# Thoughts on Improvement...



## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

Hello everyone... here is my first post about my first hedgie.

I just received him yesterday at exactly 6 weeks old , his name is Durzo after a book character- since I live in a small studio and have no car I bought the kit of supplies from the breeder and she was nice enough to bring everything to my apartment... I am already kinda wishing I had gone with a C&C cage or something larger. Right now he is small but I definitely want to upgrade him within the next couple months size wise.

Currently lives in: My super pet home
the large size cage (yes, I know it is not 4 sq ft)

Looking at...
- C&C style (due to space on my floor - 500sq feet studio with my husband and I- I kinda want to make a 2 floor set up... any ideas?
- C&C loft style <-- like this one alot but would have to figure out a way to cover the top...
- Guinea habitat - once again space issue and it looks difficult to clean

My husband and I are thinking of some way to add onto the current cage - I liked the idea of using vinyl vent tubing.

I am using a 100 watt heating bulb in a 8.5 in lamp for heating and the stick on therm on his igloo says he is staying between 70-80.. it has only been one night but he actively ran at least 2 hours last night and has been eating/drinking. 
I just ordered this therm: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MD ... 02_details
This heating pad (just as an extra if he is out and about): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NV ... 00_details

Looking at these thermostats - Zilla 500wt or 1000 wt vs Zoo Med 500wt
- both have some bad reviews though ... any opinions on what has worked for you?

-He has a silent spinner wheel which I will be upgrading to the carolina storm wheel (size again :/)
-Using two small ceramic containers for food
and a bottle for water
- plastic igloo for housing -- -looking at some snuggly bags and tubes on etsy.

-He came with carefresh bedding which I will be switching to fleece liners
-And also changing his food ... looking at Innova cat food mixture. 
he was sent with "select diet premium hedgehog food (I believe the breeder said it is a mink dry food)
- crude protein = no less than 34%
- crude fat: no less than 20% (seems high to me)
- crude fiber no less than 4%
-- The main reason I want to switch is because the first ingredients read... "animal protein and fat" - I would like to see chicken or something more specific and also have no preservatives.

Specific questions:
-Also handling wise the breeder recommended handling for no more than 20 minutes the first week. When I held him the first time yesterday he was fine at first but after about 10 minutes I could tell he was getting very annoyed - hissing and clicking if I would try to move my hands. Is it pretty common for the new hedgies to act this way at first?? Seems like the temperaments can be vastly different... just hope he nicens up a little  
(I did put one of my shirts in his cage last night - now he is sleeping in it as a type ^^)
- thermostat preference?
- which scale used to weight hedgie on?
- I have read and heard differently about feeding - some say measure out certain amounts and only give at certain times of the day others say to free feed...
- How much water is pretty normal for a hedgie to drink? 
- recommendations for "playtime" areas

Any advice on anything would be great...
(if you are just here to criticize without offering advice on improvement please don't reply - I have seen a bit of this from what i've read on the forums)


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## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

Oh... and another question.

How can you tell if hedgie is hibernating? 
I have read a cold stomach... doesn't move when you touch him etc... any other tips?

And tips if hedgie does go into hibernation?


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## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

For some reason I can't edit my post any longer... 
pic of cage set up right now.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I've had both the ZooMed and the Zilla for the thermostats. My ZooMed broke within a couple of months... no idea how... But the Zilla one is so far pretty awesome  It also helps that the Zilla one actually has the temperatures marked out, unlike the ZooMed one.

For the handling, you might have an explorer, not a cuddler, so maybe he was getting frustrated. The handling suggestion sounds fine by me. You could try handling him in a darkened room, which would help him be less grumpy.

Most people use electronic kitchen scales to weigh their hedgies.

For the water, it's difficult to measure the "average" because a lot of it will evaporate. My Kashi drinks from a mini souffle bowl I got from the dollar store. He drinks about 1/3 from what I can tell.

