# Cage Cleaning and enrichment



## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

I have had my hedgehog for about four weeks. He is about 10 weeks old  I love him so much and his name is Briar. He is my first hedgie. I've heard over and over again to clean the cage once a week, but since I clean his poopy wheel everyday his cage doesn't smell. I wondered if I still need to clean it once a week. Also, I handle him every day for at least 15 minutes. Cuddling while he sleeps, and letting him run around the floor while I watch him happen daily. But is there something more I should be doing???? :? He doesn't necessarily have a "play area" is that a mistake?????????? Replies would be appreciated. Anything helps


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## Guest (Jun 13, 2012)

Welcome to hedgehog central
I love the name briar
You should try and handle him for 30 minutes to ana hour everyday, to me 15 minutes doesn't seem like a lot
Even if it doesn't smell I would still clean the cage once a week to discourage the grow of bacteria
As long as you watch him and the area he's playing in doesn't have anything he could eat he's not supposed to or hurt himself on it's fine Area

Good luck with your new little one


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

Thanks for the advice. Thanks I love the name Briar too  I did clean his cage after the second week I had him just to be sure. I sometimes let him sleep in my shirt for hours :lol: he doesn't seem to explore much when I let him out of his cage though.


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## Guest (Jun 13, 2012)

Some just aren't exploring hedgehogs, they would prefer to sleep and snuggle with you. And there isn't anything wrong with that


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

Okay that's a relief I thought he was just bored or not stimulated enough.  Do you think it's okay to clean his cage every other week????????????? Can I put pictures of him up on the site????? :lol:


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## SquiggyTheHedgie (Jul 26, 2011)

Cleaning depends on the neatness of the hedgie. Squiggy is a bit of a neat freak now, and his cage doesn't need more than a good fleece shake off once a week. I toss it in the wash every 2 weeks just for cleanliness. Other hedgies need full cleanings sometimes 2 or 3 times a week. Before I switched Squiggy to his fully set C&C he was a slob and needed his cage cleaned completely twice a week. Scrubbing the wheel every day though is definitely necessary. Its up to you whether or not you think it needs a good cleaning every week.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

Okay thanks SquiggyTheHedgie  I guess Briar is just a clean little hedgehog even though he poops in his wheel like it's going out of fashion :lol: That's really the only thing that needs cleaned in his cage. I did change his bedding after the second week just to be sure. What do you do to enrich your hedgie's lives???????????


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## Guest (Jun 13, 2012)

dig boxes and toys like toilet paper tubes are good, lots of hedgehogs allso like cat balls with bells in them


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Lilyhogs said:


> dig boxes and toys like toilet paper tubes are good, lots of hedgehogs allso like cat balls with bells in them


Toilet paper tubes have to be cut down the long side so the hedgehog doesn't get stuck.

Can balls have to be completely solid, no openings or holes.

For dig boxes, you can use fleece strips.

PVC pipes are good and easy to clean, hedgehogs like them. You can also hide insects around the cage at night for the hedgie to search for, which is stimulating.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

Lilyhogs I have some toilet paper tubes in his cage that I put his cat food in to encourage him to explore.  He's afraid of the cat balls with bells :lol: but he has a ball without a bell that he plays with. I also put cat food in it through the holes in it. He has to push the ball around to get the food out. Any other suggestions?????????


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 are the insects you hide freeze dried????? The breeder I got my hedgie from said to hold off feeding him bugs or anything special until he is about 4 or 5 months. So his little digestive system can develope. Do you agree?????????????? And out of curiosity why are balls with holes bad???????????????


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

bmaditz said:


> I also put cat food in it through the holes in it. He has to push the ball around to get the food out.


Cat balls must be solid. He can get injured from sticking his nose into the ball, or a foot or leg.



bmaditz said:


> HedgieGirl519 are the insects you hide freeze dried????? The breeder I got my hedgie from said to hold off feeding him bugs or anything special until he is about 4 or 5 months. So his little digestive system can develope. Do you agree??????????????


Don't feed freeze-dried foods. They can cause a blockage. The insect that I hide are dead. I buy them live, then put them in the freezer to kill them. Before I feed them I put them in the fridge to thaw.

I disagree. Hedgehogs are insectivores, meaning they eat insects. There is no reason to hold off.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 Wow thanks sooooooo much for the advice!!!!!!!!! I've tried to give him a piece of banana and a piece of apple he wasn't interested in either. I think *tomorrow* I'll buy some bugs from the pet store and freeze them. I'm curious to see if he'll eat them.  I'm taking the cat ball with holes out right now!!!


