# Litter Training - How would you go about it?



## nin10dogc (Dec 7, 2008)

I don't have a hedgie yet, I'm still researching and probably might not even get one in the end, since my parents aren't too keep on it with me already having our dog and my turtle... but whatever, I can still learn. 

If I were to get a hedgie how would you go about litter training it? I know animals don't really respond too well to punishment, but respond to praise, so if I know it was gonna poop would I set it in the litter and give it a treat afterwards or what? Just want to know for the future!


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## Mika (Dec 4, 2008)

I'll try to explain it to you.. but I'm not sure how to do it 'cause my english is not perfect!!

What I do to train my hedgehogs is to put his litter below the wheel. All hadgehogs will do in the wheel and it's normal. If he does on the side of his litter, I'll take it with a plastic fourk and I'll place it in the litter to show to the hedgie where he as to go.

If you take it to play with him, bring the litter and whenever you see him do "the job", put him right away in the litter!!

Most of them will learn it but unfortunately, they are not all like that.  

I have one that he never go in the litter!! :roll:


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## Alicat42 (Dec 9, 2008)

I did something similar to that. When I got luna she was just itty bitty so I used news papers first. Every hedgie has a certain place they'll decide to do most of their business in, so I waited to see which part of the cage she sniffed out as the potty place. Since she was so little I used paper, news paper works but I find paper towl better, it doesnt smell as bad and aborbs more. Once she got use to the paper I put a little litter on top of it so she could get use to the feel of the litter. I did that for about a week, and by then she was big enough to get over the walls of the litter box. For the litter box I used an old, small square tuperware container and fill it about half way or two thirds with the litter we use for out cats. Its the clumping kind. But dont fill it too full that their little bellies are touching the litter or it can cause a big yucky mess on little hogs. The container works well because she can climb over the sides easily to get in and out, but at the same time the litter stays in side the box....well at least for the most part  
On top of putting the litter box in the potty place, you should also move hedgie into the box/litter pile or paper when ever you see the duty needing to be done. It really just reinforces 'oh, this is where I go!' and doesnt hurt to do. 
For the first little while Luna liked to use the litter as both a sand box and a bathroom. I made sure it was clean when I saw her dig in it. I also gave her a treat RIGHT after she did her duty in it, but not when she played in it. So now she first digs a little hole (I think she figures its a sneaky way of playing in it lol) and then does the number in the hole like a cat. And it works out just great.
To clean the box I take a bag and use it like you would to pick up puppy doo, sort of like a glove, right. I do that to take the clumps out, and about every three days I empty the whole thing, put it in the sink and use hot water and dish soap to clean it out, especially the inside corners, and bottom. Wipe it out with paper towl at the end just to make sure everythings clean and dry. MAKE SURE ITS DRY! Otherwise when you fill it up with litter again it gets all clay like and clumps up with the moisture in the box.


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## Ahava (Mar 25, 2009)

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this before, but another thing to do is if the hedgie is going in places other than the litter box, you can try moving their spool into the litter box. keep emptying the litter box, but put the fresher stuff inside it, just to sort of reinforce that THIS is where they are supposed to go.
Hope that helps and that you get your hedgie soon!


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

Sylvie's litter box (a pan & a paper towel that's changed daily) is under her wheel. I tried using different types of litter but found they were more difficulty than help (being tracked around her cage, trying to spot clean, even finding little pebbles stuck to her). 

Sylvie never seemed to have a problem understanding that was where she was to use the washroom. When I first got her she would use the washroom frequently in the bath, which I'm ok with, & she grew out of (the whole just waking up bathroom break). Only once did she try to use the washroom on the floor when playing. I grew up owning puppy's & took that approach. As soon as I saw her start to use the washroom I picked her up & put her in her litter box. Seemed to work as she's never tried to go to the bathroom on the floor or anywhere in her cage since. *knock wood*


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