# First Time Owner, Need Advice!



## Mitasakii (Sep 17, 2012)

Hi everyone!

My first APH is due to be with me in a few weeks and I am just looking for some advice and clarification on things! 

I have a 4ft vivarium for him and a heatmat with a thermostat. I am just wondering if I need a heat lamp/CHE for him too? I know they need 12 hours of light a day, but does that have to be a daylight or UV bulb or can it just be regular light? 

Secondly, at what age should I start bathing my little man and how often?

Thirdly, a bit of a dumb question but I want to make sure I get everything right - can he eat bugs when he is fully weaned or do I wait a bit longer?

Thanks!


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## artistshrugged (Sep 5, 2012)

I am not sure about your second two questions, but in regard to the first it is my understanding that you will need a CHE. A heated mat will heat the floor, but not the air temperature. Hedgehogs need the air temp to stay somewhere between about 75 and 80 degrees. 

I am sure someone more knowledgeable will come along to answer the other two questions! I adopted an adult hedgie so I don't know much about babies.


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## artistshrugged (Sep 5, 2012)

Oh I forgot to mention, the light can just be a regular bulb! I just have a floor lamp in my small room set to a timer


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Babies can be bathed once they're weaned, however often is necessary. Most of mine get a bath about once a week, but more often if they're messy, anoint on themselves, etc. If yours turns out to be fairly clean, you can do it less often.

For the bugs, the same thing - once they're weaned. However, if you're going to be switching your hedgie to a different kind of food from what he/she has already been eating, you should start that transition first and make sure it doesn't cause any stomach upset, or that any upset is given time to settle before you introduce insects. It's better not to introduce more than one new food at a time.


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## Mitasakii (Sep 17, 2012)

Thanks for getting back to me! All very helpful.

I'm gonna be keeping him on the same food as the breeder. 

Moxie, do you know if I need the CHE?


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Yes, you'll need a CHE, or some other heat source. A heat mat isn't enough, it can work as supplementary heating but also shouldn't be under all of the cage - the hedgehog needs to be able to get away from it if they want to. Your other options besides a CHE would be to use a space heater, or keep the whole room heated to the right temperature.


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## Mitasakii (Sep 17, 2012)

Does it need to be a particular wattage or on a thermostat?


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Wattage depends on cage size and how much it will have to heat the cage if room is on the cooler side you'll need a higher wattage I think. Yes you need a thermostat for a Ceramic heat emitter


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## Mitasakii (Sep 17, 2012)

It's a 4ft Vivarium. If I put the heat mat in his bed, where should I put the CHE? Or do I just need the CHE?


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Be very carefull having the heat mat on all the time. They really don't need one and they can actually cause your hedgie to be chilled when up and running around which can cause hibernation. Heat mats are usually used for older or sick hedgies to give them a bit of extra warmth. There have also been a few cases of hedgehogs getting low temperature burns from being on a heat mat, even when it just feels warm to the touch. The problem comes when they decide to stay on the mat to long because it feels so nice and warm and over time this causes tissue damage. 

Most people use one or two 100 or 150 watt CHE's to heat their larger cages. It will need to be on a thermostat to control the temperature.


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## Mitasakii (Sep 17, 2012)

Lol that has totally confused me because everyone has told me I need a heat mat on constantly


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

You need a constant source of heat but whoever is telling you that the heat mat is a good choice for that is wrong. I used one with my first hedgehog and it did not work at all. It doesn't keep the cage warm just the spot it's touching. You need a heater that heats the air and that is controlled by a thermostat so that it will turn on and shut off as needed to keep the cage the right temperature. The Ceramic Heat Emitter is recommended because it does not give off light (which can bother hedgehogs and keep them sleeping at night when they should be awake) it is also cheap to run so if you are paying for your energy bills it will cost less over time than a space heater, even though the initial set up cost is more.


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## Mitasakii (Sep 17, 2012)

Ohh, I was going to have the heat mat just in their bed for extra cosiness.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

You want the entire cage, including the sleeping area, to be a constant temperature so that your hedgie doesn't get chilled moving from one part of the cage to another. You can put some fleece in their bed for extra cosiness


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Mitasakii said:


> Ohh, I was going to have the heat mat just in their bed for extra cosiness.


You know how when you get up in the morning when it's cold out and all you want to do is climb back into your super warm bed? If your hedgehog's bed is warmer than the rest of the cage he will feel like that. Only hedgehogs don't force themselves out of bed they stay where it is warm. So they don't get up to eat and they don't run around or get any exercise. That is why people don't use heat mats on a regular basis.


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## Mitasakii (Sep 17, 2012)

Thanks very much for your help, in a four foot viv where would be the best place to put it? And just double checking that the other person was right then they said it could be any light source? Doesn't need to be an actual daylight bulb?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yup, you can use just a regular lightbulb for light. Usually people put a CHE in the middle of the cage and then check to make sure all the corners are staying to the same temperature. With a longer cage, you may need two smaller CHEs set up on either end to keep the cage all at the same temperature. If you go that route, I recommend the Zilla ReptiTemp thermostat, 1000 watts. It has three outlets on it so you can plug up to three CHEs into it, and it's only a few dollars more than the one-lamp 500 watt one.


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