# Unsupervised play time?



## SnufflePuff (Apr 16, 2009)

I was just wondering if any of you let your hedgehogs have unsupervised playtime in a play pen or hedgehog proofed room?

My hedgehogs are all a little overweight and could use the extra exercise, but I don't always have the hours in a day to sit with them in a play pen and was wondering if I could leave them alone?

I'd have them each out separately, would have a play pen or kiddie pool set up and secured and the rest of the room would be hedgehog proof (I am a new ferret owner and am an expert at proofing rooms and compared to ferrets, I'm really not worried about the hedgies :lol.

Now heating would be the only concern, but the whole hedgehog room is actually really warm (there's 4 x 150W ceramic heat emitters in total and it's actually so warm in there it's uncomfortable for me to be in for too long) so I'm not too worried they would hibernate outside the cage. Plus I would only leave them out for say an hour each at a time?

Is there anything else I should be worried about? Any suggestions from anyone who does this?

I'd probably let them out at dusk or dawn so that they would actually be active and not just go to sleep in the corner of the playpen.


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## Jen.Uh.Fur (Mar 29, 2011)

I usually take Sketch out for about an hour a night while I'm just watching tv, to have her get fun time.(I try to squeeze in handling, but she isn't too receptive to me LOL).

But she also goes on her wheel all night long. Does yours have a wheel? She was rather fat when we got her, and now she is about "normal" size. She is not the same hedgie that game her a couple months ago!


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

I will be asking much the same sort of questions in the days & weeks to come, snuffle.

Snarf has full run of the apartment now: in the morning, Jamie either puts him in bed with me or I put him in our bed. 99% of the time, he does. not. move. At all.

But...the whole reaon he`s in our bed for most of his life is because one fateful day: he was in his sleeping bag in the livingroom and went AWOL for an hour only to be found ON the bed. NOOOO idea how he got up there; he had never even stepped a foot out of that sleeping bag before...so...

Pesto will be here soon...do they both get free reign...or one at a time...split the day...split the rooms...can they be alone together in the next room or only if i am right there...sigh. :? 

These are the questions I will be asking...no help, sorry...but a LOT of understanding!!!


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## SnufflePuff (Apr 16, 2009)

Jen.Uh.Fur - Yes they all have carolina storm wheels but that doesn't stop them from being chubby hogs :lol: and I just think they need to get out of the cage too. Sitting in my lap sleeping while I watch TV is more for my bonding benefit than theirs. I think they need freedom,

MissC - I probably wouldn't leave the two boys alone, I hear they can get nasty with eachother. I sometimes let Puff and Chole play together but honestly they don't enjoy each other's company so really there's no point. But I've heard male hogs can be aggressive to each other. 

I personally feel like unsupervised play time is fine and good for them. Some people even have hedgehog proofed rooms that their hedgehogs live in all the time. I think being confined to a cage (no matter how big) isn't really a good lifestyle for any pet. I love the idea of having the hedgehogs having more freedom. So I think as long as it's safe (no where they can get stuck, nothing dangerous they can chew) and that it's warm enough and that they can't get lost (or climb beds - Crazy Snarf! :lol: ) that it's good for them?

I don't know we'll have to see what other people think :lol:


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## NoDivision (Aug 29, 2010)

If you are *sure* the space is completely hedgie proof, I don't really see why not. I would just think of the room as an oversized cage XD I have, on occasion, let Sherlock have run of the bathroom (the only enclosed hedgie proof space) while I'm cleaning, etc, especially when I'm doing a full cage cleaning. I usually put food and water in with him, in case he wants them.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

If you get/make a playpen then you could always set it up by where you are and just check on him once in a while you're working on stuff. That's what I plan on doing with Kashi when I get his playpen. I have a huge space in the middle of my bedroom that's usually empty, so I'm going to take him out and put him in the playpen to hang out in while I'm doing hwk, on my laptop, etc. ^_^


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## KathyTNY (Jan 21, 2011)

I have a girl and a boy and they each get play time in the kiddie pool while we are sitting around watching tv in the evening. While one is in the pool, the other is getting cuddled in their hog sack. Wipe down the pool and switch them out - different toys. Then they both stay out in their hog sacks on different people's laps.......till it is their wheel and cage time. My Tiggy was really overweight - she had two litters and had a bad mom pooch. I have been keeping track and she is losing weight - a little but i see her muscle tone is better too.

Kathy


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## SnufflePuff (Apr 16, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestions!

The only issue I have is that I can't always put them right beside me in the playpen/kiddie pool because I have 3 dogs and 2 cats that are obsessed with the hedgehogs, so the hedgehogs can only really be in their room and like I said their room is extremely hot and uncomfortable for me so I can't spend too much time in it. I'd love to just sit there and read a book or work while they are out but sadly I have really low blood pressure and even the slightest bit of heat basically causes me to faint. I'm going to have a fun summer :roll: :lol: 

I'll see what I can get set up as a play area in their room and then take some pictures and post them on here to see what people think!


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