# Litter Box Questions



## truffuls (Apr 29, 2009)

First Post, be kind.

I will be getting my first baby hedgehog in June. I'm running around trying to get things ready and trying to absorb as much knowledge as I can before he/she gets here.

I would like to attempt to litter box train the critter and wanted everyone's opinions on what litter I should use.

I do not want to use wood shavings/pellets as they may have mites, splinters or have been processed in a plant that also does cedar shavings.

I know not to use clumping cat litter and would rather avoid anything dusty like clay. I don't want to breath in that stuff, and its little lungs are much smaller than mine.

I would rather not use shredded news/paper (inks & dust) or that "Care Fresh" stuff.

I saw the following items at Petco and wanted to know if any of these are ok to use.


Kaytee Soft-Sorbent Lavender[/*:m:330pkbta]
Petco Crystal Litter[/*:m:330pkbta]
Cat Country Organic Wheatgrass Litter[/*:m:330pkbta]
Sweet Scoop Natural Wheat Litter[/*:m:330pkbta]

The first item smells nice, not sure how the critter would like lavender. They are all listed as safe & non-toxic, but a harmless #2 pencil can kill someone if you have the skills, so, yeah. :roll:

The second item looks very interesting and would allow me to see if there was a color change in his business as the crystals are clear.

The last two would be encountered in the wild but I'm not sure about dust or mites.

Opinions, comments please!

Now, I had a thought, so let's run this up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes. :mrgreen:

*Hedgies seem to "go" on the go, especially while running in their wheels.*

:idea: *What if I put one of the wheels IN the litter box?*

I'm planning a mansion of sorts of at least 2 large Sterilite containers, tubes, boxes, toys, levels, twists, turns, you know, like a fun house! I'll also be putting together a corral for him/her to play in. He/She will also be coming to work with me and will have a smaller cage @ work, as well as a travel/snuggle pouch.


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

Many people put a litter box under the wheel to catch any run-off from it. My little one likes to go in a certain corner of the cage, so I just put a paper towel down in that area. I would stay away from anything that smells or has crystals in it. A slight scent to you can be overwhelming for them and I'd be afraid there would be something bad in the crystals if eaten--not to mention a choking hazard. Honestly I usually just tell people to use a paper towel because they're cheap and do the job without any huge worries. Others might have a different opinion for you though.  

Do keep in mind, they litter train you basically. You put the pan where they want to go and if they want to use it they will. If not they won't.


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## sagesmommy (Sep 25, 2008)

Okay! I like this subject! My sage is litter trained. I use Feline Pine . She loves it , I love it , and she has never had mites from it! I just put the litter in a low cut shoe box , she goes in , does her business , and that is that! I tried all kinds of litter , and the only one she will use is Feline Pine. (Same goes for my cat! those two are like peas in a pod!) As for wheel , i think it is a good idea to put wheel in the litter box , as they do tend to go a lot while running.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

I have a litter trained hedgie too ^_^ Sooo thankful :lol: 

I use Yesterday's News, he uses it, he's always used it, even at the breeder's. I just put a few handfuls into a small, flat tin lid(~1cm high) and he uses it.

I wouldn't use anything that "smells nice" just because they have very sensitive noses and the scent can overwhelm. 

Crystals, should be wary of eating, but if they don't try to eat it, they shouldn't be too bad. From what I remember, the crystals should be approx 1cm x 1cm in size(correct me if I'm wrong, working off memory from months ago :lol: ), maybe a bit smaller, so it "should" be fine, never had experience with it though.


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## truffuls (Apr 29, 2009)

sagesmommy said:


> Okay! I like this subject! My sage is litter trained. I use Feline Pine . She loves it , I love it , and she has never had mites from it! I just put the litter in a low cut shoe box , she goes in , does her business , and that is that! I tried all kinds of litter , and the only one she will use is Feline Pine. (Same goes for my cat! those two are like peas in a pod!) As for wheel , i think it is a good idea to put wheel in the litter box , as they do tend to go a lot while running.


PINE? From what I understand you should never use cedar or pine because the chemicals that create the aroma can be very bad for hedgies.


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## sagesmommy (Sep 25, 2008)

I did not know that ... do you think feline pine is bad too use? Maybe i should switch?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Actually, pine is okay to use as long as it is kiln dried. I used kiln dried pine pellets for Lily for a few months until she got mites, then I switched her to liners. The breeder I got her from also uses the same kind of pellets for her bedding. Cedar is definitely bad to use, though.


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## sagesmommy (Sep 25, 2008)

Well , that is good to hear  i dont think sage will go on anything else


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## basmati (Feb 13, 2009)

I attempted the crystal type of non-clumping, non-toxic form, but it was eaten....so, that attempt was out of the window quickly. One experience with one 1 year old hedgehog who was not litter trained nor is.....

Luckily, she will go on newspapers in a corner of the house in private, when on the loose in the evening. A compromise.


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## ana (Jan 21, 2009)

I'd like to know about alternative litters as well!

Eva was really good about using her litter box (except now that she's started running again, she usually goes in the wheel too now), but recently she threw up what looked like a yesterdays news pellet... I took out the yesterday's news completely. Then I put her in her big litter box (under extremely close supervision) last night and, sure enough, she tried to pick up a piece in her mouth... I don't know why it suddenly has become so appealing (she's had yesterday's news since we got her and, to my knowledge, has never tried to eat it before), but I definitely don't want to use it anymore... I can't risk her choking on it.

I tried putting paper towels in her litter pan, but she doesn't seem to get it... and I don't really want to use them anyway - I'd rather have something less cloth-like and more easily distinguishable as litter... something like yesterday's news, but that isn't a choking hazard.

Any suggestions?

Has anyone tried the wheat litter that truffuls mentioned?


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## Herisson (Jan 7, 2009)

I use the Soft-Sorbent Lavender for my rats. I used to use the original unscented one for Herisson before switching to liners. It works amazingly well and it's flushable. The plain one will cost $10 less a bag than the lavender.


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## ana (Jan 21, 2009)

Any thoughts on these?

Clean-N-Comfy Small Animal Litter/Bedding
http://www.petco.com/product/10516/Clea ... dingLitter

Natural Corn Cobs Bird & Small Animal Bedding
http://www.petco.com/product/106730/Nat ... dingLitter

Critter Litter
http://www.petco.com/product/104955/Sup ... dingLitter

I think I might try the soft-sorbent stuff since a few people have mentioned using it...


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I don't know about the first and third one, but the corn cob one shouldn't be used with males. It can get caught in their penile sheath and cause problems.


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## Herisson (Jan 7, 2009)

ana said:


> Any thoughts on these?
> 
> Clean-N-Comfy Small Animal Litter/Bedding
> http://www.petco.com/product/10516/Clea ... dingLitter
> ...


The first one is hands down the worst I have ever used. It smelled so strongly it caused my daughter to have an asthma attack. I threw it away. Imagine how it would smell to a hedgehog


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## ana (Jan 21, 2009)

Herisson said:


> The first one is hands down the worst I have ever used. It smelled so strongly it caused my daughter to have an asthma attack. I threw it away. Imagine how it would smell to a hedgehog


Wow... Definitely won't use that then... I guess I'll try the soft-sorbent.


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