# Sonic the escape artist.



## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

This is the second time he has gone missing. We have checked under every single piece of furniture in our house and we cannot find him anywhere. The first time was our fault, but this time he actually escaped his cage which he has NEVER done! Any suggestions on how to lure him out or find him? I'm seriously thinking of tying a bell around his neck with a piece of string. He's too smart for his humans


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Close all of the doors that you have in the house & search those rooms first. Place food (a set amount so you know if some goes missing) in each room so you can try & lure him out with food, then tell at least where in general he is. Perhaps canned food or some kind of smelly food (especially a favorite) might lure him out to get something to eat as well. Good luck finding him! Do you know how he escaped so you can fix the issue to prevent a third escape?


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## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

Lilysmommy said:


> Close all of the doors that you have in the house & search those rooms first. Place food (a set amount so you know if some goes missing) in each room so you can try & lure him out with food, then tell at least where in general he is. Perhaps canned food or some kind of smelly food (especially a favorite) might lure him out to get something to eat as well. Good luck finding him! Do you know how he escaped so you can fix the issue to prevent a third escape?


This time he actually climbed out of his cage, which he has never done. So, we didn't think anything of it. He has been there since he was 7 weeks old and never escaped. Gonna take your advice!


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Heat up, lights low, search everywhere. Be really careful if you have to move anything. Hedgehogs can fit in that hollow space under-behind bookcases, cabinets, etc. You might have to wait until night for him to come out on his own!

For escape-proofing his cage...
He does have a wheel so he isn't escaping out of boredom?
Add a lid.
Convert the walls to solid-surface (higher coroplast if you're using C&C construction) so he has no where to grip when climbing.


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## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

Annie&Tibbers said:


> Heat up, lights low, search everywhere. Be really careful if you have to move anything. Hedgehogs can fit in that hollow space under-behind bookcases, cabinets, etc. You might have to wait until night for him to come out on his own!
> 
> For escape-proofing his cage...
> He does have a wheel so he isn't escaping out of boredom?
> ...


I found him underneath my dresser. He's gone there before, but we had broken it a bit the last time to get him out so we were unable to see underneath. Long story short, I had to break it completely to get him out this time. Grr -.- But, he's more important than the dresser that now needs to be repaired lol.


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

See, this is a total push-pull of escape-artist hiding places. Do you now, post-repairs, make the dresser totally inaccessible to him should he escape again (by walling it with coroplast or similar), or make it kinda cozy for him so that you know where to look in the eventual "next time."


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## Haley (Nov 18, 2013)

Glad you found him!


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## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

Annie&Tibbers said:


> See, this is a total push-pull of escape-artist hiding places. Do you now, post-repairs, make the dresser totally inaccessible to him should he escape again (by walling it with coroplast or similar), or make it kinda cozy for him so that you know where to look in the eventual "next time."


He escaped again! We are looking to build a new cage today to put the female and male of mine together but with a divider. Just have to find him. He's not under the dresser again, for it's no longer a hiding spot. Put food all around the house in hopes of him coming out on his own. Also, searched under each piece of furniture in each room carefully. Ugh! Definitely making sure the next cage is ESCAPE proof!


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## ajweekley (Aug 8, 2013)

I'm not sure I would put them together with a divider. For one thing, he sounds tricksy, and if there's ANY possible way he could get to her, he will. Secondly, since hedgehogs are induced ovulators, I worry that being in such close proximity to him will put her body under constant stress. 

Just a thought. I hope you find him soon.


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## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

ajweekley said:


> I'm not sure I would put them together with a divider. For one thing, he sounds tricksy, and if there's ANY possible way he could get to her, he will. Secondly, since hedgehogs are induced ovulators, I worry that being in such close proximity to him will put her body under constant stress.
> 
> Just a thought. I hope you find him soon.


I found him, he was near the water heater. Of course, WARM! I will make sure to make the cage escape proof. I just ordered one that is 8 sq ft. So, each of them will get half. If I have to I will put a cover on his half due to his cleverness.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Honestly, I can't stress this enough. Please, put a cover on his half without waiting to see if he escapes. It's not fair to your female to risk having him escape into her half & have her end up pregnant. We get a lot of accidental pregnancies on the forum, it happens quite often. Prevention is the best thing rather than a "wait and see" approach.


