# What Should I Put Him In?



## Salt&PepperHedgie (Jul 20, 2016)

So we are moving in a few days...and our new place is about 15 minutes away. Should I keep my hedgie in his cage or put him in a crate? Which one will make him feel more secure? Or should I just hold him in a snuggle pouch? Which way would be the least stressful option?


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

If your traveling by any method other than foot, he needs to be in a carrier. His stress is irrelevant here. His safety is what's important here. If you were in an accident the only safe option would be a carrier. Also I would travel with her with as few things in the vehicle as possible so if there was an accident, emergency personnel would be more likely to notice the carrier.


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## Salt&PepperHedgie (Jul 20, 2016)

Ok! Thanks, just one of those things. I just want to make sure he stays safe on our short little trip


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

A cage would be a better option than what? Physically holding him in the moving car, I agree. Better than a hard sided cat carrier? No. Not even a little. Not even close. I'll explain why a cat carrier is a safer and better option for travel. 
A cage generally speaking would be larger. If you were in an accident, a cage gives more room for your hedgehog to fly. Remember basic laws of physics. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion until the energy is absorbed. Car moving, hedgehog in moving car, car has to suddenly stop or is stopped by another object (wreck). I have yet to see a cage come with the ability and structural integrity to be strapped into a safety belt. So, the cage itself could become airborne, and the hedgehog inside the cage becomes a projectile in itself until it hits the side of the cage. Think crash test dummies without a seatbelt, they will fly. With the seatbelt they don't travel as far so the damage is lessened. 
Cages in a car wreck will just look like more crap in a car. And will almost always be treated as such. Unless the animal stands out very quickly, it will likely be looked over and missed by emergency personnel. A carrier will stand out more, especially if it's belted in, to emergency personnel. No, they won't try and save your pet before you, and possibly aren't willing to rescue an animal carrier if it's really not safe for them to do so. However, many areas it in their procedures to remove an animal when it's seen once everything is safe. And for those areas that don't, there is likely at least one animal lover on the scene that will do so. 
Remember in an accident, you aren't always able to say what was in your car. Sometimes a person is unconscious and sometimes they are really out of it. If they are going on about a hedgehog, I'd initially assume there is a head trauma and not a hedgehog, until I could establish they are coherent. 
So no, a cage isn't a better or safer option. 

Adding, I highly recommend attaching some information to the carrier. State what is inside it, and it's basic needs, and a local person to contact if available. With a hedgehog it could be as simple as "AFRICIAN PYGMY HEDGEHOG- temperature requirements: 73-78 degrees. Eats mix of X,Y, and Z cat foods. Please contact aunt Beth at 555-555-5555 to pick up if unable to care for myself". That in itself buys your hedgehog a lot of time on the scene of an accident.


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