out), and with no cover for the bottom part. I have about 10'' of coroplast around the edges and he's never tried to escape once. (even before i got around to putting the coroplast. I love his set up and am glad i upgraded from a guinea pig cage since he has a lot more room now.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

You can make C&C cages with a top on them, and it's much cheaper to make your own than to order one and pay for shipping. All you need to buy is the cubes (found someplace like Target, other home stores), coroplast (found at sign shops), and zipties (found at a hardware store). Altogether, it costs maybe $75, depending on how much you have to pay for the cubes and coroplast. To avoid any escape attempts, you need to make sure that the cubes have openings that are no larger than 1". They should have 9 small squares across the cube, not less. The packages of cubes that I have came with both the small-squared ones and large ones, so I use the large ones for the top and bottom of the cage. I use both the connectors and zipties to make sure everything is nice and stable and there's no chance of it collapsing or anything. For the coroplast, make sure that it goes up the sides at least 8", or even 10" or more, to prevent escape.

The nice part about C&C cages is they're cheap, you can make a nice roomy cage, and they have enough ventilation. The Sterilite tubs work well too, but you need to make sure that you drill holes into the sides for added ventilation, and you'll want a top on those too, which would need to have the middle cut out or something to help with ventilation as well. Ferret Nations and Marchioro cages are also nice and roomy, but they're more expensive as well, unless you can buy a used cage in good shape.

With heating issues, you can use a CHE with any of these options, but you're right, you do have to be careful using them with a plastic tub. The heating shouldn't melt the plastic as long as it's not sitting right on it, but with less ventilation in the tub, it's easier for the cage to get too warm inside. C&C cages are a bit harder to keep warm sometimes, since they're so open, but you can help hold some heat in by ziptieing coroplast over the back and sides, or putting a blanket over it (keeping it well away from the heater, of course).


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