# Switching from water bottle to bowl?



## Ashley.dear (Mar 31, 2014)

Alright, so my darling goober is just over 6 weeks old, and at the breeder, she got used to drinking from a straight-nozzle water bottle. So, to keep her comfortable, I got one too. But today I noticed her putting the nozzle in her mouth (instead of just licking at it), and so now I'm getting a little worried. I out a bowl of water out for her, and I want to help her transition to drinking out of the water bowl. How do I do this in the easiest way for her?

PS- the last time I left a bowl of water in her dish overnight, she out the toilet paper core in the water dish, and it was totally soggy by morning... What a little booger.


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## rubydissolution (Feb 24, 2014)

I switched Demi from water bottle to dish when I switched to fleece liners. She took to it very quickly, but I still left the water bottle in her cage just in case she got confused. I've also rearranged her cage so she can't throw fleece strips or snuggle sacks in her water dish. I would wake up with those items sitting in the water...mess!! Oh! I also started with a small dish in her playpen before I did the same in her cage. Once I was confident she got the hang of it I got a slightly bigger dish and removed the water bottle. Gl!


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## RoseCityHedgehogs (Nov 29, 2012)

As a laboratory specialist (my day job), PLEASE do not switch to a bowl. The bacteria count in a bowl is disgusting and can put your hedgie's health at risk. We use the 8 oz oasis BIRD water bottle. The balls are nylon instead of metal and float in a reservoir at the end of the nozzle. Hedgies DO NOT struggle like they do with regular water bottles. Here is a link to one on Amazon. Amazon.com: Kordon/Oasis (Novalek) BOA81012 Oasis Bird Food Bottle, 8-Ounce: Pet Supplies

Rubydissolution, I sure hope you reconsider using fleece liners. Hedgies by nature have an innate need to burrow, tunnel, and forage. By using fleece liners you take this away from them. There is nothing to be gained by using fleece liners over aspen shavings or carefresh. However, everything to lose when you consider the hedgehog's natural instincts. I'm not sure who started this hedgehog trend of using fleece... There is not a Joann's fabric in Africa and it not a proper habitat for a hedgehog.


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## Tongue_Flicker (Jun 11, 2013)

Just make sure you change the water daily to keep a fresh supply going for her. Check regularly and if its dirty then just change it.


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## rubydissolution (Feb 24, 2014)

RoseCityHedgehogs said:


> Rubydissolution, I sure hope you reconsider using fleece liners. Hedgies by nature have an innate need to burrow, tunnel, and forage. By using fleece liners you take this away from them. There is nothing to be gained by using fleece liners over aspen shavings or carefresh. However, everything to lose when you consider the hedgehog's natural instincts. I'm not sure who started this hedgehog trend of using fleece... There is not a Joann's fabric in Africa and it not a proper habitat for a hedgehog.


Nor do they have piles of shavings or shredded paper in the wild. My hedgie has fleece strips and plenty of tunnels to run around in. She does not lack opportunities to do what hedges do. I switched because of the mess kaytee fresh and cozee caused on the floor all over my house. Every time she was taken out it was caught on her quills and it got everywhere. From what I understand aspen shavings have the potential to cause wood fungus in hedges, which mine had from a previous owner. Aside from all that I will be making her a C&C cage within the next month which will include a dig box. I'm not depriving my girl of anything.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Last I checked, there's no water bottles in the wild either...

Bottles are more at risk for carrying bacteria because people think it's okay to go longer without cleaning them. Bowls are easy to clean every day (or at least rinse & wipe out). There's no reason for there to be more bacteria in a bowl than a bottle unless the hedgehog is putting food, bedding, or pooping in the bowl. Most people that use bowls don't have those issues with their hedgehogs - if they do, they typically try to solve that problem by moving food & water bowls further from each other, using bedding that can't be put in the water bowl (like liners), or moving cage furniture around to keep hedgie from pooping in the water. If all else fails, bottles may be a better option in that situation, but I can't say I follow your logic otherwise.


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## Gizmo (May 29, 2018)

*Q about the water bottle.*

Hi there, I'm new to both this forum and owning a hedge  
Here's the thing.. my fella keeps putting some shaving into the bowl, so just now I attached the bottle to his cage..so, how often should I clean the bottle? and more importantly, do you think it's a good idea for the hog to have this kind of bottle? Since I've heard about some cases where hedgehogs poked their eyes out by accidentally bumping into these bottles...what do you think?


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## SquirtleSquirt (May 9, 2016)

Please look at the date of the thread before posting! If you have any questions feel free to make your own thread


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