# Lila (hedgie) keeps poopig in her igloo, 8 week-old



## Louiedog (Jan 6, 2012)

Will Lila grow out of this and is this normal behavior for a hedgie to poop/pee where they sleep and spend most of their time?! 

Also, safe kitty litter. Tried paper towels and toilet paper but she sleeps with it more than uses it to do her business on


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## JackieMackk (Nov 24, 2011)

She's still very young and at that age they're just poop machines. She may just not care to move, and some don't take to training at all.


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## lehaley (Jun 25, 2011)

Felix seems to occasionally do this too. I can't tell if it's because it's light out and he's too lazy to move or if he drags it in on him after wheeling. I agree that it's probably something she'll grow out of after her poop machine baby phase, since most animals tend to avoid doing their business where they sleep.


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## JustOnePost (Dec 27, 2011)

Baby Hedgies don't gain control of their bowel movements until around 3 or more months of age it varies with each and every hedgie.

As your hedgie gets older it should decrease 

Yesterday's News is popular you could also give your hedgie some paper towels a lot of hedgies like paper towels for their igloo or hide away as a nesting (Yes some hedgies nest without pregnancy, my male has always made nests).


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Try leaving a piece of the poop on the litter tray/towel so she'll associate that area with it instead. The tray should be underneath the wheel so any poop/pee that comes out when she's running on it will end up on the tray (and the wheel, of course). Hedgehogs, especially young ones, tend to do their business pretty soon after waking up, so it might be that she's waking up and not leaving her igloo immediately, so she's still in there when she has her 'just woke up' poop.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

What is the cage temp and what is her light schedule?

Do you find she poops/pees at night or during the day?
(do you find the poop/pee when you check on her at night, or do you find it when you check on her during the day?)

Is she eating and fully active at night? Does she use her wheel?


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## Louiedog (Jan 6, 2012)

Thank you all for your advice. Btw, I have tried placing her poop in her litter tray and it hasn't worked at all, she just doesn't catch on. I am beginning to accept that it is an age related problem and will have to rough out her messy habits for another month or so. Yesterdays news, paper towels, toilet paper have all failed me too btw. Thank you once again though for trying to help.

As for the last post, she does eat regularly and sticks to her staple diet of blue buffalo cat food. I do not feed her any treats at all because the breeder I got Lila from said not to until she is at least 10 weeks of age. As far as lighting, she is close to my window, about 4 ft. away and I keep the shades open to regulate the light (gets very bright if adequate sunshine is available). I sometimes keep an additional light on depending on how cloudy it may be a given day. Temp stays between 73-78°F. As far as exercise, I got her 6 weeks of age, received the CSW a week later after shipping. The first week and a half she loved the wheel but now I do not ever hear or see her on it.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Louiedog said:


> As far as lighting, she is close to my window, about 4 ft. away and I keep the shades open to regulate the light (gets very bright if adequate sunshine is available). I sometimes keep an additional light on depending on how cloudy it may be a given day.


Going by sunlight isn't a great idea because the shorter days during the winter can trigger hibernation attempts. Hedgehogs should have consistent light; 12-14 hours is best. Since you already have another light you sometimes use, the best method would be to turn it on and off at the same time each day, or to get a timer to regulate it. On at 7am and off at 9pm, for example - whatever times work well for you and give her the amount of light she needs.

As for the poop thing, just keep putting one or two pieces on the tray, and keep the tray positioned under her wheel so any poop/pee that happens while she's running will end up on there. It's definitely not something she'll pick up right away. My boy Ares has some days when he does great and everything ends up on the wheel or the tray, and some days (like today, haha) he does his business pretty much everywhere except where I want him to.


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