# Potty Training?



## katherinetaylor (Apr 13, 2011)

I read that it is quite possible to potty train your hedgie. Fredrick is only 9 weeks old and I figured the earlier I start the easier potty training would be. So just a few questions:

What litter/box should he be using?
How do I get him to use his litter box (I read somewhere that if you put a hedgies poop into the litter box he'll start using his litter box)? 
Should I reward my hedgie for using his litter box with a little treat?


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## rivoli256 (Mar 1, 2009)

i never could get any of mine to use a litter box. no way.

but pooping in one spot was not a problem.

i simply assembled all their poos in one place & continued to do so...& no, no smell. the only time there is smell is from urine or when you have a sick hedgie, i find. 

anytime i saw poo, i moved it to the designated spot. i also tried to pick up on where each one seemed to like to go most & chose that place. that seemed to help. like my 1st guy...who liked to poo next to his food bowl & pee next to his water bowl....input = output for him exclusively. so it was easy! :lol: in all serious though...if you can pay attention to what your hogs prefernces are -unless there are none! :roll: :lol: - it will help to work with them rather than against them. 

when i clean cages, i keep a few pieces of the old poo & put them back in the fresh clean cage in the appointed spot so the scent is there. & again, no smell for my pitiful human nose!

this has worked well...i have had ones from 4 weeks to 2+ y.o. when i got them & started the litter (or not so litter!  ) training. so, age for me has not been an issue.

mine are all pretty messy so i have to keep referesher courses up or they get lazy... :roll: 

i am no expert, however. i hope some folks with more experience will pipe up.


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## CritterHeaven (Feb 21, 2011)

I dont have much experience but it is slightly different.

I have a Carolina Storm wheel (from LarryT). When you order it, it comes with a litter pan to put under it. Truffle (and many other hedgies) goes when he runs on his wheel. The "excess" flies out of the wheel and in to the litter pan (I have Yesterdays News cat litter in it). He now goes either in his wheel or in the litter directly. No where else. I did not really train him, he trained himself (he is about 3 1/2 months old, I have had him just over a month). He had never had a wheel when i got him but right away he got on an has really never made another mess in his cage. Though sometimes he poops on me :shock:


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## pearlthehedgie (Feb 15, 2011)

I've had the same experience as Critter Heaven. We use the Carolina Storm Wheel w/ litter pan under it lined w/ Yesterday's News. Pearl learned quite quickly to go to the litter pan. Once in a while I will find one outside the pan, but generally she goes in the litter pan. When we were teaching her, we'd pick up any waste we found in her cage and put it in the litter pan so she'd get the idea. 

She still poops on us and also of course in the bath water, but when she's in her cage she goes in the litter pan.


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## ReginasMommy (Apr 13, 2011)

I did not really try to potty train Regina. I put a paper towel underneath her bucket wheel, because she poops on the wheel a lot, but when she doesn't poop on the wheel, she goes over to the corner where the paper towel is and does her business over there anyway. Sometimes, though, she likes to crawl under the paper towel and poop on the liner (but they're always easy to clean up, luckily). Once or twice she has pooped under her hedgie bag (silly girl), but never in it.


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## katherinetaylor (Apr 13, 2011)

Thats great to hear that everyone had such luck with their hedgies going to the bathroom in one area or in a pan/on a towel. I think there's hope for little Fredrick yet! I think I must invest in a Storm Wheel pretty soon too, I was thinking about buying a hedgehog safe wheel from the pet store I bought him at but a CSW sounds much better. Thanks everyone!


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