# Heating Problem. HELP!



## Miranda107042 (May 13, 2015)

I don't like to keep my house very warm and two days ago, I found my hedgehog attempting to hibernate. I got very worried but I saved her in time. I ran up to Petco to get a ceramic heat admider (60 watts Repticare), a clamp lamp (Flukers 5.5" clamp lamp), and a thermometer (Zoomed digital thermometer). My hedgehog, Luna's cage is wired with a plastic bottom. The proleg is, the heat isn't staying in the cage. I covered the cage with a blanket not touching the bulb and still nothing. I can feel the heat coming out from the bulb but it won't reach where Luna is. Any suggestions?


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## PrincessPuffinsMom (Aug 8, 2015)

Get a bigger wattage bulb. I use 150 watts and still use blankets to cover the back and side of my cage and my cages temp hovers between 73-75.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

There are a couple issues with what you got, though they aren't bad for an emergency, temporary situation. First, you need a larger lamp. It's best to get the 10" clamp lamp as the larger diameter spreads the heat out more effectively. Second, you need a stronger bulb. 100 watts would possibly work, but you may need 150 watts, depending on how cold your house is. Third, you need a thermostat to control the lamp & turn it on & off as needed to keep a steady temperature.

If you have a stronger bulb, it should heat the cage more effectively. The thermostat will keep the temperature from fluctuating too much, which can also cause a hibernation attempt. You may still need to keep the back & sides of the cage insulated with a blanket or plastic, but it should help. Aim to keep her cage around 75F & see how she does with that. She may need it warmer, but it'll be something to start with.

How big is her cage? Sometimes with very large and/or long cages, you need two lamps to heat it evenly.


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## Miranda107042 (May 13, 2015)

Lilysmommy said:


> There are a couple issues with what you got, though they aren't bad for an emergency, temporary situation. First, you need a larger lamp. It's best to get the 10" clamp lamp as the larger diameter spreads the heat out more effectively. Second, you need a stronger bulb. 100 watts would possibly work, but you may need 150 watts, depending on how cold your house is. Third, you need a thermostat to control the lamp & turn it on & off as needed to keep a steady temperature.
> 
> If you have a stronger bulb, it should heat the cage more effectively. The thermostat will keep the temperature from fluctuating too much, which can also cause a hibernation attempt. You may still need to keep the back & sides of the cage insulatedwith a blanket or plastic, but it should help. Aim to keep her cage around 75F & see how she does with that. She may need it warmer, but it'll be something t start with.
> 
> How big is her cage? Sometimes with very large and/or long cages, you need two lamps to heat it evenly.


It's 23in" X 38in"


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Try the larger lamp first, as well as the stronger bulb, & see how that does. I would suggest getting a thermostat that allows for multiple lamps to be plugged in, just in case. The Zilla 1000watt thermostat has three outlets. That way if your house is so cool that one lamp still can't keep up, you can easily add a second one without buying a second thermostat.


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## Miranda107042 (May 13, 2015)

Lilysmommy said:


> Try the larger lamp first, as well as the stronger bulb, & see how that does. I would suggest getting a thermostat that allows for multiple lamps to be plugged in, just in case. The Zilla 1000watt thermostat has three outlets. That way if your house is so cool that one lamp still can't keep up, you can easily add a second one without buying a second thermostat.


Thank you so much! It worked and now the cage is at 75 degrees.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Do you have a thermostat? If not the heat lamp is on all the time and you will have a decent temperature change depending on the room temperature.


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