# Tips on how to eliminate/discourage liner diving?



## carmini (Jul 15, 2011)

Our Kue has always had a penchant for it. There is this one corner where she _always_ pulls the liner up. We tuck a good 2-3 inches of the fleece under the tray but she is just so darned adamant, she somehow pulls it out and wiggles her way under there, sometimes getting herself stuck almost all the way to the other side of the cage. Digging her out only takes a minute but sometimes she does it so early on in the night that she doesn't get to eat any food or run on her wheel or even use the bathroom.

What are we depriving her of that she needs to put in all this effort to press her belly against the coroplast under the fleece? =T

We've tried putting her hidey pipe in that corner to discourage her but she still tries to pull up the liner by inching the pipe away >__< Her igloo is full of fleece scraps and a blankey. What else can we do to curb this... hobby?


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

What about velcroing it? Attaching some vecro to the top of the bin, then on the edges of the liners?


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## Hedgehog Grove (Jul 21, 2010)

Hi Carm,

LOL Kue and her insistent liner diving still. It took me awhile to find the post I was thinking of since it was over a year ago to no avail but then I remembered I had saved it to pdf for future reference so just dug it up from my external harddrive. I'll copy and paste from the PDF, but add the pictures separately since it won't add them normally from PDF.

This should help anyone with a liner diver as well.

*Liner Diving Solution:*

Note: this will work with any kind of cage, not just a C&C cage like in the pictures, I will explain how anyone can do this.

Materials:

A piece of coroplast that fits into the bottom of your cage, but a centimeter smaller. (Size = (Length of cage - 1cm) X (width of cage - 1cm))

Liners a few inches bigger on each side then your coroplast

Sheet stays/straps/suspenders 








-I found mine at Joann Fabrics (or a Walmart, Marshalls, Target, anywhere with a 'bedding' section) for $4

1. Start by measuring the bottom of your cage, and creating a piece of coroplast that will exactly fit inside with a centimeter of space to spare around the edges. This will ensure that with the fleece liner, the bottom will fit snugly inside the walls without any wiggle room (or room for a little hedgie foot to get pinched. Ouch!)










2. Lay out your liner (that is larger on each side then the coroplast) with the "wrong" side up, and lay your coroplast on top of that.










3. Attach one sheet stay to two sides of your liner, close to the corner.










4. With all of the stays attached, you should be ready to put your liner wrapped coroplast inside your cage.










5. When you place your fleece lined coroplast into your cage, make sure you pull the extra few inches of fleece so they will rest underneath your piece of coroplast bottom. This way even the wiliest of hedgies will be unable to pull it up, because there will be nothing to grab.










6. When you're pleased with the how smooth the liner is, it's time to put in your hedgeaccessories and triple-dog-dare your hedgie to make a mess of your new improved liner system. :lol:









NOTE: With the fleece attached, your bottom piece should fit VERY snugly, so no hedgiefeet accidently get pinched in any cracks. If not, I recommend starting over with a different piece of coroplast, or at the very least, a double layer of fleece, so no injuries occur.

Hope this helps with Kue's liner diving.

*Added Note for Canadians: Bed, Bath & Beyond Canada (online) has them http://www.bedbathandbeyond.ca/product.asp?SKU=14808051&RN=4404&


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

... that... is... brilliant.


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## carmini (Jul 15, 2011)

That is a really awesome idea! I'm going to go hunt for those sheet straps and re-cut the tray. For some reason she's been more insistent these winter months! Even though her cage has been a consistent temperature she's just looking for new places to hide -__-;;


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## Hedgehog Grove (Jul 21, 2010)

hehe no problems Carm. I am sure she is just looking as well. She was a curious one


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

You don't even need the sheet straps if the coroplast is a close enough fit. I've done this in my cage condos for years and never needed sheet straps. As long as the coroplast is cut so it's not too loose, folding it over the coroplast is enough to hold it in place.


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## Hedgehogger (Dec 8, 2011)

Now I'm by far no hedgehogologist :ugeek: , but I wonder if it might be better to seek a compromise in this situation. Hedgehogs seem to enjoy burrowing and digging down under things to get access to the best shelter for them or maybe they perhaps even do this for fun. Now imagine if you enjoyed snuggling deep under a snuggly blankie on your couch, and then someone goes and ingeniously secures the blankie tight to the couch so you couldn't do that no more. Would you be a happy camper?

