# new hedgehog keeps turning over food and water bowls



## Jadoxkast (May 20, 2010)

Hello, my girlfriend recently got a new hedgehog , it was from a pet shop so not sure of the exact age but most likely abouy 6 to 8 weeks as they were all young looking. He seems to turn over his water bowl, food bowl, and litter box at night. The bowls are ceramic except for the liter pan which is plastic. Currently she uses aspen shavings for bedding. Is there any solution to this or is it just a young hedgehog exploring and he will learn eventually?


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Are the dishes tall? Shallow dishes are less likely to be tipped over, as they wouldn't have to climb and reach into the bowl.

A little OT, but very VERY important. You MUST check the sex on the hedgie. IF the hedgie is female, and was kept with other hedgies, be ready for a pregnancy. If you are unable to check, place the hedgie on a clear glass plate/table/bowl, just anything clear, so you can lift the hedgie higher and look through the glass to see if you can find the male "belly button". This is very important, and you should do this asap, so at least it'll be less stress later.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

does he has a hedgie safe wheel to run on? if not he's just trying to burn off some energy and a wheel will help


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## Jadoxkast (May 20, 2010)

he has a wheel that she bought, the silent spinner but since he is a baby (and he is a he, we checked) he is too small to really climb into the big size wheel. so she is going to get him a smaller one for the time being.

the dishes are not really tall but i guess we can look for small dishes height wise.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

The Silent Spinner is not a good hedgehog wheel, the slits in the running surface can grab onto a toe or toe nail and cause injury. I think there's also a problem with them actually tipping over when the hedgehog gets bigger. When shopping for a wheel, find something that doesn't have any slits (openings) in the running surface or giant openings on the side, nor any cross members on the wheel itself (aka lawn mower blades). The Carolina Storm by LarryT here is a good wheel, its huge but glides with little effort. If its too tall, he could probably make you one that sits as low to the ground as possible, and then include the regular upright section for when the hog gets bigger.


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