# Covering Cage at Night??



## Shell

Yesterday morning the motor went off our furnace and we're stuck without it until Monday. I have Percy in my spare room with the oil filled heater and the heating disk above his cage and it's keeping at a steady 22 degrees. I decided to sleep in his room last night (worried about the heater catching fire) and I realized there's some moonlight coming in the window. I wonder if this would stop Percy from coming out to wheel and play somewhat. Should I be covering his cage at night to give him a darker atmostphere? I know when I get home from work and sit in his room on the computer, I can here him eating and wheeling away when I cover the cage with a blanket. I didn't hear him last night wheeling but that could have been because I sleep heavy.


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## hedgielover

The light bothers some hedgehogs but not all, my hedgehog, Koloth gets up and wheels and runs around regardless of how many lights are on or who is watching. However I always covered Quigley's cage when he was alive because he was a super grump and very private about wheeling. If you suspect your hedgehog didn't get up last night it could totally be because of the extra light in the room, covering the cage would also keep a little more heat in the cage. I just used a thick, dark towel to cover Quigley's cage I only covered the top and one side and it blocked enough light.


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## Shell

Thank you for your reply and I do believe you are right. When I cover his cage while I'm on the computer, he's happily eating, wheeling, ect.. but I don't hear him the rest of the night when I take the cover off. I'm sure it's the moonlight fromt the window that's stopping him. I'll cover him tonight and see what happens. This may be why he's a bit pugdy too. Not exersizing enough in the middle of the night. Hmmmmm?


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## Tinkerbell

I have been using a light cover on my cage at night too mainly to keep drafts down, but I am concerned because Tink has yet to use her wheel. At first I thought maybe she just doesn't know how to use it, or doesn't like it, but maybe she needs privacy? Hmm.... are you using a dark cloth or doesn't it matter? Just wondering.


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## Shell

Are you positive she's not wheeling at night? I used the flour trick buy putting a little flour on Percy's wheel to see if he was or not. I use a blanket where no light comes through at all. I was looking for black out material but it was so expensive and strangely enough, and a good thing I put it over my head, because as I was about to pay for it I could see that some light came through. A towel or blanket that you can't see through would work fine. Let's hope they start wheeling like racing horses once we try to cover them all night.


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## aydree

Tink is it possible his wheel is not the right size for your hedgie?


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## hedgielover

Tinkerbell said:


> I have been using a light cover on my cage at night too mainly to keep drafts down, but I am concerned because Tink has yet to use her wheel. At first I thought maybe she just doesn't know how to use it, or doesn't like it, but maybe she needs privacy? Hmm.... are you using a dark cloth or doesn't it matter? Just wondering.


Sometimes it does take them a while to figure out the wheel. If it's the wrong size then she would also have trouble using it. Sometimes they just don't poop on it for the first little bit while they are figuring it out. What kind of wheel do you have?


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## ktdid

I put a towel over the back and top of my hedgie's cage when it started getting cold because he is near a window and I wanted to prevent a draft. Because it is only cold for a few days at a time here and then gets warm I was initially taking it on and off. He wheels much more and for longer when it is on than when it is off at night so now I just keep it on. I think it is definitely worth a try as long as you make sure there is still enough ventilation.


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## Shell

That's good to know but now for another worry. His lamp turns on at 7am (I don't wake up until 11am) so would leaving a part of the blanket off be the same and provide enough darkness?


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## Shell

Just a quick update:
After covering most of Percy's cage over night and covering the window so no light came through, I woke up to the filthiest wheel and a ton of poopy boots!! He hasn't done this in ages, so he's obviously alot happier in his darkened room. Little Vampire he is.


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## JulieAnne

Is there a way you could cover the window instead of the cage? That way when the lamp turns on it shines in the cage but the moonlight doesn't shine through? OR if that's not possible maybe just cover some/most of the cage and position a lamp to shine into a part that isn't covered?


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## Shell

Just covered the window this morning. I should have thought of that. lol


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## JulieAnne

Haha that's ok, it took me forever to think of covering Prim's cage LOL


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