Need Playtime Ideas...what do you do?

[firefly]

I get my hedgie out every day, but she never seems to want to do anything but find a place to sleep. She's not that into TP tubes. I have run out of ideas for hedgie playtime and was wondering what you all do when your hedgie's out. Keep in mind she's still jumpy. I need some new ideas.....got any?

[treva.]

wolfgang won't look twice at a normal TP tube, but if i slit it down the side it's suddenly the Holy Grail of Playtime. maybe if you just try something different with her tube she'll take an interest, eg slit it or leave it unslit, or try hiding a treat in it.

he's also way into boxes and tissue paper, especially boxes OF tissue paper. the first time i gave him one he spent the entire night rustling away inside it, even when he was still a bit jumpy and not much interested in other things.

it also took him quite a few weeks to discover anything besides running, so she may come around when she's ready for it. since she's still a baby, she'll still spend a lot of her time asleep. a lot of times, wolfgang will already be bright eyed and bushy tailed when i go pick him up, but when i have him out of his cage all he wants to do is curl up on me and go to sleep. i can't say i mind. :)

[paris26]

I set up a few playpens giving the hogs plenty of room to explore. I'll put cat balls, TP tubes, PVC pipes, clean blankets that just came out of the dryer (most of my hogs love the "new" smell), new stuffed animals.
Play time is also when I feed insects and I try to introduce new foods then too

[Kerrie]

Are you taking your hedgie out during the day or at night? If it is daytime, she probably does want to sleep. If it is nighttime, try dimming the lights in the room she is in. I do the same thing that Paris does only I use a large plastic kiddie pool. I have to dim the lights a bit and turn off the TV. (no noise) After a few minutes of ignoring her, she will come out and start exploring everything.
They are so much fun to watch! :)

[firefly]

wolfgang won't look twice at a normal TP tube, but if i slit it down the side it's suddenly the Holy Grail of Playtime. maybe if you just try something different with her tube she'll take an interest, eg slit it or leave it unslit, or try hiding a treat in it.

he's also way into boxes and tissue paper, especially boxes OF tissue paper. the first time i gave him one he spent the entire night rustling away inside it, even when he was still a bit jumpy and not much interested in other things.

it also took him quite a few weeks to discover anything besides running, so she may come around when she's ready for it. since she's still a baby, she'll still spend a lot of her time asleep. a lot of times, wolfgang will already be bright eyed and bushy tailed when i go pick him up, but when i have him out of his cage all he wants to do is curl up on me and go to sleep. i can't say i mind. :)
I do split them down the side and she still ignores them, but putting a treat in there is a good idea! I've tried boxes and all she does is sit in the corner and sleep....silly hedgie. She's 5 months old....is that still considered a baby. I didn't get her real young. Thanks for the help. :)

[firefly]

I set up a few playpens giving the hogs plenty of room to explore. I'll put cat balls, TP tubes, PVC pipes, clean blankets that just came out of the dryer (most of my hogs love the "new" smell), new stuffed animals.
Play time is also when I feed insects and I try to introduce new foods then tooI think I'll try a stuffed animal. I have tons of old ones! I really need to get some PVC pipes too! She has my whole room to explore! I hold her till she is comfortable in my hands, then I put her in a storage bin to go to the bathroom, after that she is free to explore my room! :) Thanks for the help.

[firefly]

Are you taking your hedgie out during the day or at night? If it is daytime, she probably does want to sleep. If it is nighttime, try dimming the lights in the room she is in. I do the same thing that Paris does only I use a large plastic kiddie pool. I have to dim the lights a bit and turn off the TV. (no noise) After a few minutes of ignoring her, she will come out and start exploring everything.
They are so much fun to watch! :)I do some of both, but mostly night. I do dim the lights, as she isn't comfortable with the big one on. My problem is that the whole time she is out she looks for a place to sleep. And isn't interested in much of anything else except for the 2 times she found something and annointed to it.