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Mealworms and crickets are the most popular 

If he isn't interested one day, he may be the next day. They can hate something one day and love it a week later, so keep trying! 

You can feed mealworms live, but crickets are hard to feed live.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Personally I wouldn't let a cage go over 1 week without a full clean. No matter how clean it may look, there is still lots of bacteria. Especially since they get poopy feet, then run all over the cage, spreading bacteria. And bacteria grows fast. At school we grew bacterial unknowns to figure out what they were and within 24 hours, the dish was already loaded. So I always clean once a week, better than risking an overgrowth of bacteria that could upset their digestive system and causing more problems and needing meds for GI tract upset. 

As for insects, if your breeder never fed insects before than it is best to wait. Once your hedgie is more adjusted to new home, then you can start slowly introducing new treats. Waiting until 4-5 months may be overkill, most usually wait about 2-4 weeks after arriving home, depending on how they have adjusted. However, if you are planning a kibble change, then yes, all "new" treats should be held off until kibble transition is complete. 

Also, don't feed freeze dried insects. The process makes the chitin very hard to digest and has caused impactions before. But you can freeze your own. Buy some crickets, gut load them for a few days, then stick them in the freezer.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 I've heard mealworms are a little fatty, and crickets are better. You think this sounds right????????? And I'll keep trying with the new foods :lol:


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

Immortalia said:


> gut load them for a few days.


 What exactly does that mean???? Do you use bedding in your cages or liners???????? Oh, and thanks for the info


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

bmaditz said:


> HedgieGirl519 I've heard mealworms are a little fatty, and crickets are better. You think this sounds right?????????


This is true. Mealworms are higher in fat than crickets. But for a baby, this is fine. Babies can have the extra fat. Adults can have them too, just not as often.

Every hedgehog is different in how much fat they can have in their diet. For babies I did 6-8 a day, for adults 2-4 mealworms.

Both are good options


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

bmaditz said:


> Immortalia said:
> 
> 
> > gut load them for a few days.
> ...


Gutloading means feed the vegetables before you freeze them. So put a carrot or broccoli or something else in with them. The insects will eat it and gain the nutrients. Then when the hedgehog eats the insects, he's also getting the nutrients .

I use liners. Liners are the most recommended and safest option.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 okay sounds good.  I fed mealworms to my leopard gecko and crickets too. Personally I preferred mealworms......they're slower :lol:


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

bmaditz said:


> HedgieGirl519 okay sounds good.  I fed mealworms to my leopard gecko and crickets too. Personally I preferred mealworms......they're slower :lol:


Crickets are pretty hard to feed a hedgehog live. Generally the hedgehog can't or won't watch them, in my experience. But I have put them in the bath tub with a couple live crickets to let them catch them. But yeah, for crickets, they are easiest fed dead.

Just want to add, you *don't* need to put any calcium powder or anything on the insects.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 said:


> Gutloading means feed the vegetables before you freeze them. So put a carrot or broccoli or something else in with them. The insects will eat it and gain the nutrients. Then when the hedgehog eats the insects, he's also getting the nutrients .
> 
> I use liners. Liners are the most recommended and safest option.


 Okay so I would need a container to keep the crickets in then?????? Any suggestions??? His cage will eventually be two levels, but I didn't want to overwhelm him when I first brought him home. Right now his cage has care fresh ultra white bedding in the bottom. When I add the new level I'll use a liner with that one


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 said:


> Crickets are pretty hard to feed a hedgehog live. Generally the hedgehog can't or won't watch them, in my experience. But I have put them in the bath tub with a couple live crickets to let them catch them. But yeah, for crickets, they are easiest fed dead.
> 
> Just want to add, you *don't* need to put any calcium powder or anything on the insects.


 Okay that sounds easy enough then :lol:


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

bmaditz said:


> HedgieGirl519 said:
> 
> 
> > Gutloading means feed the vegetables before you freeze them. So put a carrot or broccoli or something else in with them. The insects will eat it and gain the nutrients. Then when the hedgehog eats the insects, he's also getting the nutrients .
> ...


I use this for mealworms: http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/rep ... flat-home/
And this for crickets: http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/rep ... er-keeper/

You can get smaller ones though. I choose the biggest ones because that's the size I personally needed.

For the two levels, make sure the second level and ramp is completely, 100% enclosed. Hedgehog have poor eye sight and easily walk over the edge, which can cause internal bleeding.

