# is having boys and girls ok?



## Roni (Oct 27, 2010)

First of all let me just say.... I have absolutely NO intention of breeding! I don't have the experience or fortitude for that 

As you may recall each of my daughters has a boy (Dennis & Pygmy). The little guys have taken over a small "sewing room" in the upstairs of my house. Currently the housing situation is as follows:

Dennis (about 3 months old now) is residing on the top level of a ferret nation cage.
Pygmy (about 8 months old) is in a large wire rabbit cage on a table right next to the FN (because he has pine chips still and doesn't seem to like the polar fleece). 

I am contemplating getting a baby girl of my own.... however, I would like to know if having a female so close (bottom level of the ferret nation cage) would rile the boys up. I am thrilled with the little guys and wouldn't want to upset them.

Of course there would be no "together" play time which is how we do it now anyways. It's just that I have completely fallen in love with these little guys and would love to have another one to call my own and the breeder I got Dennis from has 1 baby girl left.

Thanks in advance for any advise you can offer.

Roni


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

Sounds like the housing situation will be similar to mine so that should work fine. My boy Loken is on the top cage of the Ferret Nation and my girl hedgie is housed on the bottom section. They never show any signs that they realize who their neighbors are in my case 

Pine bedding is dangerous to hedgies, aspen is safer. If the hedgie isn't liking fleece because of digging a lot of people will still use fleece liners and add a dig box with fleece scraps they can dig in. Just an idea in case you were wanting to use fleece 

Your hedgies sound so cute I can't wait to see pics


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## Roni (Oct 27, 2010)

Well to be honest.... Pygmy is very anti-social. He doesn't leave his house except to eat and poop. He hates being handled and he bites. If he were my only example of a hedgehog, I wouldn't be interested in another one (I know that sounds mean!).

We got him from a local listing and were told he was about 6 months old but really we don't know. The pine we use is kiln dried (which apparently eliminates the oils). My oldest daughter (who is 20) picks him up and feeds him treats by hand every day and has bathed him a couple of times. He won't use his wheel so we tried a hamster ball (only really big LOL) and he just lays in it and hisses. We tried fleece, and then he just lays in his litter pan and tries to bury himself. We did try small fleece peices with him to tunnel under, but he still tried to bury himself in his litter pan. Also if you move anything in his cage, he throws a tantrum and up-ends everything he has. We have slowly drawn the conclusion that he just likes being cranky and we are content letting him be him. We certainly would never think of giving him up, he's part of the family now and some of his antics are kind of amusing. I think he was probably neglected by his previous owners and may even be older then we were told. He is super cute though 

This is Pygmy when we first got him. He had a missing toenail.

[attachment=1:3ghyhlz8]pygmy.jpg[/attachment:3ghyhlz8]

This is Dennis.

[attachment=0:3ghyhlz8]dennis.jpg[/attachment:3ghyhlz8]


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

I also have a ferret nation with a male and female, and neither of them have ever shown any signs of noticing each other, its Loki (male) in the bottom and Hester (female) in the top, but I've also had them switched around.

Pygmy's cage is going to be the main concern, depending on how deep the sides are and where his 'floor' is compared to the two levels of the ferret nation. If he's on a table then he's probably kind of in the middle of the two, but if by chance he's level with either level of the ferret nation, then you're going to want the female on the top, and add some sort of divider between the two cages, just to block out scent from wafting over and in case they could see each other. I'd rather have the two males near each other than the female, otherwise someone might start singing and courting her from afar. The worse the males could do is possibly scream at each other, but again they probably won't pay no attention.

Pine like Hedgieonboard said isn't the best, the kind that isn't kiln dried is totally not safe, but as far as I've read, its usable if the bag states its kiln dried. Most members around here just keep away from it because of the possible health risks. I'd just check on a bag of aspen next time you have to purchase a bag of bedding, I think its only a few dollars more than pine.

The hamster ball you also want to watch out for if anyone else is using it, they're usually also not recommended because they can get toe nails caught and ripped off in the ventilation slits and the fact hogs poop and pee while on the go, and sometimes you can't tell if they're trying to run away from the ball or just having fun. Again like pine, people around here just stay away from them. Same with wheels that have a wire mesh surface.

One thing you might try with Pygmy since he doesn't use his wheel, if the sewing room is not totally pitch black during the night, it might be the reason he doesn't use the wheel. My Loki will -not- use his wheel unless he has total utter darkness, even just the light of a tv or computer monitor and he'll eat, poop and then go back to bed. My guys got their own room now but before they were in the bedroom with me, and I once switched the curtain I had used to cover the cage to a blanket. It allowed just enough light to be able to look in and see his cage contents, but it was enough to keep him off the wheel.

