new guy

[prebow1]

hey, ive been wanting a hedgehog for a while and i finally got my 1st one 2 days ago. she is really nice and has no problem with being held but also really enjoys exploring. but now i have a few questions. she is 9 weeks old and has always lived in pine shavings but she lives in a pretty big cage and to fill it the right amount takes a decent amount of shavings. since i have an apartment i dont have very many places to store extra bedding and having to change it once a week is going to make it hard to keep a supply of it. i really want to switch her to a velux bedding i cant find it at walmart or target. is a fleece blanket as good? the olny problem is she likes to root around in the pine and make little nest. if i got another blanket and put it in her little house would it be enough for her to burrow in? also, the food she has been on is pretty pet for hedgehogs and i was told to keep getting that for her but the closest place that has is it 4 hours away. what foods are there i can get for her from a petco or another basic pet shop? and it scares me that she will chip a tooth when she bites her water bottles metal part, if i got the velux or fleece are they usually too messy to switch to one of those low reptile water bowls?

[LoriL]

There are much more experienced people on this board that can help, but I can tell you what I'm using for liners for Mikey. I'm not using any shavings, mostly for allergies for the humans in my house. :)

I made 3-layered liners. I put fleece on the bottom, 100% cotton batting in the middle (I figured that would be better than a poly/cotton blend for any accidents and for warmth), and then on the top layer I just used 100% cotton fabric that was on sale at the fabric store.

Mikey came from a corncob bedding, so at first he wasn't sure what to do with it all, but he adjusted fairly quickly and is doing just fine on it. I've had him for a little over a week.

The initial investment is a little high, but it is really easy to change and keep clean, and you can just throw them in the wash.

As far as digging, I noticed Mikey likes to dig, so I made him a digging box. Again, I didn't want to use shavings, so I cut strips of fleece about an inch wide and 3 1/2" long. To start with, I put them in a tissue box (making sure there was no plastic). The problem I've been having though, is that he is he is still a shy boy during the day and doesn't like to come out to use the litter box when the light is on. So, I was going thru a tissue box a day. I have run out of tissue boxes. I went to the store and bought a plastic box and put dark fabric over the top and sides. He is adjusting to that now and wandering over and digging, but not sleeping in it.

As far as food goes, he is still challenging me on that. He was being fed Spike's Delite at the breeder's and I started trying to wean him off of that last night and he is not happy. My plan is to use a mix of Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul Lite and Natural Balance Lite. I started following the suggetions on the message boards here about using 1/4 of the new mix 3/4 of the old food for the first week, but he wouldn't eat any of his food last night.

I also switched him from a water bottle to a bowl. He adjusted very easily. It is not a problem using a bowl with the blanket liner.

Hope I helped a little.

And congratulations!
Lori

[j4782]

Try a craft or fabric supply store (Michaels, Hancock or Joann Fabrics, etc.). All three would be cheaper and offer more variety than general stores like walmart or Target, anyway.

Fleece is good for snuggling in (you could sew a simple bag to replace her nest; Houdini has one that's shaped like an arm sling).

Change her food. A lot of the commercial hedgehog foods are too high in fat (over 12%). Try a high quality cat food. Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul and Royal Canin 37 (a specific line of Royal Canin) are popular choices. All foods should hav ea guaranteed analysis. You want high protein, low fat and some fiber. Look around a bit in the diet & nutrition posts for more suggestions and what to avoid.

If you get a sturdy enough bowl, it shouldn't be a problem, but some hedgies will splash around anyway. :) Someone I've been talking to recommends a watering bin like http://www.revivalanimal.com/product.asp?pn=40%2D073 (also at petsmart or petco, but for about $8). Still keep the bottle as a back up because she may have no clue what it's for at first.

[hedgehog69]

what ever you do dont feed them vitacraft (vitacrap)

[incrovaj]

Congrats on your new addition! :winkgrin:

As far as food, I agree you should look at the nutrition posts at some of the mixes reccomended. I read many of the posts and chose three foods that I heard mentioned over and over, that I could find in my area, so Daisy's mix is Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul Light, Innova Evo, and Wellness light. Your mix may be different though based on what you find in your area, and what you decided from your research is best. Also, I know that some breeders even sell their Mixes.

For bedding, I do not know how to help you find vellux in your area, but I can tell you that you can use flannel covered in corderoy to make liners too. If you are not handy with a sewing machine, there are several places on line that you can order liners from in custom sizes. If your hedgie likes to burrow, you might want to try what someone else did and create a burrow box. I think they put strips of fleece in a kleenex box for their little guy to root around in. That seemed to help their little one be more at ease with liners.

I hope I helped, and good luck to you! :bananadance:

[Melody]

Nancy on CnQ makes really neat hedgie stuff - sleeping bags, igloos covers, blankies, cage liners, all sorts of things. My girls LOVE her stuff and the patterns are adorable!!!!!!