If you can, I'd switch to liners for both the top and bottom. There is no need for the CareFresh


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 said:


> I use this for mealworms: http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/rep ... flat-home/
> And this for crickets: http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/rep ... er-keeper/
> 
> You can get smaller ones though. I choose the biggest ones because that's the size I personally needed.
> ...


 I'll be sure to check out those links  I have the carefresh so he can dig around  I heard they LOVE to dig


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

bmaditz said:


> HedgieGirl519 said:
> 
> 
> > I use this for mealworms: http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/rep ... flat-home/
> ...


It is true that they love to dig. But CareFresh has risks. 
- messy
- dusty 
- can cause respiratory infection
- expensive
- can cause impaction
- the green hides any off coloured urine or feces
- dries out feces making it difficult to find and tell if hedgie's poop is normal
- because it hides urine and feces, often people won't clean the cage as often as it should be
- dries out their skin and gets stuck in their quills

Most people use fleece strips instead. It's 100% safe


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 said:


> It is true that they love to dig. But CareFresh has risks.
> - messy
> - dusty
> - can cause respiratory infection
> ...


 I'll look into that right away :lol: What are your thoughts on cleaning the cage every two weeks?????????????


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## SquiggyTheHedgie (Jul 26, 2011)

For Squiggy's digging urges I made him a dig box out of a shoe box lid, and aquarium marbles that were disinfected by boiling first. I hide his mealies and crickets in there and he goes nuts for it. Much less messy and less health hazard than Carefresh.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

Immortalia said:


> Personally I wouldn't let a cage go over 1 week without a full clean. No matter how clean it may look, there is still lots of bacteria. Especially since they get poopy feet, then run all over the cage, spreading bacteria. And bacteria grows fast. At school we grew bacterial unknowns to figure out what they were and within 24 hours, the dish was already loaded. So I always clean once a week, better than risking an overgrowth of bacteria that could upset their digestive system and causing more problems and needing meds for GI tract upset.


 So you think two weeks is wayyyyyyyyyyy to long?????????????????????????????????


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

bmaditz said:


> I'll look into that right away :lol: What are your thoughts on cleaning the cage every two weeks?????????????


I think the cage should be cleaned once a week (or more if necessary). There is a lot of bacteria in the cage, that I personally don't feel comfortable just leaving. Hedgehogs run on their wheel all night and poop and pee. The poop and pee stays on their feet, they they walk about the cage, taking bacteria with them. They sometimes stand on or in their food and water bowls, putting bacteria in their food and water.

Personally, I think the bowls and wheel should be washed daily. The liners should be washed once or twice a week, and the whole cage should be sterilized once a week.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

SquiggyTheHedgie said:


> For Squiggy's digging urges I made him a dig box out of a shoe box lid, and aquarium marbles that were disinfected by boiling first. I hide his mealies and crickets in there and he goes nuts for it. Much less messy and less health hazard than Carefresh.


 I think I'm going to look into fleece strips for the bottom level and just a plain liner for the top  Do you think changing his bedding all of the sudden would stress him out any???????


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

bmaditz said:


> I think I'm going to look into fleece strips for the bottom level and just a plain liner for the top  Do you think changing his bedding all of the sudden would stress him out any???????


Changing his bedding shouldn't stress him  He'll be fine.

How big is your cage? That'd be a lot of fleece strips to cover the bottom of the cage. Most people just put them in one section of a cage. But you can do the whole bottom level


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 said:


> I think the cage should be cleaned once a week (or more if necessary). There is a lot of bacteria in the cage, that I personally don't feel comfortable just leaving. Hedgehogs run on their wheel all night and poop and pee. The poop and pee stays on their feet, they they walk about the cage, taking bacteria with them. They sometimes stand on or in their food and water bowls, putting bacteria in their food and water.
> 
> Personally, I think the bowls and wheel should be washed daily. The liners should be washed once or twice a week, and the whole cage should be sterilized once a week.