For playtime areas, I can't really help. You could try sitting in the bathtub with your hog, or something along the lines of that. Kashi is a cuddler so he just sits on my lap or inside my sweater/blanket (pretty much where ever I am). Po' Boy, my other hog, so far hasn't had the courage to walk around a lot yet, but I do have a playpen for him  (he's very grumpy lol).

For the hibernation, your hedgehog will become lethargic, and will be wobbly on his feet. His appetite may decrease, and he may become unresponsive. I think it'll be hard to miss out on it. If your hedgie attempts hibernation, stick them under your shirt and cover that area with a blanket or something to warm him up. Do NOT put him in water!

Also, just a note... Some hedgehogs never use a second level. You can check out the housing section for some space efficient ideas, though. Good luck!


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## ashh51191 (Dec 23, 2011)

the wheel is something i'd change. Comfort wheels are good pet store wheels but little hedgie toes can get stuck and broken or nails can get ripped off causing problems in the silent spinner...


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## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

ashh51191 said:


> the wheel is something i'd change. Comfort wheels are good pet store wheels but little hedgie toes can get stuck and broken or nails can get ripped off causing problems in the silent spinner...


Ya, I have read this... the wheel came with the kit from the breeder and my next purchase is definitely going to be a CSBW.  Thanks~

And Shae thank you as well - think I will go with the zilla.

Is there generally a better time to hold hedgie? I am trying not to bother him till 8pm when it will be darker (keep it light from 8am-8pm). So difficult to resist the urge to hold him though hehe. 
Also I work 3 night shifts 7pm-7:30am... so on my nights off I am basically up when he is.


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## AngelicDarkness (Feb 10, 2012)

Each hedgie seems to be different with times :lol: Some nights we get Alice out around 8pm, other times not until 10pm. Depends on her. If she's really sleepy, I just get her out and have her sleep on me. It still counts as bonding


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

You can hold him during the day.  It's generally recommended to keep things relaxed if you want to get in some bonding time during their sleeping hours. I will take my Milly out around 8am after I get home from work and plop her in my lap while I use the computer or read. I make sure to keep the noise to a minimum, close the curtains in my room, and give her lots of fleece to cuddle up in on my lap so she can snooze. I personally don't keep her out much longer than an hour or two if it's during the day though because if I keep her out too long, she doesn't get enough sleep and it affects her whole night time schedule. Instead of waking up at 8:30pm, she wakes up at 10 or 10:30. Which means she eats and wheels less, and then I feel guilty. :lol:


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## TeddysMommy (Apr 24, 2011)

Just a note, until you buy your CSW, you can duct tape over the slits on the SS to make it hedgie-safe, but it gets very messy!


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## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

TeddysMommy said:


> Just a note, until you buy your CSW, you can duct tape over the slits on the SS to make it hedgie-safe, but it gets very messy!


I read about that on another post... think I'll do this for a while  Can always replace the tape to clean...


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## connorshogs (Mar 24, 2011)

That is not a bad cage at all the wheel I would change as already said above. But nothing wrong with the cage another option is a rubbermaid they make nice cages. I use 105 qt but you could go bigger


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## rtc (Sep 5, 2008)

I second the covering the gaps with duct tape. Hitch used one of those wheels for a year or two and I would just replace the tape every two weeks or so. He loved that wheel. It has since been replaced due to the comments around the web about the bearings dying in them.

Hitch got his toe caught in the gap on one of the first nights he used it prior to the tape..


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## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

connorshogs said:


> That is not a bad cage at all the wheel I would change as already said above. But nothing wrong with the cage another option is a rubbermaid they make nice cages. I use 105 qt but you could go bigger


I guess I just feel like it is very small - by what I have read it is recommended to have at least 4 sq feet and that cage is only 3.
May by a small rubbermaid to add an addition on 



rtc said:


> I second the covering the gaps with duct tape. Hitch used one of those wheels for a year or two and I would just replace the tape every two weeks or so. He loved that wheel. It has since been replaced due to the comments around the web about the bearings dying in them.
> 
> Hitch got his toe caught in the gap on one of the first nights he used it prior to the tape..


