Cage Climbing

[_SBradley_]

My new arrival, Lewis, seems to enjoy climbing the metal rungs of the walls of his cage. I'm a bit worried about this, especially since my breeder told me about a hedgie who broke a leg doing the same!

Has anyone else had a hedgie who climbed like this? If so, did you manage to stop the behaviour, and how?

He's now had his wheel in his cage for two nights. The first night, he still climbed while I watched. The second night, I'm not sure, as I couldn't sit and watch him. I'm hoping this might help to keep him off the walls. And I have a couple of new toys, to try to make the floor more interesting.

Thanks.

[Nancy]

I have had a few who climbed their cage. One boy was very persistent in doing it and even made his feet bleed from doing it so often. I ended up having to move him to a bin.

Yes they can break their legs and/or backs from falls. They climb up very well but usually end up falling while trying to come back down.

If having a wheel doesn't cure the problem you can try attaching plastic plumbing pipe a little ways up on the bars. They can't climb their way past the pipe. :)

[Ododad]

This is an old bin setup that I used to use. It's not the best photo, but you can see the pvc pipe that Nancy was talking about. Hope this helps.

[lil22]

Jules used to climb his cage rungs ENDLESSLY until I put a wheel in. After that, he wheeled ENDLESSLY! I think he had OCD or something! hahaha :)

[PrettyHate]

Murdoc only climbed his cage once- it was the first time he went in it.

If you have one of those cages where it is a plastic bottom, and then a wire top perhaps you can solve the problem by getting some cloroplast, cardboard, or something like that- and attaching it a around the inside of the wire.

Basically all you would have to do is cut the material you choose into 4 pieces, each as 2 long ones, and two shorter ones (1 for each side of the cage) and make each piece only a few inches high. Then take the wire top off the cage, and attach the pieces with zipties to the inside of the cage. Of course the pieces would go right at the bottom wire piece, and then up a few inches- this way once the wire top is put back on the cage, your hedgie wont be tall enough to reach up and grab at the wires to climb :)

I hope that makes sense.

[cricket]

our hog was able to climb the cage bars and squeezed out the top. the lid was closed, but not "latched" so she was able to pry it up enough to get out. we found her playing under our couch the next morning. we caught her trying to do it again a few days after, which is how we know how she got out. we now latch the cage all the time and she now has a nice big wheel in there. the night she escaped, we had the wheel outside the cage on the floor and there was poo on it... she was just bored!

so yeah, latch/lock your cages. :hyper:

[Ododad]

our hog was able to climb the cage bars and squeezed out the top. the lid was closed, but not "latched" so she was able to pry it up enough to get out. we found her playing under our couch the next morning. we caught her trying to do it again a few days after, which is how we know how she got out. we now latch the cage all the time and she now has a nice big wheel in there. the night she escaped, we had the wheel outside the cage on the floor and there was poo on it... she was just bored!

so yeah, latch/lock your cages. :hyper:
You know, I'm inclined to agree with that. When Ruby first arrived, she had to go almost a week without a wheel. She was quite the little escape aritst. She got out three times and I always had to watch her closely during freedom time because she would try to go under the pet fence. Then, I finally got her a wheel and it all just stopped. She has not tried to escape her cage nor go under the fence since then. Like you, I think she was just bored.

[_SBradley_]

That's for all the suggestions. :) We'll be keeping an eye on Lewis, and, if he does try to climb again, we'll do what we can to discourage it. We'll probably be leaving his wheel in from now on, though; so, like the last couple of posts say, fingers crossed that that will stop his climbing!

Unrelated, but amusing: We noticed a funny new behaviour last night. At one point during play time, Lewis got fed up of exploring, and he curled up right in the palm of my hand and went to sleep. I just let him stay, because I want him to think of my hand as a safe place, where he can be happy and comfortable. We dimmed the lights, and, after a few minutes, he roused again. After he'd stepped off my hand on to the floor, he stretched right out: front legs way forward and back legs stretching right behind his body. It looked so funny! :)

[_SBradley_]

By the way, here's a picture of the little guy. :)

[Ododad]

Awww, there is the handsome little devil! I love that mask.
Congrats.