I'm about to get a hedgie...

[abdelly]

I'm about to get a 7 week young hedgie. I have a list of supplies I wanna run by real hedgie owners.

Food: Fresh Fruits, Iam's Active Maturity, crickets, beetles, and mealworms.

Bedding: Carefresh or Aspen

Litter: ??? Need Help ???

Toys: Toilet Paper Rolls, Exercise Wheel and Ball, ??? Need Help ???

Cage: 2 Big Plastic Bins connected with a PVC pipe

Other: Food crock, Water bottle or crock, ??? Need Help ???

Anything I forgot? (I know I forgot something)

[enger9]

I'm about to get a 7 week young hedgie. I have a list of supplies I wanna run by real hedgie owners.

Food: Fresh Fruits, Iam's Active Maturity, crickets, beetles, and mealworms.

Bedding: Carefresh or Aspen

Litter: ??? Need Help ???

Toys: Toilet Paper Rolls, Exercise Wheel and Ball, ??? Need Help ???

Cage: 2 Big Plastic Bins connected with a PVC pipe

Other: Food crock, Water bottle or crock, ??? Need Help ???

Anything I forgot? (I know I forgot something)

Dont feed your hedgie IAMS. Theres other food out there that is much better: Chicken soup for the cat lovers soul LITE is one of the favorites on this board. I'm sure there is someone on here who can send you a list. Be sure that when you put a toilet paper roll in w/ your hedgie you cut it the long way incase they get their little head stuck in it. I have been told not to use exercise balls for hedgies because they can get really hot in them and there is poor ventilation. Hope some if this helps!

[illinidairychic]

carefresh isn't a favorite with my hedgehogs, if you can make liners they are super easy to wash and help prevent from mites that can come in your wood beddings.

Make sure you cut a slit down the side of the tp rolls so they don't get stuck. Bucket wheels and mesh ones work best. Dont use the ones with bars because they can slip and break their legs.

If you are litter training, yesterday's news is a good litter to use, it's absorbent and not dusty.

You'll have to see what type of water source your hedgehog prefers. I don't personally like bowls cause they knock them over and I'm worried they don't get enough water over night when I'm not up to check on them.

Also congrates!!!!!!!

[abdelly]

ok, I've heard of liners....but I've never really asked. I think I know what a liner does...but what do I make it out of? and can someone send me a list of easy to find food? (I'm kind of on a budget too....hehe, no food that's like $10 for a few lbs.)

[illinidairychic]

A good rule of thumb is that it is high protein, and low fat. Most weight management diets are in this category. Also look at the ingredients and make sure there are meat or meat products in the main (top three) ingredients.

[paris26]

ok, I've heard of liners....but I've never really asked. I think I know what a liner does...but what do I make it out of? and can someone send me a list of easy to find food? (I'm kind of on a budget too....hehe, no food that's like $10 for a few lbs.)

I make my liners out of fleece remnents I find in the bargain bin at fabric stores. I get lots of funky patterns :) In the summertime, I use baby recieving blankets. Just make sure the material is tightly woven so toes can't get stuck and if you buy remnants, hem the edges so they don't fray and catch toes :)

I would also recommend getting a week's worth of food that the hedgie is currently on.
This is what is currently in my mix: Chicken Soup Light (it's the staple food), Royal Canin 38, Solid Gold, Wellness Light, Innova Light and Felidae. I find all of these foods at Pet Supplies Plus, except for the Wellness. If you like online shopping, all of these are available at www.petfooddirect.com

[hemi_mygirl]

Yesterday's New will work fine for litter. Just be sure not to use any clay based or clumping litter (basically all feline litter is bad).

Iams probably isn't the best food for a young hedgie, or any hedgie for that matter. Don't quote me on it - I believe I read that somewhere. You'd probably be better off with Royal Canin Slim 37/38, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul Lite, 8 in 1 One Earth Natural Senior Cat, or Pet Gold Adult Cat Light. I'm sure more CnQ users will have more input in this area.

As for toys, you can also throw in a PVC pipe that your hedgie can move around and hide in. Plastic balls with jingley things are also a favorite. Just make sure there's no little pieces or sharp ends that could hurt hedgie. Cat toys are great. Make sure there are no loose threads, either.

Also, this is a big one. A hidey house for your hedgie to sleep in. They need to feel secure in a cage and they like to hide under things. Anything from a flannel/vellux cloth to a plastic igloo will work.

** For any PVC pipes you use, make sure it is the 4 inch diameter one. That way hedgie can grow and not get stuck.

[yourmine]

So my little ones love plastic easter eggs...sometimes I even find them curled up around them in the morning when I wake up. Keep in mind that while some of the foods people are recommending are not cheap, a 3.5 pound bag will last you a LONG time with just one hedgie. If nothing else, go with the Royal Canin 37/38. It's a pretty good quality food that is easy to find and reasonably priced. Also, I highly recommend mixing foods so that if one becomes unavailable (or the formula changes like the Royal Canin products recently did) you have a backup that you know your hedgie will eat. When it comes to litter training, perhaps the most important advice anyone could give you is DON'T GIVE UP!!! If it doesn't seem to be going well, try a different kind of litter. I have a hedgie that will ONLY use papertowels. Experiment a litter to see what your baby likes.

Good luck and have fun with your new bundle of quills. Post pics for us!

[Kalandra]

As for food, make sure you get some of whatever the breeder is feeding, even if it is one of the 'bad' cat food choices. You will want some of this to use as a base to slowly introduce a new food to the hedgehog. Hedgehogs can be really picky creatures about their food. Some will fast for a very long time if their diet is suddenly changed.

[CaptainWhitaker]

I have a question as well...

When I was searching for the foods on Pet Food Direct, I saw bag form and canned form. Does it matter which you give your Hedgie? I'm -assuming- (not sure if it's true though) that the canned version is wet and the bagged version is dry. If the bag version were used, would it be as good? Also, would there be any danger of choking on the bag version?