# Litter training >.< ( new owner)



## Mimni (Dec 29, 2011)

So when i first got leo he was in this box before i set his cage up just for about an hour. During that hour he pooped a lot. So when i wanted to have a litter box for him i decided to cut that box a bit and put it in the cage. He was using it and everything was fine till i got a plastic ferret corner litter box for him. I put cat litter that doesnt clump in there aswell to make it more comfy. I made sure it is different from his bedding so he doesnt get it confused but both are made from recylced newspaper. Leo now never uses his litter box. I try to put the poop in there and if hes with me and poops ill put him in the litter box but it isnt working. instead he pees and poops where he sleeps which makes him stinky and when he goes to eat his food he poops around the rims of the bowls and im worried that isnt good for his health if he does his business inside. 

any suggestions? 

also since hes gross smelling now i want to give him a bath is it ok just to use water? i dont want to use soap and hurt his skin. I heard olive oil is good for them for after baths is that true?


----------



## ashh51191 (Dec 23, 2011)

i use tear free baby wash works fine, ive also used olive oil but it tends to make them greasy, a great way to keep their skin healthy is fish oil. I poke a little hole in a fish pill and put 2-3 drops on my girls food about 3x a week, the vet recommended it and i've had no problems. Fish oil can cause runny poop though if it does you may be using too much.


----------



## Mimni (Dec 29, 2011)

how warm of water do you use? i know to put 1-2 inches of water only.


----------



## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Keep moving all the poops into the litter box and that may help him get the idea to use it but some hedgies are just not interested in being litter trained, its totally up to them lol. If your hedgie is still a baby then that may be part of the problem, babies seem to just poop everywhere and some get better as they get older. Some adult hedgies still poop all over the place and don't seem to get the idea of litter training.

The water for the bath should be about body temp and just feel barely warm to your inner wrist. Aveeno baby wash is good to use to wash them and it contains oatmeal which is good for their skin.


----------



## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

ashh51191 said:


> i use tear free baby wash works fine, ive also used olive oil but it tends to make them greasy, a great way to keep their skin healthy is fish oil. I poke a little hole in a fish pill and put 2-3 drops on my girls food about 3x a week, the vet recommended it and i've had no problems. Fish oil can cause runny poop though if it does you may be using too much.


Flax oil works just as well, so I've heard. It doesn't have that fishy smell either. Haha, it's just a personal preference I guess. I do the same thing with the flax oil in the food and haven't had much problem with keeping dry skin at bay.


----------



## hedgieluv (Oct 29, 2011)

I tried fish oil once, but Persephone wouldn't touch her food. I had to throw it away and start over. She thought it smelled funny, I guess. I have used flax oil on her back for dry skin a few times and it worked great. I just put a few drops in the rinsewater glass and her dry skin was gone. It took two times.


----------



## wewerebound (Dec 7, 2011)

With my male, Henry-I started putting the poops into his litter box and he got the idea. My female, Eclair-she instantly started using the litter box without having to put the poops in. I thought it was odd since her previous owner didn't have a litter box when she had her.


----------



## Mimni (Dec 29, 2011)

hes pooping everywhere but his litter box it concerns me because hes pooping ON his food bowl


----------