 Well truthfully I wasn't wanting to change his cage that often because his bedding isn't cheap.  However, after reading multiple replies to my question I think I'm switching right away to fleece strips which I'll just wash for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :lol: I do clean his wheel and food and water dishes daily though


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 said:


> Changing his bedding shouldn't stress him  He'll be fine. How big is your cage? That'd be a lot of fleece strips to cover the bottom of the cage. Most people just put them in one section of a cage. But you can do the whole bottom level


 It is large clear tube with no lid on it for plenty of air


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

bmaditz said:


> Well truthfully I wasn't wanting to change his cage that often because his bedding isn't cheap.  However, after reading multiple replies to my question I think I'm switching right away to fleece strips which I'll just wash for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :lol: I do clean his wheel and food and water dishes daily though


Make sure you use fleece for the strips. That's the only fabric that is safe for strips, because it doesn't fray. So when you buy fabric, if you aren't familiar with fabric, just make sure it's fleece 

When you wash the fleece, make sure you use scent free laundry detergent. Personally, I use Tide Free and Gentle (I think). And don't use fabric softener. They are sensitive to smells, which is why you want scent free 

You actually need to have a lid. Hedgehogs can escape from bins sometimes. You also need to drill holes around the sides for more ventilation 

Do you have a heat and light setup?


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 said:


> Make sure you use fleece for the strips. That's the only fabric that is safe for strips, because it doesn't fray. So when you buy fabric, if you aren't familiar with fabric, just make sure it's fleece
> 
> When you wash the fleece, make sure you use scent free laundry detergent. Personally, I use Tide Free and Gentle (I think). And don't use fabric softener. They are sensitive to smells, which is why you want scent free
> 
> ...


 I'll make sure it's fleece  The breeder I purchased him from had a whole room of hedgehog cages with no lids. I was told it was safe :x I have a thermostat right above his cage to monitor the temp. Also I have a lamp right beside his cage


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

bmaditz said:


> I'll make sure it's fleece  The breeder I purchased him from had a whole room of hedgehog cages with no lids. I was told it was safe :x I have a thermostat right above his cage to monitor the temp. Also I have a lamp right beside his cage


Yeah, having a lid is a better safe than sorry thing. Hedgehogs can be escape artists. Having a hedgie escape is pretty scary since they are hard to find.

I want to add, instead of adding an extra level, why not just add an extra bin? It would be hard to add an extra level to a bin. But it's really easy to just put another bin beside it  You just connect the two (or more) bins with a 4" PVC pipe.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 said:


> Yeah, having a lid is a better safe than sorry thing. Hedgehogs can be escape artists. Having a hedgie escape is pretty scary since they are hard to find.I want to add, instead of adding an extra level, why not just add an extra bin? It would be hard to add an extra level to a bin. But it's really easy to just put another bin beside it  You just connect the two (or more) bins with a 4" PVC pipe.


 That's an idea  How would I keep the PVC pipe in place????????????????????


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

You just make a large hole that is just big enough for the PVC pipe. It will be a tight fit. Or you can get a PVC pipe and two connecting pieces like this http://www.homedepot.com/Plumbing-Pipes ... reId=10051 Then you put the pipe through both holes, and put one of these on both ends. They end is slightly raised, so it can't be pulled back through the hole.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

HedgieGirl519 said:


> You just make a large hole that is just big enough for the PVC pipe.


 So my hedgehog won't dislodge the pipe and escape?????


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Not if it is a tight fit. If it's a loose fit, he could. If you have to put pressure to get the tube in, he won't be able to push it out.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

Alright I think I'll do that.  Thanks a lot for your help!!!


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

bmaditz said:


> Alright I think I'll do that.  Thanks a lot for your help!!!


You're Welcome


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

So I have a list of things I'm changing. 1 Fleece strips instead of care fresh. 2 Connect two tubs with a PVC pipe. 3 Feed bugs that I buy and freeze NOT freeze dried. 4 Take out the ball with the holes in it. 5 Clean the cage once a week even if it's not dirty looking. :lol: Shhhhhhooooooooooooo


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

bmaditz said:


> So I have a list of things I'm changing. 1 Fleece strips instead of care fresh. 2 Connect two tubs with a PVC pipe. 3 Feed bugs that I buy and freeze NOT freeze dried. 4 Take out the ball with the holes in it. 5 Clean the cage once a week even if it's not dirty looking. :lol: Shhhhhhooooooooooooo


Looks good


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

Thank you HedgieGirl519 you have been A LOT of help  I'm new to the whole hedgehog thing, but I'm sure he will thank you :lol: That's my boy just 5 weeks old <3 <3 <3


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Very cute  Lovely dark, full mask.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

Oh thank you  he has made me very happy in the little time I have had the pleasure of owning him  People on this site really know there stuff :!:


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

So, even though Briar's cage didn't stink it's been a week so I cleaned it. I must admit I like the fleece pieces MUCH better so nice to tackle two things at once. I clean his bedding, and my clothes at the same time :lol:


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