# Splatting?



## Pinkpiratecow (Aug 4, 2013)

I had Penelope running around the apartment the other night, as I usually do, and she went over to our door and stretched out on her stomach with her little legs out on our "welcome" mat. At first I thought it was cute, but then I read about splatting. I live in FL and we keep the apartment at 79. Her cage is glass and kept on the floor, which could mean it is even cooler than the 79. She sleeps balled up in the tent in her cage, this is the first time Ive seen her lay like this and I have yet to see her do so in her cage. 

So I'm wondering what caused this and how I should move forward. I don't want her to be uncomfortable. I was thinking of getting her a tile to lay on and then a thermometer to monitor the temperature. I was also thinking of maybe putting her igloo back in her cage so she would actually be closer to the bottom of the cage and possibly cooler than the tent allows her to be.


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## Sonics1AndOnlyGirl (May 25, 2013)

Hedgehogs splat for two reasons
1. They are too hot 
2.They are really comfortable.

If she is too hot give her a tile if not then she was probably comfy.

You say her cage is glass. Are you using an aquarium?


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## Pinkpiratecow (Aug 4, 2013)

It is, yes. 30 gallon. No lid. I had a wire cage but she kept climbing/escaping.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

Wire cage is better- and make the sides so she can't climb and add a lid. Aquariums have very poor ventilation and trap heat.


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## Sonics1AndOnlyGirl (May 25, 2013)

I agree with Tom. Wire is better. If your worried about the climbing you could also use a storage bin. Mine can't climb it at all. The minimum size of bin you could have would be 110 quarts. I have a 200 quart bin which gives my hedgie more room.


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## Mel_W (Apr 26, 2013)

Tom said:


> Wire cage is better- and make the sides so she can't climb and add a lid. Aquariums have very poor ventilation and trap heat.


^The bottom has to be solid too.^

Yes, aquariums tend to not have enough ventilation.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

Mel_W said:


> ^The bottom has to be solid too.^
> 
> Yes, aquariums tend to not have enough ventilation.


Sorry- forgot to mention that! A lot of things come as common knowledge now to me and my mind blanks on them.

If you need any recommendations on cages- I'm sure plenty of people could recommend some, myself included.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Haven't seen any mention, so thought I'd double check...do you have a wheel for her? I know some hedgehogs will climb anyway, but a lot of times climbing can be caused by boredom from lack of wheel.


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## Pinkpiratecow (Aug 4, 2013)

Yup, she has a wheel and I give her lots of floor time. I know aquariums don't have the best ventilation, hence the no lid. I had a wire cage initially (super pet my first home) flat bottom, enclosed top, etc. she kept climbing and fitting through the bars. The box even had a hedgehog pictured on it! I got the aquarium as a suggestion from her vet because after months of trying to prevent climbing from various add ons, she got out and got herself tangled resulting in an amputation of her left back leg. She's very active and despite my best efforts to fatten her up a bit, she's small. At 5 months she was at 165grams. The vet said she could have been the runt and is otherwise a healthy hog.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

I have no clue why a vet would recommend an aquarium. Sorry about the amputation  I'd suggest as _Sonic_ recommended and get a Sterelite bin and drill holes for added ventilation.


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## Sonics1AndOnlyGirl (May 25, 2013)

I'm sorry about her leg. That vet was wrong to recommend an aquarium. 

With a bin you get more ventilation, no climbing, and it's probably alot easier to clean then a heavy aquarium. Their also cheap and easy to connect multiple bins with pvc pipe.


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## Pinkpiratecow (Aug 4, 2013)

I'll have to get one then! Thank you for your input. On the hedgehog handout from the vet it recommends and aquarium but everything I had read up until that point discouraged it. Thanks everyone for your help


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## JulieAnne (Sep 3, 2012)

For the sterilite bin you want to drill holes in the sides for extra ventilation on "ground" level. If you end up wanting some sort of wire cage you can "climb proof it" with 10+" high coroplast  that's what i had to do!


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## Pinkpiratecow (Aug 4, 2013)

Thank you everyone for your help! I will be investing in a sterilite container!


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## Pinkpiratecow (Aug 4, 2013)

Oh, as far as drilling, just small holes from a battery powered drill?


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

"Small" is a subjective term. Just use the biggest pilot hole bit you have. If you don't have any you can use a dremmel, soldering iron, or anything similar. Just be careful. (And this should go without saying- don't drill while the hedgie is in the cage )


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Also, if you use a hair dryer to heat the plastic up before drilling, it'll help avoid cracking the plastic.


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## alma&dex (Jan 17, 2013)

I used a 120qt Sterilite with holes drilled for extra ventilation for a while but switched to a 2x3 C&C Dex's space has increased almost threefold, plus once I get his ramp built, he has a 2x1 loft. I didn't know much about C&Cs when I first got Dex and our breeder uses Sterilites. However, I have heard from her and some others that giving hedgies the wheel every night can potentially increase their risk for cancer (as a pretty active person, it makes great sense - each time our joints impact, free radicals are released - this happens to marathon runners who are humans too, not just smaller mammals) so he only gets his wheel every other night. 

HOWEVER, I noticed that Dex was climbing around and climbing up the sides on non-wheel nights (probably from boredom). I didn't think much of it until one night I noticed that he had managed to climb ON TOP OF his loo (it's a long john) and was situated on top of the loo and in prime area to climb OUT OF his cage and to his peril (broken limbs, etc.). So, needless to say, I added the lid onto the Sterilite and got to fabricating his C&C. 

While it took some effort and planning (I am NOT spatially inclined, but lucky for me my partner is!), I think the total cost was less than $40 bucks (not including new liners I needed to make haha) for the chloroplast and the grids. I will say that my chloroplast is a LOT higher than folks make for guinea pig cages. They recommend 6" sides all around. There was no way my little houdini was going to be satisfied with 6" walls. In fact, we keep his loo under the loft since he learned he could climb on top, that way he can't really get anywhere else (but he did wrap his little legs around one of those squares and hang on above his loo and fall into it his loo after which was pretty funny - and no he did not injure himself which is the only reason it was funny). I think I ended up measuring where he was able to reach his arms up to before putting the chloroplast in and added half an inch or an inch - I believe it's either 10.5" to 11" all around...

The hardest part was cutting the hole for the ramp to the upper loft - again I am not spatially inclined - I did it on the wrong end for where we had planned it to be but luckily those grids can snap apart and snap right back together in a different spot  

So, the whole point of this incredibly windy response is that 1. Dexter is a little houdini 2. Dexter didn't seem happy with his space previously and so 3. I made him a c&c cage and 4. (this is the most important one) he no longer climbs the walls or really looks for ways to escape because he has enough room to run loops around his home and once that ramp is in, he will be able to run up and down that all night to his little heart's content as well. 

Ps.I have many pages bookmarked from guinea pig cage makers that helped me to decide on Dexter's (he gets the same amount of space as they recommend for 2-3 guinea pigs woohoo!). And I'm willing to share if you want to consider making a C&C for your little houdini!


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## oakley_the_hedgie (Jun 7, 2013)

Or you could make a c and c cage with a lid! Just make sure that you get tall enough chloroplast so your hedgie doesn't escape


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

If running increased the chances of cancer wouldn't human marathon runners be getting cancer? I know many people that run daily and they don't have a higher incidence of cancer...


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