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## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

Lilysmommy said:


> Honestly, I can't stress this enough. Please, put a cover on his half without waiting to see if he escapes. It's not fair to your female to risk having him escape into her half & have her end up pregnant. We get a lot of accidental pregnancies on the forum, it happens quite often. Prevention is the best thing rather than a "wait and see" approach.


Will do. We were planning on breeding them eventually. Just didn't think there was any harm in letting them roam the house and have a little free time. We were obviously wrong and will now take them out separately for play time. Or, my boyfriend will have one while I have the other. If the cage I purchased comes with a bottom already, should I still be putting bedding down?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yeah, you'll probably still want bedding for ease of washing. Are you getting the Midwest cage with the canvas bottom?

Yes, getting them out separately is a good idea until she's ready to be bred.  It's not healthy for her to end up pregnant before six months, since her body is still growing. So you don't want her to get accidentally pregnant now. Best time for her first litter is between 6 and 12 months. Either side of that is more dangerous for her. Do you have pedigrees and such for both of them & checked for genetic diseases in their background?


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## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

Yes ma'am. That's the exact cage that I am getting. The jerk we saved her from (still paid $100) said she was 5-6 months. I'm taking her to the vet tomorrow to check on all that just in case she is pregnant and to figure out what is going on with her ears because she has some sort of build up that doesn't look okay. It has been getting better with vaseline though! And the father is A-OK


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

The vet may not be able to tell you much in the way of age since it can be pretty difficult to tell with hedgehogs, as far as I know. I could totally be wrong on that though!

To be perfectly honest...most of us on the forum here will tell you not to breed them since you don't have her records. We're pretty strict in encouraging ethical, responsible breeding only - that means making sure both hedgehogs are breeding quality and have no known genetic issues that could be passed on to hoglets. Obviously we can't stop you if you're determined, and it's too late if she does turn out to be already pregnant. But we do our best to discourage people wanting to breed rescued hedgehogs or pet store hedgehogs because breeding is meant to improve the breed as a whole - not just produce cute babies. Responsible breeders are trying hard to avoid continuing the spread of WHS, but there's so many backyard breeders for hedgehogs that it's a pretty big battle. Every person that decides to breed their pet hedgehogs without being able to check their lineages just contributes to it.

Sorry to get all lecture-y on you.  It's just something that's a very touchy topic on the forum and has been an issue again and again. If she does turn out to be pregnant and you need help or if she has complications, I hope this doesn't discourage you from posting for advice with mom/babies, that's not my aim at all. We will always help the hedgehog once the situation is there, we just try to discourage it before that point.

I hope the vet visit goes well and your new cage arrives soon!


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## ajweekley (Aug 8, 2013)

Why are you wanting to breed them? If it's to sell the babies, then you definitely should not since you don't have her pedigree. You could be breeding babies who will carry genetic defects which cause them pain and end their lives prematurely. If it's because babies are cute, you should not because that's not a good reason to create life, either animal or human. Breeding them doesn't seem to be in the best interest of the hedgehogs in this instance, and if it's not in their best interest, why would you do it?

When I posted on this thread earlier I didn't realize you were the same person who had found the hedgies "stuck together." If a pregnancy happened from that meeting, then what's done is done, and you do the best you can with the situation. But the fact that you didn't know that would happen if you let them roam freely together, and the fact that you referred to it as "stuck together" instead of knowing that they were mating, are two big red flags that tell me you should not be breeding these animals, at least not yet. You don't seem to understand why it would be bad for your girl to keep her so close to the male, even with a barrier to keep them from mating. You seem unconcerned with the fact that your boy has escaped several times. Escaping from a safe cage is not at all safe for your hedgehog. So many things in your home are dangerous for him, and the cages should be secured BEFORE multiple escape attempts happen. That should have been the first thing that was done before he came to live with you. 

If you want to be a breeder, I support that wholeheartedly. But not until you have done FAR more research. It is a lot of work to be a quality breeder and give the proper care to the animals to keep them all healthy and happy. It is expensive to get them the care they need. And you should not use your current female as a breeder female, because you have no idea of her genetic history. 