Ahh, I don't want him to get his toe caught :/ The first night he ran for about 2 -3 hours... last night I don't think he ran more than a few minutes. Time to buy some ducktape!


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## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

He bit my husband last night ... a couple times. I work the next 3 nights so my hubby will be taking care of him for "bonding" time ... just hope he doesn't get more used to us than another...
He hasn't tried biting me but he is still really huffy and spikes and gets noisy whenever I touch his quills or there is sudden movement/noise. Seems like there are quite a few hedgies that this is their normal behavior... I really am expecting too much but I know I just need to give him his time and take it slow  After all it has only been 2 days.

For bonding is it ok to just let him curl up and sleep on me? 
The breeder said if he wants to sleep then put him back in his cage. He does fall asleep but if I move he spikes up and gets unhappy right away...


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Letting him sleep on your lap in his sleep bag/sack is a great way to bond. Just don't keep him out all day, like 30 mins to an hour at a time is fine. Tell your husband to wash his hands with something unscented before handling, maybe the hog found something yummy/smelly on his hands.


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## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

LarryT said:


> Letting him sleep on your lap in his sleep bag/sack is a great way to bond. Just don't keep him out all day, like 30 mins to an hour at a time is fine. Tell your husband to wash his hands with something unscented before handling, maybe the hog found something yummy/smelly on his hands.


Thank you Larry for the reply! I think my husband may have been previously touching some of her food haha... but he was really good for him last night while I was working  Even let hubby pet his quills!

New Question -- I do want to switch to fleece liners instead of the carefree bedding but Durzo REALLY likes to dig in the bedding ... he wouldn't really be able to do this with the fleece liners..
Any ideas?

I found this on instructables for a "dig box" - http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple- ... g-Dig-Box/


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## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

And this may be somewhere on the forum but what is the recommended way to clean down the cage, wheel etc... I've just been using my dish soap and water.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Lots of people here use a 50/50 mix of water and distilled white vinegar, it's very cheap and does a great job, just get you a spary bottle for a buck and your all set.  For the wheels spray it on wait 2-3 minutes and wipe, repeat as needed. I use Ivory soap and a dishwand to clean my wheels.


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## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

Thanks Larry! I like the vinegar idea.

Is it true a sandbox would not be recommended for a male hedgie? It seems like sand should be fine because that was their natural habitat...
Was looking at this sand -http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00109U5WI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER 
and placing it in a clay pot tray

-- I am going to try ...
fleece strips
aquarium large pebbles

any other thoughts for dig box ideas?

New picture: [First Taste at Meal worms!] (day 4)


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

I would stay away from sand. It's dusty and can dry out their skin, and it could definitely be irritating, especially to a male. Fleece strips and/or stones work well. For Archimedes' dig box (and also his house) I use plastic storage shelf things that I found at Goodwill - they have a lower lip on one side so it's easy for him to get into the dig box (and the one that's his house is upside down, so that part makes a good doorway). This kind of thing, they come in various sizes and colors: http://www.amazon.com/Wilmar-W5196-Piec ... 59&sr=8-15


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## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

moxieberry said:


> I would stay away from sand. It's dusty and can dry out their skin, and it could definitely be irritating, especially to a male. Fleece strips and/or stones work well. For Archimedes' dig box (and also his house) I use plastic storage shelf things that I found at Goodwill - they have a lower lip on one side so it's easy for him to get into the dig box (and the one that's his house is upside down, so that part makes a good doorway). This kind of thing, they come in various sizes and colors: http://www.amazon.com/Wilmar-W5196-Piec ... 59&sr=8-15


Ah I like those boxes! Thanks Moxie - time to get some pebbles and fleece


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