# C&c cages and general questions



## Nikkinak44

Hi! I am going to be getting a hedgehog soon and I am wondering how you use shower curtains instead of coroplast while making C&C cages. Do I cover a piece of cardboard and out it in? Or do I just line he bottom of the cage and sides with it? 

Also, I was wondering how hedgehogs get mites and how to prevent it. Do all hedgehogs get mites? I am really scared of my baby girl getting mites :-( so any answers would help, thanks. 

-Is Purina cat food a good brand to feed hedgehogs? 
- I am going to be using a fleece liner; any ways for hedgehogs to still be able to burrow? 
- is the super pet comfort wheel at petsmart a good choice for a hedgehog wheel? 

Sorry for asking so many questions-thanks a load!


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## Nikkinak44

Oh! Also what size does a hedgehog wheel need to be?


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## Lilysmommy

I'm not sure on the shower curtain thing. I used coroplast for Lily's C&C cage. I would guess you need to put it over something like cardboard though.

Hedgehogs most often get mites from wood, so avoid wood bedding & any wooden cage furniture. If your breeder uses wood bedding for her moms & babies, it's possible she could end up having them when you bring her home. Sometimes they might have mites, but there's no actual outbreak or side-effects from them until hedgie gets stressed (such as moving to a new home). But even if your girl ends up with mites, it's not usually too serious! It just requires a quick vet visit and making sure that you treat with Revolution, not Ivermectin.

Purina's not a good brand in general. The only food they have that I would consider okay to feed a hedgie (or a cat or dog) is Purina One Beyond. There's some better brands listed here - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/12-diet-nutrition/23042-recommended-foods-list.html and some more info on what to look for & what to avoid here - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...3034-beginner-s-guide-hedgehog-nutrition.html

Many people cut fleece into strips to let hedgie burrow. You can fill a box or igloo with them.

The Comfort Wheel is okay, but not fantastic. It's safe, but it also has a tendency to be noisy (which can be fixed with a cloth hair scrunchie around the back) and hard to clean (will need to soak it, helps if you clean it first thing in the morning). If you can buy online, I'd suggest getting a bucket or cake cover wheel instead. Many people sell them for the same price (or close to) as a Comfort Wheel and they're widely considered to be much better. They're easy to clean, quiet, completely safe, and usually last longer. You can also adjust height & tilt of the wheel (depending on how it's made). LarryT's wheels are quite popular, he has a thread in the For Sale section for wheels.

If you do go with the Comfort Wheel, you'd need the giant size - 12" is the usual size recommended.

Also, I'd recommend checking out this hedgie care book - http://www.westcoasthedgehogs.com/files/hedgehogbook/download.html It's free to download & full of up-to-date information. Should help you out a lot with most of the basics! If you're still confused on something or want more information than the book provides, you can use the search function on the forum, or feel free to ask if you still don't find what you're looking for.


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## Nikkinak44

Thank you so much for all of your help! How will I be able to tell if my hedgehog has mites? And also do you know the price of the treatment? Do all hedgies get mites? 

What are some good questions to ask the breeder for buying? 

THANKS!!!:grin:


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## Altearithe

I can't help with all of your questions, I'm going to be getting my girly tomorrow (hopefully) so no exp yet, but I thought I'd chime in that on page 115 of the care guide Lilysmommy linked at the end of her post details about mites. :3 

Quotation from the description of it: "Excessive scratching, large skin flakes, and orange crust around the base of the quills are all indicators of mites." 

Crazy helpful guide. Otherwise, hopefully someone with experience chimes in with answers to your other questions.


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## Lilysmommy

Symptoms of mites include frantic scratching, severe quill loss, a build up of orange "gunk" at the base of the quills, and sometimes you can actually see the mites. Normal quill loss is usually only several a day or so. Keep in mind that quilling will produce high quill loss too, but you should also see quills growing back in when a baby is quilling. You also shouldn't get bald or sparse patches showing up with normal quilling, so if you see any of that, that's another sign of possible mites or a skin issue. 

I'm not sure on treatment costs. It tends to vary a lot depending on where you live, since you'll have the basic exam fee plus the cost of the Revolution. Some vets seem to give a whole tube of Revolution, whereas my vet only gave as much as I needed for the three applications. So that will depend as well. I would guess it would be minimum $50 and could be up to $100 or more, if you happen to have a high basic exam fee. 

Not all hedgies get mites. I think Nancy has said that she's never had issues with mites even when using wood bedding (but I could be wrong, I don't have the best memory!). So it's not something that will definitely or even probably happen. But it is pretty common, so it's something to watch out for, just in case.  

Hm...
- What temperature are your hedgies used to?
- What food are you feeding? (And make sure you get enough to last for at least 2-4 weeks to take home so you can do a slow switch over to whatever you want to feed)
- Do you use water bowls or bottles with your hedgies? (so you know which your hedgie will be used to - bowls are best though, and most hedgies figure them out quickly)
- Make sure you'll be able to handle & see several babies so that you can find one that "clicks" with you or that has the temperament you want. Though with babies, temperament can sometimes change a bit with quilling.
- Check their website for whether they have any hedgie information on it & whether it's correct or has any glaring errors
- Also check for what supplies they sell & whether it seems to be safe & up-to-date with current information
- Ask about a health or genetic diseases guarantee

That's all I can think about for now, maybe someone else will have some more ideas.


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## Nikkinak44

Thank you so much! Sorry I wasn't able to check out the care book I will need to do that. I appreciate your help. Thank you!


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