If your girl isn't currently pregnant, please do not breed her. You don't even know her age for sure, and that could be highly dangerous for her if she's too young or too old. If she is currently pregnant, please get her quality vet care by someone familiar with hedgehogs, and then please keep her away from your boy to keep her from getting pregnant again.

Pets are living things. They are not decoration or entertainment for you. They should be cared for as family. Please take a step back and evaluate your reasons for wanting to breed them before you let them mate again.


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## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

ajweekley said:


> Why are you wanting to breed them? If it's to sell the babies, then you definitely should not since you don't have her pedigree. You could be breeding babies who will carry genetic defects which cause them pain and end their lives prematurely. If it's because babies are cute, you should not because that's not a good reason to create life, either animal or human. Breeding them doesn't seem to be in the best interest of the hedgehogs in this instance, and if it's not in their best interest, why would you do it?
> 
> When I posted on this thread earlier I didn't realize you were the same person who had found the hedgies "stuck together." If a pregnancy happened from that meeting, then what's done is done, and you do the best you can with the situation. But the fact that you didn't know that would happen if you let them roam freely together, and the fact that you referred to it as "stuck together" instead of knowing that they were mating, are two big red flags that tell me you should not be breeding these animals, at least not yet. You don't seem to understand why it would be bad for your girl to keep her so close to the male, even with a barrier to keep them from mating. You seem unconcerned with the fact that your boy has escaped several times. Escaping from a safe cage is not at all safe for your hedgehog. So many things in your home are dangerous for him, and the cages should be secured BEFORE multiple escape attempts happen. That should have been the first thing that was done before he came to live with you.
> 
> ...


I researched everything there is to know about hedgehogs, including breeding. I knew what it meant when they were stuck together. I was asking for guidelines as to what to do next. I didn't mean it as I didn't know what being stuck together was. I am very knowledgeable on hedgehogs for I did a months worth of research before I brought my little guy home. Like I said, the cage has never been a problem for the little guy. I ordered a new cage so that it doesn't happen. I don't appreciate you coming here to put me down as if I know nothing about hedgehogs. I do, and I know plenty. I wanted to breed them because I was looking into getting a USDA license because I love animals and I would love to become a real breeder of them. They were both running in opposite directions when I brought them out for playtime, and it just happened. No harm done, I will take care of her and them if that time comes. I am taking her to the vet today and taking care of what needs to be done. I take very good care of my hedgehogs and I am aware of all of the consequences of every action. Thank you, but it wasn't a nice approach.


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## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

Lilysmommy said:


> The vet may not be able to tell you much in the way of age since it can be pretty difficult to tell with hedgehogs, as far as I know. I could totally be wrong on that though!
> 
> To be perfectly honest...most of us on the forum here will tell you not to breed them since you don't have her records. We're pretty strict in encouraging ethical, responsible breeding only - that means making sure both hedgehogs are breeding quality and have no known genetic issues that could be passed on to hoglets. Obviously we can't stop you if you're determined, and it's too late if she does turn out to be already pregnant. But we do our best to discourage people wanting to breed rescued hedgehogs or pet store hedgehogs because breeding is meant to improve the breed as a whole - not just produce cute babies. Responsible breeders are trying hard to avoid continuing the spread of WHS, but there's so many backyard breeders for hedgehogs that it's a pretty big battle. Every person that decides to breed their pet hedgehogs without being able to check their lineages just contributes to it.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the advice Lilysmommy, I realize it might not be a good idea between the two of them and I apologize for allowing it to happen accidentally. I also hope the vet visit goes well and the new cage arrives sooner rather than later for them. It looks very spacey  Thank you for all the help you have given me, it has been greatly appreciated.


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## ajweekley (Aug 8, 2013)

I am sorry if you were offended by my tone. But if you want to be a USDA licensed breeder, I'm still unsure why you would start with a female who could be carrying WHS or any number of other genetic defects. 

As I said, I do support you if you want to become a breeder. I wholeheartedly support the idea of having more responsible breeders out there instead of the folks who just make baby animals and sell them on Craigslist. But a month of research isn't that long in the grand scheme of things if you are looking to create a business. Again I urge you, please do not use this female as a breeder female intentionally. And please do not house her so close to your male and put her body under that added stress of continual ovulation.


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