# cleaning the cage



## ghartrid (Mar 18, 2011)

Hi. I bought my hedgehog a extra large rabbit cage and was wondering how often to clean it.
I have read that cages should be cleaned weekly but at the end of the week it still looks clean.
should I let it sit for two weeks?

Thank you for your opinion.


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## KamoLover (Mar 17, 2011)

what kind of bedding are you using? fleece? shavings?


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I clean Kashi's cage once a week, and it's around the size of an extra large rabbit cage.

I change his fleece liner, vaccum up the crumbs, etc and give the entire cage a wipe-down with a disinfectant cloth.

Your hedgie either must be ridiculously clean if it still looks super clean by the end of the week @[email protected]


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## Judi (Jul 9, 2009)

I've got one of those really big rabbit cages, and Spikey does all his bathroom stuff in the litter box or on his wheel. I wash the wheel at least every other day and change the litter box weekly. I probably only change the wood shavings once every month or so, if even that. I mostly go by smell...if I can smell hedgehog when the litter box is clean and the wheel is washed, then it's time to change the shavings.

When I was using a large plastic storage tub, I had to change it more often.


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## CritterHeaven (Feb 21, 2011)

I have Truffle in a Ferret Nation on fleece liners. His wheel has a litter box underneath it. The wheel HAS to be cleaned each day. But the litter box only weekly and the cage only a weekly pick up really. He seems to go on the wheel only. I do usually take off one layer of fleece in the weekly pick though I must say I am not sure it REALLY needs it.

So it probably depends on the cage and the hedgie. Smell is certainly a good indicator though!


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## ghartrid (Mar 18, 2011)

I use yesterdays news by purina. it is pelleted newspaper.


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## 11swedishfish (Feb 1, 2011)

I clean mine every two days... i have to, it begins to smell otherwise.

Is there anyway I can cut down on the cleaning frequency?

Ludwig is on fleece liners, he isn't litter trained though... 
I wash off his wheel every day.


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## nibletsmom (Dec 20, 2010)

ghartrid said:


> I use yesterdays news by purina. it is pelleted newspaper.


Are you using yesterday's news as bedding or just litter? 
I am not 100% (I am sure someone else will jump in) but I didn't think you could use yesterday's news as their actual bedding...just as litter. I could be wrong though....

As for cleaning Niblet's cage. He is in a ferret nation with fleece liners. I spot clean his cage everyday. I pick up all the poop and wash his wheel down. Every other day, I take off the top layer of fleece. Once a week, he gets a complete cage cleaning and a foot bath. We also have a small air purifier by his cage. We have never had any issues with smell.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

ghartrid said:


> Hi. I bought my hedgehog a extra large rabbit cage and was wondering how often to clean it.
> I have read that cages should be cleaned weekly but at the end of the week it still looks clean.
> should I let it sit for two weeks?)


Think about your bathroom/kitchen counters. At the end of a week they may look clean, but they're still covered in bacteria that you can't see and need to be wiped down.


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## ghartrid (Mar 18, 2011)

I use yesterdays news as the bedding for my hedgehog. it is what the fellow at the pet store suggested I use.


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## itbrti (Dec 4, 2010)

I let mocha sleep on fleece strips from extra fleece that I have, and I vacuum the cage daily. When she's done wheeling, she likes to roam around with her poopy boots and make as much as a mess as she can.  I wash the fleece monthly, if not sooner.


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## HappyHedgies (Feb 17, 2011)

ghartrid said:


> I use yesterdays news as the bedding for my hedgehog. it is what the fellow at the pet store suggested I use.


Think of a matress hard and soft..the yesterdays news pellets are hard and dont provide a lot of cushion. Most people only use the pellets for litter boxes. For the bedding though its popular to use fleece liners, aspen shavings, or carefresh for a comfy home to sleep on.

As for bedding changes..we use shavings and clean and disinfect them every 4 or 5 days or so or when we start noticing a smell.


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