# our adventures with a missing hedgie



## jayleepraise (Feb 7, 2012)

So our 11.5wk old Dexter was playing so well with my daughter yesterday that instead of putting him back in his cage when I went to pick up my son from school, we left him in the floor pen so my son could play with him when we got back (he often burrows under the wheel in his cage so we dont like to disturb him there, its easier to access him from in a blanket in the floor pen). I returned home 45mins later, around 3pm, to find him gone! One of the pen links hadnt been fastened properly and he squeezed through. But there was no sign of him, no poop no trail.... me and the kids started searching behind and under furniture etc. They eventually lost interest and I had dinner to make. When my husband got home 3hrs later we still hadnt found him. My hubby is pretty attatched to this hedgie so he tears the place apart. Over the course of the evening we re-organized the play area, re-organized the coat closet, moved and cleaned under the recliner, couch, frig, dryer/washer etc everything on the first floor of our house was investigated. The kids included Dexter in their bedtime prayers, my neighbor/friend came over around 9pm to help us look with fresh eyes for awhile. No sign of him anywhere...hubby was getting rather worried that he was wedged or stuck somewhere in pain all this time. We finally got everything back in its place and vacuumed up by 10:15pm. We turned the lights down and sat on the couch to watch a little tv softly, hoping he would come out of hiding. Hubby told me he wasnt going to bed til Dexter was safely back in his cage. Around 10:45 we heard some noises in the kids play area. We dove off the couch with the flashlight and begin searching, for the third time, through trucks and barbies and book shelves. We finally discovered him under a shelve with about a 3inch gap between floor and bottom shelf, he had been rustling against a toy under there. He didnt want to be moved so we pulled him out with an oven mitt. He got an 8hr nap while we had torn the place apart, made a ton of raquet and basically did spring cleaning a little early. whew.......


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

Is it the multicolored one? Hedgies can climb/force their way out of those really quickly. It's best NEVER to leave them unattended.


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## jayleepraise (Feb 7, 2012)

Yes that one, one of the fasteners had come undone.... and I realize that now, to only leave him in his cage when we are gone... hubby told him he is grounded til he is 37


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## EinsteinsMama (Jan 18, 2012)

Oh how funny! At least you got some early spring cleaning in!


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## zombiewoman (Sep 22, 2011)

Scary moment, lesson learned, and a good dose of the best medicine after the crisis is over Laughter. You naughtly litle hedgehog giving your parents gray hair over you. Glad he is safe and home.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

Those playpens aren't safe.... an adult hedgie can easily climb out.


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## jeffs0719 (Dec 20, 2011)

Can you take a picture of the playpen you use? because I'm looking for one for jez.


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## jayleepraise (Feb 7, 2012)

We havn't seen Dexter interested in climbing out of it, but he is only 12wks old right now. We plan to invest in something bigger and better when we have the extra funds....



jeffs0719 said:


> Can you take a picture of the playpen you use? because I'm looking for one for jez.


We have the CritterTrail from the PetSmart store.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2754677


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