SooOOoo I wonder if it's possible to maybe cut two pieces of coroplast, one with a secured liner with all the spillable items over top of that, and then have one other side of the habitat with a fleece liftable section so the little critter can do what she seems to really enjoy doing. Use a little double sided velcro tape to secure the secured section edge down next to the movable piece. I say embrace your inner hedgehog and do not deny that pure hog instinct and make the animal conform to human desires.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Hedgehogger you are right. Many of them do enjoy being under liners. The only ones I have issue with are the ones who potty under the liner and then lay in it. They are the ones whom I usually secure their liners. Those that behave themselves under there, I mostly let them do as they want. :lol:


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## Hedgehogger (Dec 8, 2011)

Btw Nancy, I just wanted to give a hats off to you for being such a compassionate adopter of hedgehogs. I was looking at your webpage about all the hedgehogs you've acquired over the years as well as the photo memorials to the ones that have passed away, and it's quite touching to see someone genuinely care so much about these little interesting creatures.

You, ma'am, must be like the patron Saint of Hedgehogs. If anyone has a chance and hasn't already, go to Nancy's webpage and see all the wonderful photos and stories she has collected on there. There's a lot of interesting reading there, and even though the memorials (the Rainbow Bridge) are a little sad, you can see how much love the hedgehogs received while in her care.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Hedgehogger said:


> Btw Nancy, I just wanted to give a hats off to you for being such a compassionate adopter of hedgehogs. I was looking at your webpage about all the hedgehogs you've acquired over the years as well as the photo memorials to the ones that have passed away, and it's quite touching to see someone genuinely care so much about these little interesting creatures.
> 
> You, ma'am, must be like the patron Saint of Hedgehogs. If anyone has a chance and hasn't already, go to Nancy's webpage and see all the wonderful photos and stories she has collected on there. There's a lot of interesting reading there, and even though the memorials (the Rainbow Bridge) are a little sad, you can see how much love the hedgehogs received while in her care.


  Thank you for the compliments. My website is sadly out of date. I have so many that have passed that I haven't gotten their memorials posted. Someday, I'll get them done, hopefully soon.


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## cylaura (Jan 13, 2011)

Kalandra's solution is totally brilliant! Thanks so much for sharing! I have a liner diver too, but I'm kind of like hedgehogger and just let him be. Maybe one day I will attempt this way.

Carmini, have you tried different kinds of houses? Liam used to love burrowing in his igloo but one day he just stopped using it. I tried a couple of other things but now have this: http://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Pet-Products-FT-345-Ele-Fun/dp/B001TBQ4X6 which Liam likes a lot. He still liner dives, but he chooses to sleep in the elephant as well. Although, he sleeps right at the base of the trunk (the most covered/constricting part) so it's just as complicated to get him out! :lol:


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## kettle (Aug 15, 2011)

Alternatively, if you do have a hedgie that likes to burrow, maybe this will help? I got what is basically velcro tape from Target, stuck the softer side on the fleece liner and lined it up with the other half of the velcro on the bottom of the cage. There's about two and a half inches of fabric between the edge of the liner and the velcro though, so Luna likes to pull that up and sleep on the plastic with that and her snuggle sack (pulled inside out of course) on top of her. It keeps her from burrowing far enough to flip anything over, and since it's a snug enough space, she doesn't poop in it. She tends to keep her sleeping area clean, though, maybe that isn't true for other hedgies.

The only caveat is I'm not sure yet how the velcro will hold up when I wash the liner, since it's stuck with adhesive. If it doesn't, I'll stitch it on or something!


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## alsohere (Dec 26, 2011)

I read the above ways of discouraging and eliminating liner diving... I am having a similar problem, but I am thinking of placing stones and bricks at each of the four corners. Like a little cairn for Harly to dig in and places to hide crickets and mealworms. The weight would keep the liner down and the rocks would add some nature to the pen and Harly may enjoy going through the stones. Or, she may ignore them.

I don't know. She isn't peeing or pooping under the liner just sleeping some of the afternoon away under it.


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