# Playing in the Kitty Litter? D:



## Captain (Aug 31, 2011)

Hi there! 
New Hedgie owner here! I've had the pleasure of owning a grumpy, huffy, clicky, curious 3 month old pinto I've named Poppy for a little more than three weeks now. Progress with bonding with her is going incredibly slow, but I make an effort to handle her every day, give her treats, and give her her space. I expect she'll never really like her quills pet, and she doesn't like too much movement around her, but she is very curious and enjoys exploring, and pooping on whatever papers she can find on my desk. 

Speaking of pooping, she has a strange habit that is both frustrating, but adorably cute at the same time. She was not litter trained when I got her, but naturally when I brought her home, she started doing her business in her little litter box, which I have filled with non-clumping kitty litter. At first, she was using it. Or tried to. She'd stand with her front paws in the litter box and her rear end out of it, and would end up doing her business on the floor! Then she got the hang of it for a couple days.....

....Until she decided that the litter box was more fun to PLAY in than to use as a bathroom. I swear she spends all night going from running in her wheel to making sand castles! She flings, stomps, digs, and ROLLS herself in the box! In fact I'm pretty sure it's her favorite toy, and she has taken to pooing and peeing just outside the edge of the box. 

So my questions are.... is this normal, or should I be looking out for some underlying problem? Anyone else ever have this problem with their hedgies? And what do I DO about this?! It makes a complete mess of her cage, and furthermore, she has within the last couple days taken to doing her business wherever she feels like it. I'd hate to take away her favorite toy, but she makes a MESS. Is there another option other than kitty litter I can try? 

Thanks so much for any advice anyone can give me!


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## nationofamanda (Jan 19, 2010)

why don't you just get rid of the litter? lots of people on here use paper towels instead of litter. see if that works for you. i don't use a litter box, i just have a paper towel under their wheels that i change out every morning.


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## Daleo (Jun 1, 2011)

Sounds like she'd like to have a fleece digging box.  You can maybe try that and use paper towels in the litterbox.


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## Mushaboom (Jun 23, 2011)

nationofamanda said:


> why don't you just get rid of the litter? lots of people on here use paper towels instead of litter. see if that works for you. i don't use a litter box, i just have a paper towel under their wheels that i change out every morning.


I do this for Persy and he immediately grabs the paper towels and pulls them into his hide >.<
I took them away last night and placed them back under the wheel and the little turd grabbed them again right in front of me and did the same thing.

So if the paper towels don't work for you a lot of people on here use Yesterday's News. I've yet to try this myself though because there is no pet store near me that sells it, unfortunately.


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## Captain (Aug 31, 2011)

Thanks for the advice, guys!
I tried paper towels a couple nights ago- she had NO interest in them whatsoever, and just went wherever she felt like it. Tonight I put the litter box back in, but stuck it partially under the wheel. She played with it, but wasn't able to get at it as much, thus made les of a mess. However, she didn't go in it at all! Then this morning when I took her out for mealy worms, she immediately went to the corner of my desk and went all over one of my notebooks. (Maybe I should stick a notebook in her playpen instead of a litter box? HAHA.) Apparently my hedgie is a fussy pooper.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Just sounds like your hog has yet to be litter trained tbh.

If I were you, I would use paper towels, and just move all the poop into the litter box. Sometimes hedgies will never be trained, but it's worth a shot ^_^ And having the litter box under the wheel is always a good idea!


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

Annabell is both litter trained & LOVES digging/rolling/flinging in her litter box. I tried switching to fleece & to paper towels, both resulting in her becoming extremely upset with me & letting me know (much like your desk experience).

My solution - Annabell has two litter boxes; she plays in both but really only uses the bathroom in one. Her main box is a long tupper wear container, probably about 11" long by 5 or 6" wide. The sides come up almost 1.5 - 2", but just low enough for her to climb in. Since the sides are so high & the box so large, when she's flinging litter around, most of it stays in the box. Also she has enough room to go to the bathroom in one area & play in the other. Her other litter box is a tupperwear with a lid & the side cut out, so the lid keeps the sand in. This one sits on a baking sheet to catch the sand that does fall out.


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## CourtneyFaye (Jul 31, 2011)

silvercat said:


> Annabell is both litter trained & LOVES digging/rolling/flinging in her litter box. I tried switching to fleece & to paper towels, both resulting in her becoming extremely upset with me & letting me know (much like your desk experience).
> 
> My solution - Annabell has two litter boxes; she plays in both but really only uses the bathroom in one. Her main box is a long tupper wear container, probably about 11" long by 5 or 6" wide. The sides come up almost 1.5 - 2", but just low enough for her to climb in. Since the sides are so high & the box so large, when she's flinging litter around, most of it stays in the box. Also she has enough room to go to the bathroom in one area & play in the other. Her other litter box is a tupperwear with a lid & the side cut out, so the lid keeps the sand in. This one sits on a baking sheet to catch the sand that does fall out.


I would be cautious using sand. It can get stuck in genitals. :?


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## Captain (Aug 31, 2011)

silvercat said:


> Annabell is both litter trained & LOVES digging/rolling/flinging in her litter box. I tried switching to fleece & to paper towels, both resulting in her becoming extremely upset with me & letting me know (much like your desk experience).
> 
> My solution - Annabell has two litter boxes; she plays in both but really only uses the bathroom in one. Her main box is a long tupper wear container, probably about 11" long by 5 or 6" wide. The sides come up almost 1.5 - 2", but just low enough for her to climb in. Since the sides are so high & the box so large, when she's flinging litter around, most of it stays in the box. Also she has enough room to go to the bathroom in one area & play in the other. Her other litter box is a tupperwear with a lid & the side cut out, so the lid keeps the sand in. This one sits on a baking sheet to catch the sand that does fall out.


That's a really good idea! I keep one under her wheel- I'll try putting another one in. It's the cutest dang thing to watch her play in it. I didn't want to take it away from her. Thanks for the advice!


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## kelseyt1 (Oct 20, 2013)

i am having the same problem and am changing out his litter for fleece....we shall see how this goes..but omg hes a messy little guy.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

This thread hasn't be active in over 2 years, please don't "resurect" old threads. Thanks


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