# Female and male, how much distance between vivs?



## Shanadoodle (Oct 2, 2018)

Hey, sorry if this has been answered else where I couldn’t find an answer , so I know you need to be careful keeping a male and female as she can be forced into heat? 

Basically I have a male in a big wooden viv he’s around a year and is he is quite sizeable for a male, but I’m getting a female in two weeks time, she’s beening weaned at the moment, she’s gonna go in my smaller viv just to make sure she doesn’t feel too vulnerable to begin with in a huge viv, so at the moment I have the vivs next to each other with about 10cm apart, is this sufficient? Or do I need to move her viv and if so how far? Eventually when I upgrade her viv I wanted to stack her ontop of the males viv, was is this a bad idea? Suggestions /advice are super welcome! 

Just a little extra info, if I need more space between them that’s not an issue and can do that I have the space, also I’m aware they can’t have playtime together ect 

Thank you for reading


----------



## SquirtleSquirt (May 9, 2016)

To be on the safer side, I think it'd be best to put more distance. Also make sure that there is no way either one of them can escape into each other's cages. 

Remember when bringing in a new hedgehog you have to quarantine them for the first couple of weeks. It's best to quarantine her in another room. Remember to always thoroughly wash your hands and change your clothes in between when handling your hedgehogs.


----------



## Shanadoodle (Oct 2, 2018)

SquirtleSquirt said:


> To be on the safer side, I think it'd be best to put more distance. Also make sure that there is no way either one of them can escape into each other's cages.
> 
> Remember when bringing in a new hedgehog you have to quarantine them for the first couple of weeks. It's best to quarantine her in another room. Remember to always thoroughly wash your hands and change your clothes in between when handling your hedgehogs.


Thank you for taking the time to reply! Okay that's fine probably just swap her viv with the fish tank at the other side of the room!

Ohh yeah ofc, I was thinking handling wise I'd ensure I handle my buddy existing hedgie, first before each night put him away and then handle her? As I know buddy is vet checked and has a full bill of health. Plus for the first week we won't be home we will be at my nans and I'm gonna have her in her viv, then we will be back home (I know not ideal but only thing I can do) only room I can put her in that's separate is the room with our chinchillas?

Neither will be able to escape their vivs, very sturdy vivs


----------



## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

There should be no issues with stacking them.


----------



## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

As long as they can't physically touch each other you should be fine. When I was breeding I had my males and females side by side but had a solid wall between them.


----------



## Shanadoodle (Oct 2, 2018)

Draenog said:


> There should be no issues with stacking them.


Ah okay just wanted to make sure makes my life easier when I upgrade her viv in a few months. Thank you


----------



## Shanadoodle (Oct 2, 2018)

nikki said:


> As long as they can't physically touch each other you should be fine. When I was breeding I had my males and females side by side but had a solid wall between them.


No they won't be able to touch at all their vivs are thick wood, but may put the chinchilla between them or the fish tank when room is changed around , thank you


----------



## CarolWilkins (May 16, 2018)

Cage can be anywhere next to male, BUT I would put a visual barrier up. I’ve had situations of male right next to female or across the room. They were fine beside each other, but they really do need visual barrier as my female even wanted to get in the males cage!!! LOL.


----------

