# Cardboard Chewing?



## muchnessintact (Aug 6, 2011)

Hello! We've got some relatively new parents here. Our boy, Fitch, is not quite 2 months old and we've had him for a little over a two weeks. He's been exhibiting normal behavior in terms of getting used to us and his new home. Yesterday was cage cleaning day and we've been using cardboard box houses, we had planned on replacing the one he had but held onto the old one as it was still in good enough condition for a little more use, and we weren't sure he would like the new one (it had a much larger opening). We gave him a new toilet paper roll which he played, like normal, with before we went to bed. When we got up this morning, the house was overturned, covered in his bedding, and the toilet paper roll was destroyed. He had clearly chewed on it and it was ripped apart. Anyway, we took all of that out and put back in the old house, which he has been quite content with.

My thought was that he did not like the new house and he had tried to use the TP roll to fix it. Is that possible? Is there any other explanation for this behavior? Is it possible he was playing with it? This was the only thing that had changed, and he's been done quilling. He's never shown behavior like this before. I didn't think it was normal, but am I wrong? He's been fine all day today...

Thanks!


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## muchnessintact (Aug 6, 2011)

He did the same thing last night with his old house. Overturned filled with bedding and he'd gone to the bathroom in it. We're thinking maybe it's that he needs more space? We're planning on getting him a new living space today, he grew much faster than we had anticipated. He's already the size of some of the year old hedgies that are posed in the size thread. I guess he's just gonna be a big boy!


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

One thought that came to mind was, does he have an exercise wheel? If so, is it big enough for him and does it move easily, have a good tilt so he doesn't slide? Sometimes bored hedgehogs will do things like you describe.

I've had a couple that liked to tear paper though. I had one that if you left a box of tissues on the floor, he would dig through them and rip them to shreds in under 15 minutes, given more time the box itself would have a back door added. I've had others who liked to pick things up and tear them. Some hedgehogs are just "mouthy". Whether its the sound, texture, or just something to do, who knows.

RE size: These little ones come in a variety of sizes. The largest I have had was 800 grams, the smallest 300. Both females.


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## muchnessintact (Aug 6, 2011)

No he doesn't have a wheel yet. Our breeder told us not to give him one until he was at least two months old. We did just order one the other day, hopefully it will be here by the end of the week. In the mean time, we got him some cat toys to see if he's interested in any of those to try and keep him occupied.


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## Guest (Aug 8, 2011)

muchnessintact said:


> No he doesn't have a wheel yet. Our breeder told us not to give him one until he was at least two months old. We did just order one the other day, hopefully it will be here by the end of the week. In the mean time, we got him some cat toys to see if he's interested in any of those to try and keep him occupied.


A wheel will probably help that issue unless he is jsut a hedgehog that likes to tear into cardboard XD

Make sure the cat toys are hedgie safe with no holes to get their mouth/tongue caught or feet caught


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