Heh, tell Pygmy he's got a sister here, my Hester is totally anti-social, not to his extent but she does not like being disturbed or handled, despite all the handling I've done with her. She doesn't bite, but I get a major ear full anytime I'm disturbing her. Dennis on the other hand looks like a sweatheart.

Welcome to HHC


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## hercsmom (Jul 6, 2010)

I don't know if this would be a problem, as females are induced ovulators, which means they ovulate in the presence of males. What I've heard is that this could cause problems for her medically down the road, ovulating and not being able to mate. It might rile the boys up too, smelling a female nearby and not being able to mate.

That being said, I'm not a vet, and I don't know how accurate this is, this is just what I've heard and read. I personally wouldn't put them close to each other. Just a thought


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Boys and girls are fine being caged above, below, or beside one another as long as they are not within touching distance. A solid wall between them is best.


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## Roni (Oct 27, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the input! I am an experienced dog owner and know how to unfixed dogs would be if they were close enough to smell each other but I wasn't sure if hedgies would be the same.

As of right now, the two boys completely ignore one another. We haven't let them be together, but have held one beside the others cage so they could look in. They didn't even seem to register one another!

Pygmy's cage is similar level to the bottom level of the FN (about 18" or so off the floor). From what everyone has said I would be better off putting Dennis in the bottom at a similar level to Pygmy and put the baby girl on the top?

Nancy ~ since you seem to be an expert on the breeding end of things... having her above the boys will not induce ovulation? I really wouldn't want to get a baby girl just to have her develope a problem from being with us.

Initially Pygmy was going to go into the bottom of the FN cage, but after him cowering in his litter for about half an hour rather than walk on the fleece... I gave up and let him have his chips back. He likes to get in his house and pile the chips up infront of the doorway so you can't see in. He's so odd! LOL

Here's Dennis playing in his tunnel. He's such a cutie and so nosey 

[attachment=0:276zgl8x]Dennis.jpg[/attachment:276zgl8x]


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Uterine cancer is a high risk for our hedgie girls but being caged near males doesn't seem to increase the risk. If that were the case, we'ed be seeing higher than average uterine cancers in the girls of people who own multiples. 

Your wee girl being caged above the boys is fine. Some people are spaying their girls to eliminate any reproductive cancer risk and and for those with boys also, it eliminates the risk of an oops pregnancy.


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## dazarooney (Nov 8, 2010)

Some good advice in here, saved me the research


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Roni, dunno if it will help settle your nerves to have additional experiences. But I have had boys and girls at the same time since my very first hedgehog had babies. Most of them have lived in cages right next to each other. I have yet to experience a uterine cancer or problem. I have had many other types of cancer show up, but not a uterine, and have yet to have a hedgehog spayed. I see no reason for you to not get yourself a little girl. Just be aware that they can never mingle and ensure that everyone who handles them knows that as well.

Now I need to go throw salt over my shoulder, touch wood, and everything else superstitious since I have probably jinxed myself by mentioning the lack of uterine problems with my girls.


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## Roni (Oct 27, 2010)

Thank you everyone for responding! It's so nice to have someplace to come to get people's input. My friends would all just wonder why I wanted another one. I think everyone of them has asked me "well what does it do?" in reference to the hedgehogs! I didn't realize they were supposed to have jobs so I started replying rather sarcastically "the laundry"! LOL 

Kalandra and Nancy ~ I will deffinately take your advice and not worry too much about it. (Not just because it's what I wanted to hear, but because you both are up there on my lists of experts with sensible advice!)

I have emailed the breeder and am just waiting to hear back to see if the little girl still needs a family! Although I may have jinxed it by picking out a name already!! LOL


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Roni said:


> Thank you everyone for responding! It's so nice to have someplace to come to get people's input. My friends would all just wonder why I wanted another one. I think everyone of them has asked me "well what does it do?" in reference to the hedgehogs! I didn't realize they were supposed to have jobs so I started replying rather sarcastically "the laundry"! LOL


 :lol: Good response! I'll have to borrow that for the next time someone asks me the same question. My friends (or at least some of them) think that Lily is a boring pet. :roll:


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## EryBee (May 23, 2010)

> I think everyone of them has asked me "well what does it do?" in reference to the hedgehogs!


 I was surprised that so many people have asked me that question. I always think...ummm, it does what any other pet would do, bring happiness into your life. Why does anyone ever get a pet? If they all had to "do" something then there would be only farm animals and guide dogs!


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

My response is always "poop, pee and eat"


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