# Buying a new hedge - questions



## Viridis Lupus (Apr 8, 2012)

Hello everyone!

I`m buying a hedge, wich will be my first. But, before that, i got some questions to give a properly care. Can you help me out?

1. I live in a hot country, so, i`m concerned about the adequate temperature. In summer, we tipically get 90º F. Can the hedge be with my in a room with conditioned air in, lets say, 73ºF(when outside is 90ºF)?
2. I plan to give the hedge 2 homes. One will be in a back room, were he will get more silence and, the other, will be in my room, where ill play with him. Does the hedgehog smells badly? Could he sleep in my room in a hot day?

Regards,


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## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

Hello! Welcome to the boards! Make sure to read through all of the stickies on the forums, they contain a TON of vital information about owning a hedgie. 

1.) 90 degrees will be too warm for your hedgie. Also, 73 (with an air conditioner) might be too cold for your little one. Make sure the cage is not placed near a cool air vent. Also, I would recommend getting a CHE, so that way the cage can be kept at a constant temperature of around 75ish. Here are one of the boards with a bunch of helpful information about heating your hedgies cage:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4579

2.) When you say two homes, is your hedgie going to be spending the night in each of them? Remember, hedgies are nocturnal, so they are going to prefer silence during the day so they can get their sleep. At night, they can be noisy, so having the cage in your room may keep you up at night. If possible, I would try and keep your hedgie in one cage, and take them out to play "free-range." Having a hedgehog going between two different cages can be confusing and stressful.

Hedgehogs can have a smell to them, if not properly cared for. When I wake up in the morning, my hedgie gets a foot bath to take care of his poop boots. When hedgehogs run on their wheels, they poo and pee as they go, so their feet and undersides get dirty- every single day. Only solid bottomed wheels are recommended for hedgies, like the comfort wheel. Since the wheel is solid bottomed, it will need to be cleaned every day- it's amazing how much poo comes from such a little animal! Haha! :lol: I've potty trained my hedgie, so I am lucky and only have to clean the entire cage once a week. If you are getting a baby, though, plan on cleaning the cage every couple of days too.

What supplies have you bought for your hedgie? What type of food are you planning on feeding? How long have you been researching getting a hedgehog? Hoepfully we can help you and your new little one out!  Welcome!


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## Viridis Lupus (Apr 8, 2012)

Hello, raerysdyk, many thanks for the reply!  

Hey, your Brillo looks so good, what a cute little hedgie! 

One breeder got a pregnant hedge female, the puppies should be available on july, i'll research a lot before, but i still know little. I still got no supplies, but a i plan to build a glass fish tank with computer fans on top to help on hot days. Here in my city, its rare to get anothing bellow 75º F, even in the winter. I just got concerned because its common to have hot days here, so, i tought about the 2 homes solution; but, now, i`ll make just one. In a 90º F day, how could i chill the little dude?

I read that they eat cat food, but i plan to give also some vegetables an fruits as well as some Tenebrio Molitor worms sometimes.

Can the hedge be more active during the day, if i train him or it wouldn`t be nice to his health?


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## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

Thanks, he's my little stinker. 

I would stay away from a glass fish tank. The size of the tank required would be enormous. Hedgehogs require a cage with at lease 3 sq. feet of floor space. A fish tank that large would be extremely expensive. Also, the glass does not allow for much ventilation- since it's so hot where you are I would definitely not use a fish tank. 

Too cool down your hedgie, try and cool the room down, maybe a small portable air conditioner? You would just need to make sure that you did not have direct air blowing on your hedgie- the cool air could make it sick. Too help cool your hedgie down when the temperature is moderate, you could try a ceramic tile placed in the cage. Brillo loves to lounge on it when he is warm. 

Again, hedgies are nocturnal. They won't appreciate being awake during the day. They will be cranky and not very interactive. It would be like someone coming in to your house and demanding that you never sleep at night- rude! Haha. You can cuddle with your hedgie during the day, and let them sleep near you. It's important to remember though that they are active at night and you should respect that they will be much healthier and happier being left on a nocturnal schedule. 

Make sure to read through the forums. There is a lot of information available, and you want to be as prepared as possible when your little one comes home.


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## coribelle (Jan 20, 2012)

Tanks usually aren't recommended, as they have very poor ventilation. A good place to check out different cage ideas is here: http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1860. 
The fans are also not a good idea, as the draft could cause your little one to become chilled and attempt to hibernate. However, I'm a little confused as to whether or not you will have access to air conditioning. If your house is air conditioned, or if you are keeping your hoglet in a room with AC, then you don't really need to worry about the temperature outside. However, if the hedgehog is kept indoors in the air conditioning, you will need some sort of heat source to keep him at a temperature around 75-80F. I would check out this link to learn more about different heating options: http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=94 and http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4579.
If you don't have air conditioning, then 90F will be VERY hot and you would need to find a way to keep the cage ~ 75-80F. I'm not sure how possible it would be to lower the temperature 10-15 degrees without having fans blow directly on your hog, so you might need to get creative or find a small air conditioning unit to use. 
A good quality cat food is a great food choice, and many choose to provide a mix of 2 or 3 different brands. Meal worms, wax worms, and crickets also make great treats, along with different veggies and fruits. 
As for being active in the day, some hedgies do get up to eat occasionally. Most sleep all day and wake up at night to do all of their activities. They can't really be trained to be awake during the day, so it's best to keep them on their natural schedules.


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## Viridis Lupus (Apr 8, 2012)

I`m very anxious to have the hedgie, thanks for the replies. Coribelle, about the air conditioning, i just have in the room where i sleep/work, and i planned to make a second cage/tank here for the hot days, but raerysdyk gave me a good advise and said it would be stressfull to the little one.
I had an idea for the heat issue. What about installing one or two portable mini air conditioners in the top of the hedgie`s cage? ( here what i can buy in my country: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 2s7VC2fdMg )
Since the cold air descends, i could install it on the top of the hedgehog`s cage, ortogonally to it, without directly sending the cold air. Sounds good?
I'll keep reading, here is a very good forum, there are a lot of information! 
Thanks for the tips.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I would not install an AC directly above the hedgehog's cage. The hedgehog my catch a chill from the cold wind.

Perhaps having an AC for the room, but not pointed directly at the hedgie cage might be a better idea? 

And I would also emphasize that you should not attempt to "train" your hedgie to be up during the day and sleeping at night. Some hedgehog adapt to their owners schedules, but you should never force it on them. That would be like you being forced to be awake all night and sleep all day. It's just not healthy.


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## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

I agree with Shae. Installing the AC right above the cage would not be a good idea. If your hedgie caught a chill, it would be very easy for them to develop an upper respiratory infection or hibernate and possibly die.  

I would try and find another way to cool the room down that you are planning on keeping your hedgie in. A small AC unit in the room would be a good idea, you would just need to make sure that there was no direct breeze on your hedgehog.


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## Viridis Lupus (Apr 8, 2012)

Many thanks for the help... i'll buy a precision termometer and maybe a thermostat that will turn on an AC or ventilator in the room. I promisse i wont train the hedge to be awake in daylight.


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