# Escaping Hedgie..



## JackieMackk (Nov 24, 2011)

Alaska's C&C cage came last night, so my boyfriend assembled it and I got everything set up. He left around 11, and I went and watched some tv with my sister until midnight. When I went back in my room, Alaska wasn't in her cage..terrifying! :shock: So I ran and got my sister for a second pair of eyes and we started looking. I was laying on the floor looking under my desk when a particularily grouchy ball of spikes uncurled right next to me and climbed onto my arm.

My sister and I added 3 inches of coroplast to the edges, but she was still able to get out. (I sat and watched her in the dark to see if she'd try again) So I used the box that her cage came in for a make-shift lid. She was still trying all night though, of course -__-

I'll definitely be getting a lid today!


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## CarlaB (Nov 16, 2011)

So is she climbing up the side of the cage and escaping through the top? 3 inches of coroplast on the sides
isn't tall enough. Most recommend the coroplast "walls" be at least 8 inches- tall enough that she won't be able to 
Get ahold of the sides of the cage and start climbing. 

Spike escaped our C&C cage a couple of weeks ago by burrowing UNDER the coroplast bottom in a small gap between the bottom and the "wall" that somehow had opened up (didn't have it zip tied well enough). I never would have thought he could have fit through such a small space. Very scary when you look in the cage and there is no hedgie there! We found him curled up asleep next to the cage between the wall and the top of a lid to a sterlite bin that was propped against the wall. Whew!


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

How much coroplast do you have lining the inside walls? 8 inches is recommended to prevent climbing. From what I remember, the C&C cubes are about 14 inches, so unless you have a second one of those to make the wall higher, you'll definitely need a lid even with the coroplast in place.


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## JackieMackk (Nov 24, 2011)

I got a set for the cage from a guinea pig website, so the coroplast came cut to size with 6inch walls. So the sides are now 10inches high and she's still able to pull herself up in the corners with no help from bowls or toys.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Does she have a wheel till her CSW arrives? I made my coroplast walls the same size as the grids 14in. and have had no problems yet, but an escape could always happen so it's best to have a lid/top on the cage. If you look through the cage example thread you may find some ways to fix it.


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## JackieMackk (Nov 24, 2011)

LarryT said:


> Does she have a wheel till her CSW arrives? I made my coroplast walls the same size as the grids 14in. and have had no problems yet, but an escape could always happen so it's best to have a lid/top on the cage. If you look through the cage example thread you may find some ways to fix it.


No she doesn't :/ I'm trying to decide if I should go get one or just wait a couple more nights...she's bored, definitely. 
When we ordered her cage, we got one wall with coroplast that's 13 inches high for the back wall, but I think I'll turn the cage around so the shorter sides she's climbing up are against the walls.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

JackieMackk said:


> LarryT said:
> 
> 
> > Does she have a wheel till her CSW arrives? I made my coroplast walls the same size as the grids 14in. and have had no problems yet, but an escape could always happen so it's best to have a lid/top on the cage. If you look through the cage example thread you may find some ways to fix it.
> ...


I'm going to check the tracking and see what the expected delivery date is. 

Edit to add
Expected Delivery Date: January 10, 2012 
Class: Package Services
Service(s): Delivery Confirmation™
Status: Processed at USPS Origin Sort Facility


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## JackieMackk (Nov 24, 2011)

LarryT said:


> JackieMackk said:
> 
> 
> > LarryT said:
> ...


Alright, thanks! 
Feeling like a bad hedgie-momma today!


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

You posted while I was adding the tracking info, I didn't want you to miss it  

Expected Delivery Date: January 10, 2012 
Class: Package Services
Service(s): Delivery Confirmation™
Status: Processed at USPS Origin Sort Facility


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## JackieMackk (Nov 24, 2011)

LarryT said:


> You posted while I was adding the tracking info, I didn't want you to miss it
> 
> Expected Delivery Date: January 10, 2012
> Class: Package Services
> ...


I would've missed it...haha, thanks!


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## KatelynAlysa (Nov 25, 2011)

Annabelle is an expert cage escaper. When she was living in a C&C cage I had 7.5 inch coroplast and she escaped (one night because her old comfort wheel was squeaking and I couldn't sleep so I took it out, a couple hours later I woke up to the sound of her running on the wheel on the floor...). I then upgraded to eleven inches for her wall and she escaped one time with those too! Now she's in an old china cabinet (page 70 of the cage setups and examples page) which is impossible to get out of. 
I completely understand terrified you were. Keep a close eye on her now to make sure she's not hurt or anything from the fall.
Good luck!


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

I believe all cages should have lids on them no matter how how the sides are. Some hedgies are escape artists. Nancy even had a 6 or 8 week old male escape from a 13 inch tall bin that had nothing in it except dishes and a hedgiebag, so you can imagine how high of walls an adult can get out of if determined.


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## JackieMackk (Nov 24, 2011)

KatelynAlysa said:


> Annabelle is an expert cage escaper. When she was living in a C&C cage I had 7.5 inch coroplast and she escaped (one night because her old comfort wheel was squeaking and I couldn't sleep so I took it out, a couple hours later I woke up to the sound of her running on the wheel on the floor...). I then upgraded to eleven inches for her wall and she escaped one time with those too! Now she's in an old china cabinet (page 70 of the cage setups and examples page) which is impossible to get out of.
> I completely understand terrified you were. Keep a close eye on her now to make sure she's not hurt or anything from the fall.
> Good luck!


I've seen it, it's amazing! She seems perfectly fine, and she was running around a few seconds after I found her sleeping on the floor. I'll get a lid (and a wheel soon) and hopefully she'll stop trying to escape once she's not so bored. 
Thanks


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