# How to train my hedgehog to go from bowl to bottle?



## sarahleeandneedles (Sep 6, 2010)

So my hedgehog has been on bowl for about 1~2 years now, and she would ALWAYS get her bedding in her bowl, tip the bowl over and all that stuff to make me mad :evil: . I've kind of got enough of it, so I went to petsmart and bought a bottle, but when I checked the next day if she drank any water from it, there was still the same amount of water (don't worry, I left her bowl in there too just in case). I remember searching on the forums that someone said his hedgie wasn't drinking from a bottle, so it wasn't really a rare case to me. But I really want to get her on bottle, so how do I train her?


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

Glad you left her bowl for her while trying to transition. Last thing you want is a sick, dehydrated hedgie. 

Given your situation... the tipping and shavings in the bowl, I'd come up with a bit of a different solution: fleece instead of shavings and a heavier bowl. 

Hedgies' necks aren't really built in a way to use a water bottle. Yes, they can do it... but perhaps they shouldn't. And there's the issues related to chipping teeth, getting their tongue stuck... And just not getting enough water out of the darn thing.

Years ago, I had water bottles for guinea pigs... Bought all sorts of them, without fail, they all dripped a bit. Given enough time, there'd be a small puddle of water beneath them all. To me, the bottle is just messier than the bowl. Harder to clean too - scrubbing out the bottle with a special bottle brush, never being 100% sure I got the "corners" of the bottle sufficiently clean. And cleaning the metal part with the ball bearings in the tube and the rubber washers. So much harder to clean those things than a little bowl.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

You probably won't be able to get her onto a bottle from a bowl because bottles are really not a good option for a hedgehog. There are too many issues with bottles and they always drink far more water and more comfortably than with a bottle. Drinking more water is better as it helps prevent health problems.


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## KathyTNY (Jan 21, 2011)

Nancy said:


> You probably won't be able to get her onto a bottle from a bowl because bottles are really not a good option for a hedgehog. There are too many issues with bottles and they always drink far more water and more comfortably than with a bottle. Drinking more water is better as it helps prevent health problems.


Do you think I will be able to train my bottle trained hedgehogs to drink from a bowl? I am trying right now to work on my boy Pippin (who is younger than my lady Tiggy) so I have a bowl and his bottle in his cage. The one thing about the bowl is you can not tell for sure how much they have consumed.

Kathy


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

KathyTNY said:


> Do you think I will be able to train my bottle trained hedgehogs to drink from a bowl? I am trying right now to work on my boy Pippin (who is younger than my lady Tiggy) so I have a bowl and his bottle in his cage. The one thing about the bowl is you can not tell for sure how much they have consumed.
> 
> Kathy


From what I understand it's easier to get from bottle to bowl because like stated above it's a natural position. Try putting the bowl under the bottle or put the little bottle head even in the bowl. Both tricks I've read about.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

I just put the bowl in and she ignored the bottle and went for the bowl.


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## KathyTNY (Jan 21, 2011)

Christemo said:


> I just put the bowl in and she ignored the bottle and went for the bowl.


I peeked in on Pippin this morning before heading out to work and I see "crumbs" at the bottom of the water dish (like he might have had food crumbs on his lips and then when he went to drink it fell into the water and sank??? Maybe???) so that is letting me know he is using it. And the water level in the water bottle has not moved since I started putting the bowl in his cage. I think he is moving to the bowl. I will keep his bottle in a few more days and then I will take it out for good! Yeah!

Now I will work on my old girl Tiggy - she hates change !!!!! lol But her Momma LOVES to gently stretch her though!!!!  

Kathy


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