# Teaching Hedgehogs to Fly?



## Shelbys Mom (Mar 27, 2009)

He he I thought that was funny and would get attention.  
:roll: 
Anyway
Is there anyway of "Teaching" a hedgehog to run on the "*Flying* Saucer" wheels?
The pet store's around here don't have much that is Hedgie safe so the Flying Saucer was the best I could find.
But all she will do is run AROUND the wheel, not on it. I've tried putting her on it and "showing" her how it goes around. but she don't want anything to do with it. Except to hide under it or move it around her pen. :?

Any suggestions? :?:
Or do I just need to give her some more time? I don't know if she had a wheel at her last home.


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## Nicole (Mar 6, 2009)

most hedgies won't go on the wheel if you're watching or if it's light in the room. Bonzo doesn't come out and go on his wheel unless its pitch black in my room and i'm very quiet about to go to bed. During the day try putting your hedgie on the wheel and see if they walk, just keep your hand in front of them kind of blocking them from getting off. If your hedgie starts getting stressed though just let them off. I did this with Bonzo and later that night when all was desolate :lol: he figure it out himself, it was so weird that he just knew haha. Oh by the way, the Flyer Saucer wheel is one of the best wheels to get in my opinion. It's silent except for the hedgie's pitter patter of course :lol: and its soooo easy to clean, safe too  my Bonzo seems to love his.


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## Shelbys Mom (Mar 27, 2009)

I've tried putting her on it and blocking her from getting off but she just tried harder to push my hand away.
so I left her with it all night in her pen (she's been sleeping in her playpen because it's warmer at night) and when I hear her start running I sneak a peek. and she's running around it in circles. :| she will circle the entire pen hundreds of times.
I even tried putting food on it and it's still there the next day. :?


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## Nicole (Mar 6, 2009)

hmm, that's odd. I've heard of hedgies running circles so that's okay. Unfortunately I don't know what else you can do besides just keeping the wheel in there and maybe over time she'll figure it out. At least she's still getting some exercise by running arouunddd the wheel :lol: 
maybe someone with more experience can come on here and give you better information. That's all i got so far, sorry if i wasn't any help :|


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## Shelbys Mom (Mar 27, 2009)

You were helpful!
Atleast I know I wasn't being mean by making her stay on the wheel.
Thanks
we need a little hedgie size tredmill :idea:


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## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

Some hedgehogs will never use their wheel.

If your hedgehog is doing constant laps of it's cage, that could be a sign that they are bored.

During playtime provide your hedgehog with stuff that it can push around, or tubes it can put on it's head to try and stimulate playing. Vex does his best running after a good play session. 

One thing to do is put your hedgehog on the wheel and give her a meal worm, so associate the wheel to good. Hopefully this will help her get up the nerve to at least get on the wheel on her own. It may seem cruel to some, but i would then hold a meal worm a little out of reach so she has to walk towards it, and then the wheel should turn. As soon as she turns it even a little give her the worm. I would do this daily and make her run a little further until you wake up to a poopy wheel.

If someone else says this is a bad idea, it may be good to listen to them.


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## sebian (Aug 29, 2008)

You could try smearing some of your hedgie's favorite food (i.e. banana) on the wheel and put it just out of reach so s/he has to climb on the wheel to get it. When s/he leans and walks to eat it, the wheel will move. You may have to do this a couple times.. The flying saucer is a little tricky to understand at first, but it'll eventually happen, assuming your hedgie is a runner =)


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

Silly hedgie 

To an another perspective on things... 
We get wheels for our hedgies so they can run for exercise. Now, if your hedgie prefers to run laps around the wheel instead of on it, who's to say that's a problem?


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

From what I gather, you have your hedgie in her playpen at night, and you put the wheel in there with her.

Someone else had this problem as well. Their hedgie refused to use the wheel while left in the playpen. There's much more exploring to be done in a playpen. 

She will probably be more inclined to use it once she's kept in her cage at nights, where there's a limited amount of exploring.

*Edit to add that I found the other thread ^_^ http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2000


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## Shelbys Mom (Mar 27, 2009)

I tried the food thing. it didn't work. Problem is, I can't find any treats that she will eat.
But anyway Immortalia I think your right.
My nephew's dog was a bit jealous the other night because another dog was spending the night at the house so he wanted to spend the night with us. and it was warm so I put Shelby in her cage. She climbed her new tube to her upstairs "gym" so I just thought she was exploring, I put an extra hedgie bag up there because I wasn't sure if she knew how to come down. when I got up the next day she was down stairs in her bedroom asleep. so I checked the wheel for poop. an there was no poop. but when I took it out I noticed there were lil foot prints on it. so I think she used it.


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## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

azyrios said:


> If your hedgehog is doing constant laps of it's cage, that could be a sign that they are bored.





smhufflepuff said:


> Now, if your hedgie prefers to run laps around the wheel instead of on it, who's to say that's a problem?


Many captive animals exhibit this behavior when they are "bored" or are not given enriching activities. In this case the wheel was not constantly in the cage, therefor there was not enough activity for the hedgehog, and thus it ran circles. In some cases the hedgehog will run their nose on the cage and cause burns/cuts on the nose.

Also if the wheel was in a play pen as immortalia stated, then most hedgehogs would rather run around the play pen than use the wheel because this is new exciting place to run.

Either way, i am glad she is not using the wheel.


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