# Multiple Habitat Questions



## LiberryLady (Dec 24, 2017)

Hey y'all! I'm currently on a waiting list for a hedgie and I'm eager to start getting his/her habitat ready. I have several questions that fall into multiple sub-forums, but I didn't want to annoy with multiple questions/posts. Right now I have four questions:
1. If I plan to take hedgie to work with me, do I need a whole separate enclosure for my office or will a roomy carrier be adequate since he/she will likely be sleeping most of the time during the day?
2. I'm going to make fleece liners for my enclosure. Would you recommend Velcro on the bottom or the kind that look like reverse fitted sheets that fit over the coroplast sides to prevent burrowing underneath the liner?
3. My enclosure will likely be a 2x3 C&C. Would one CHE setup in the middle likely be enough to keep the temperature in the hedgie sweet spot or should I just plan on purchasing two CHE setups?
4. Finally, in an effort to keep my initial costs down, I plan to try my hand at making my own bucket wheel. I have a vintage Tupperware cake dome that's the perfect size. While it's not flimsy, it's not completely hard either. Do you think it would be strong/sturdy enough to work as a bucket wheel? I'll try to attach a pic of it.

Thanks y'all!

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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

To answer the first question I need to ask more questions. Is there a reason you would be taking your hog to work with you? If there's not a specific need or reason, it would be better for everyone to leave your hedgehog at home during the day. Also, would this be a daily occurrence? If it's a once in a blue moon for a short period of time sort of deal, a nice carrier would probably be fine so long as you can control temperatures. If it's going to be a regular thing, I would consider a small cage with heating. But again, I would advise against it if there is no legitimate reason to bring your hedgehog to work. You would basically be having to wake him up potentially several times during his sleep time every time you did it. I don't know about you, but I can be rather grouchy after 1 night of interrupted sleep. Forget about it happening regularly.

For the fleece, you can do as much or as little as you'd like. It's really going to be a preference issue. Liner diver is an annoyance, but it's also not a problem. My liners are sewn as a double layer, but I just lay them down on the bottom of the cage. If my girl decides to play or sleep under it, that's ok. I was going to clean it anyway. And if she doesn't, then cleaning the cage is just that much easier.

For a 2x3 I would definitely recommend two lamps. My cage is a 2x4, so not a huge size difference and I need two. Just be sure to get a thermostat that you can plug both into. It will make controlling them much easier.

As far as the tupperware wheel...maybe? If you don't mind punching a hole in it whether or not it works, it's certainly worth a try. My experience with that type of product when used as intended is that the shape may warp over time. But part of that may have just been putting it in the dishwasher plus heavy use. Beyond that, a heavier hog may cause the shape to warp. Might not though. That's really the only concern I have about it, and it might not be enough to be problematic.


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## LiberryLady (Dec 24, 2017)

Thank you for your advice. I am an elementary school librarian and would like to bring Hedgie as a sort of mascot/therapy animal. Struggling readers could read to him (not all day, every day) and students who are struggling emotionally can see how he is able to calm down and relax and thus, help them practice that skill. Again this is not something that would happen all day everyday and hedgie would definitely not be on display. I have a separate office and he'd likely spend most of his time being able to snooze. I also don't plan on letting the hedgie be handled by students, for his safety and theirs. A lot depends on The hedgie's personality and behavior patterns. I do not want to cause him/her stress.

Thanks also for your thoughts about my other three questions. My suspicion was that I would need two CHEs, but it's good to know that some thermostats may plug into both CHEs. I'll probably make the wheel myself and just see how it goes. If I don't have to buy two thermostats then I can probably justify buying a CSW.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Considering hedgehogs get very stressed when moved around and that they need to have uninterrupted sleep during the day they really aren't the right pet for a school or library mascot/therapy animal. A better choice would be a rat or a guinea pig.


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

I agree with Nikki, they just aren't good animals for the goal you're trying to accomplish. Hogs tend to defensive, even with people they are familiar with. Likely you'd get the exact opposite effect you were looking for. They will huff and puff and spike up and make all manner of horrible noises. That's assuming they just don't hide under something.

Now, you could bring a hedgehog in maybe once a semester just as an educational check out this interesting animal you may have never seen before sort of thing. That would be a more positive way to involve a hedgehog with a class.


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## LiberryLady (Dec 24, 2017)

Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me.


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