# New with dilemma



## *buffy* (Dec 5, 2011)

Hello, I am new to the forum, but I have been lurking about for a while.

We are getting a little hedgehog. I have actually paid the deposit and should be bring him home this weekend. I know pet stores are not the best, but it seems to be my only option around here.

I am having concerns about housing and heat. I have looked at the pics you guys have--some awesome hedgie houses! My question is this: Apparently my little guy tried to escape his wire care at the pet store so they have moved him to an aquarium. From reading here, you guys are fairly anti-aquarium, which I get. I wonder if I would ever be able to move him to a house with wire sides? One of the clerks has a hedgehog and says she has never seen one do this, but apparently he got super-excited after having mealworms and freaked out trying to get out of the cage.

So my plan is now for the sterilite container. My concern is heating safely with a plastic container. I am very confused by all the ceramic heat emitters. My husband is super paranoid about leaving things like space heaters running while we are not home. I do not see how a ceramic heat emitter is any safer, but what do I know? We cannot seem to agree on that.

We live in a 2-story house and keep the temp at 70 pretty much year round. The upstairs is warmer than the downstairs by quite a bit. Tomorrow I plan on getting a thermometer to test out just how much warmer.

The store is feeding him "hedgehog food" I do not know what brand and cat food (Iams). My intention is to continue that and wean to a different food if necessary. I know Iams is not a good cat food (corn). 

I was going to line the container with fleece. I also wonder if others have successfully "litter trained" their hedgehog?

Any other advice is appreciated.


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## nualasmom (Nov 13, 2011)

Welcome! and congrats on your soon to be hedgie.  My first question would be what type of "wire cage" and how your hedgie tried to escape. I ask because I can't imagine any hedgie escaping my cage, but it's a wire cage. But the space between the wires is .5" and the wires are very sturdy and not able to be moved (at least I don't think so). Here's a pic of my cage and I'm really happy with it. Good luck!


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## *buffy* (Dec 5, 2011)

I am assuming it was the standard, very small, wire cage they seem to keep a lot of the animals in. He is small and he sort of got his head/nose stuck in it I guess.


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## nualasmom (Nov 13, 2011)

Hmmm... as you might be able to see, the space between the wires on my cage (although small) probably could fit a little nose. :? Luckily, my little one has yet to try to escape. It may be good going with a sterlite container instead. I'm not positive on how people set up the heat lamps with them, but there are lots of people on here that will be able to help you!


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## ThePliny (Jun 3, 2010)

If you are concerned about him escaping from a wire cage, you could always put coroplast around the base of it; that is what most of us with C&C cages do - prevents them from climbing and trying to get through the wire.
Welcome to HHC! Can't wait to hear more about your little guy.


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

For climbers and escapees you can also pick up plastic place mats / flexible plastic cutting boards at the dollar store cheap....cut them to size and weave thru the bars.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Unless he is very small and squeezing through the bars of the wire cage, as long as it is a conventional store bought cage that has a lid, he should not be able to escape. 

For escape artists, the only safe cage is one with a secure lid. Bins can be escaped from if they don't have a lid.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

My initial thought was how big is the cage he is in at the pet store and does he have an exercise wheel? My guess is small cage, no wheel. Which to me indicates he may have been climbing because he was bored. I've seen and heard of plenty of hedgehogs who once they were given a big enough cage and a running wheel their desire to climb completely stopped. With a youngester, I can see him becoming so excited and bored that he decided to climb.


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## *buffy* (Dec 5, 2011)

You are probably right about that. He is extremely friendly and active. I really could not believe how friendly he is. I want to get him out of the pet store ASAP. He was dirty and the aquarium is small. We wanted to "hide" him from the kids until Christmas so is it wrong to start out with the sterilite container and then move him to a larger cage when I get this all figured out?


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## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

The hedgie could be kept in the container, however you still need a lighting schedule. A light needs to be on for 12-14 hours per day. Without a normal lighting schedule a hedgehog can go in to hibernation. 

Also, with getting the lil one so early, someone needs to make sure to handle him daily. Without socialization he will be a little cranky pog when you finally do get him out. Loads of people use sterilite containers, you just have to be real careful with heating and ventilation.


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## *buffy* (Dec 5, 2011)

My plan is to keep the light on in the area he is in from 7am-9pm. Does that seem right? I will handle him daily (ha I probably won't be able to keep my hands off him). If it is large sterilite container is there a problem with not using the lid? Obviously we will drill holes, but is the lid necessary? My husband can also make a lid out of screen like I have seen pictures of. I think I will eventually move him to the wire cage with the plastic sheets in the bottom parts.


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