# Snuggling with her potty pad?



## ellasmom (Jul 27, 2011)

Ella recently has been taking her potty pad from under her wheel and snuggling with it at night. Her cage is filled with plenty of blankets and it is plenty warm where she is. Anyone know why she would do this? (She does it even if she has peed/pooped on it!) EW!! :?


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2011)

Hedgehogs do very strange things, it could be so many things I will say because its easier and because their potty habits got better I started laying a double layer of paper towels under their wheel and its done wonders for their habits. That is until the past week when Feral has decided she wants to sink her teeth into the paper towel and move it to a corner and rip it to shreads. She isn't aggressive with me we nose nuzzle and I kiss my little girl cause shes so gosh darn cute without issue, honestly I think its her quilling and what she thinks of it. Once I confirmed she wasn't eating it I just sighed and let her be.

Girls will be girls and its best not to interrupt a girl when she is venting/frustrated in my experience

For the longest time I though something was wrong with Feral cause she'd be too lazy to getup and poop in the day time and I'd find it in her igloo, I took her to the vet for her check up and all was well and she continued this worrisome behavior for another week or so before finally deciding poop belongs exclusively on dad and under the wheel. She literally saves up and poops on me and pees, never anywhere else out side the cage and I give her time, she just says here dad thanks for the food, treats, and awesome cage! Don't use that all in one place now 

Hedgehogs are so silly


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## mkm125 (Jun 20, 2011)

"...finally deciding poop belongs exclusively on dad and under the wheel. She literally saves up and poops on me and pees, never anywhere else out side the cage and I give her time, she just says here dad thanks for the food, treats, and awesome cage! Don't use that all in one place now"
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This is exactly what XiaoXiao does to me! She only poops in her wheel (she does not poop anywhere else in her cage) and I was just telling my husband (this morning) I swear she saves it just for me now. I have tried everything...time to poop and pee inside the cage once I wake her up or during nightly foot baths in the sink or tub. In the past she would poop and pee in the tub or sink, but now I think that may have been due to feeling uncomfortable or fearful. I think she's so used to the routine that she does not poop or pee out of fear (stress) any more. In the last few days it seems as if she is saving it all just for me. I thought she was litter box trained but it seems to be only while in her cage. I have taken to putting a puppy-pad on my chest when I have her on me in the evening as I am tired of having to change my shirt. Oh well--she's worth it! I have to deal with poop and she has to deal with lots of face and belly kisses (and yes--she seems to be just fine with them as she never recoils or curls up--it's as if to say--OK Momma--let's get this over with as I know you are never going to stop wanting to kiss me!)


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## ellasmom (Jul 27, 2011)

I dont think i could do the papertowel thing...i had to do it once because i was out of potty pads and they didnt soak up ANYTHING! Stinky  but thanks for the help guys!!!


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2011)

Did you double layer it?

I use a decent quality paper towel folded over and never have that problem or any smell issues so easy to pick up and trash the next day too


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## Olympia (Aug 4, 2010)

I use paper towel in Zoé`s litter pan and she likes to take it with her in her igloo AFTER she`s used it. :? I tried giving her a second paper towel outside of her litter pan and a small blanket, hoping she would take those to bed with her but no, she only likes the dirty paper towel. :shock:


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## ellasmom (Jul 27, 2011)

Olympia said:


> I use paper towel in Zoé`s litter pan and she likes to take it with her in her igloo AFTER she`s used it. :? I tried giving her a second paper towel outside of her litter pan and a small blanket, hoping she would take those to bed with her but no, she only likes the dirty paper towel. :shock:


ELLA DOES THE SAME THING!!! but its not everyday..icky


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## beautsbelle (Jul 19, 2011)

This might be a super dumb question, but what is a potty pad? I use a piece of fleece under her wheel (sitting over top of the legs of the CSBW). I pull that out and change it as needed. It helps to catch the falling debris from the nightly run. 

I've put paper towel in there, but she chewed it up and I thought that might not be too good for her, so I quit using paper towel. Heck, she even chewed up a TP roll I put in there, so I took it out because I did not think that was good for her either. I think she likes to eat things. LOL.


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

The potty pads I use are for babies. They are in the diaper area. Sometimes they are called portable changing pads. They have layers and the top is a cottony type fabric and the bottom is usually plastic of some type. 

They are very absorbent. I accidentally spilled the water bowl and it soaked up the whole thing. 

I buy the baby kind, the pet kind always say "with pet-attracting scent" and we don't need to be putting chemicals of any type near our hedgies. 

I also use them in the bottom of her car carrier in case of accidents. 

I think the last time I bought them they were 12 for about $5. I think they are about 12x15.

I put one under my CSW, since that's where she "goes" and I put the litter box on top of it. I don't change it very often because she's very good at using the litter box. Mostly it just keeps the "crumbs" in one area.  

Donna


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

TWCOGAR said:


> Girls will be girls and its best not to interrupt a girl when she is venting/frustrated in my experience.


You are a very smart man. :lol:


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## ProjectParanoia (Jan 27, 2010)

Oh goodness, TWCOGAR, that reminds me of when Delia was a baby. She has an igloo with a bottom attached, and every night she was poop in there and it would get EVERYWHERE, even the igloo ceiling! I always had to wake her up so I could clean it, and had to bathe her more often than I should have.
Since she hated getting waken up an extra time (and getting more baths), she started pooping on her wheel, and eventually in her potty. I was probably the happiest hedgie mother alive.


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## beautsbelle (Jul 19, 2011)

MomLady said:


> The potty pads I use are for babies. They are in the diaper area. Sometimes they are called portable changing pads. They have layers and the top is a cottony type fabric and the bottom is usually plastic of some type.
> 
> They are very absorbent. I accidentally spilled the water bowl and it soaked up the whole thing.
> 
> I buy the baby kind, the pet kind always say "with pet-attracting scent" and we don't need to be putting chemicals of any type near our hedgies.


Thanks for clearing that up for me. I must find some. Hope to get out tomorrow for some. I hope they help with the odor I am finding more of since using fleece. It is like a nutty odor, urine obviously, but I have a super strong nose and it drives me nuts, and judging from her wheel, she is a wheeling pee'er. I am on my way to my "Woman Cave" to make one of those no-sew hedgie snuggle bags. Wish me luck. I'm not very good at that kind of thing. LOL.


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