LItterbox training and cage liners

[Emilys_Exotics]

Well, I'm currently using some makeshift cage liners, and I think I would like it much better if my hedgies were litter box trained. I like that bedding can be easily spot cleaned. The liners seem to need changing as soon as they are pottied on (IMO). I have seen some disposable cage liners, that I may try. My favorite bedding so far is carefresh ultra, but its' too expensive... at least right now. I would like the cage liners best, if my guys used litterboxes.

My guys have one area of the cage that they use as the potty, so I got some litter boxes to try it out. Unfortunatley, my hedgies pushed the litter pans out of the way, so they could use their normal potty spot without anything funny in the way. So, any tips on how to get them box trained? I thought it might be kinda easy, as they have a natural potty spot picked out. I put some litter and some of their waste in the box, so they'd know what it was for and all, but no such luck. Is it hopeless? Any ideas?

Emily

[hemi_mygirl]

Put the litter box under their wheel.

Some hedgies never take to a litter box, while others do. Hemi basically trained herself. All I had to do was place a litter box in the spot where she usually went, and make the box big enough that she could comfortably turn around and dig in it.

[Emilys_Exotics]

Put the litter box under their wheel.

Some hedgies never take to a litter box, while others do. Hemi basically trained herself. All I had to do was place a litter box in the spot where she usually went, and make the box big enough that she could comfortably turn around and dig in it.

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, they go mostly under the wheel. I don't have room to fit a box under the wheel. I moved the wheel a bit, and put the box in their usual potty spot. They still use the spot (even though it isn't under the wheel anymore) but not the box. Sigh. Sounds like Hemi was easy to train, wish my guys were!

Emily

[Kerrie]

You may want to try plain white papertowels. I use the cheap white ones, make it about 6ply thick and put it under Kallie's wheel. I make it fit the width of the cage. It has worked wonderfully. I just change the towels every night, liners every week. In the beginning she thought it would be fun to rip up the towels and drag them into her igloo, so I learned to leave a piece loose for her to play with and now she doesn't touch the ones under her wheel. Even if she trys...the wheel holds down most of it.
Hope that helps some. :)

[hemi_mygirl]

HAHA, I tried paper towel too. Even if I left a whole bunch loose for her, Hemi would still drag the ones out from under her wheel, and then drag every single piece into her hedgiebag.

[incrovaj]

Make sure your litter box is big enough. When I first tried litter training Daisy, she would have none of it. I was stunned, because she always went in the same spot, and that was where I had located the litter box. :dunno: I had this cute little litter box to give her lots of space to run in her pen rather than a big box that would take up more space. I decided to try a larger litter box before giving up, and what do you know, it worked. She just wanted more room to move around and find the "perfect place" for relief. The box she has now is a big corner box like for ferrets or rabbits. It is pretty big (won't fit under the wheel), but fits in her cage, and she uses it pretty much without fail unless she is on her wheel, and even that has improved.

It is worth a try, as it makes cage cleaning SOOOO much easier.

[Emilys_Exotics]

You may want to try plain white papertowels. I use the cheap white ones, make it about 6ply thick and put it under Kallie's wheel. I make it fit the width of the cage. It has worked wonderfully. I just change the towels every night, liners every week. In the beginning she thought it would be fun to rip up the towels and drag them into her igloo, so I learned to leave a piece loose for her to play with and now she doesn't touch the ones under her wheel. Even if she trys...the wheel holds down most of it.
Hope that helps some. :)


Oh, what a good idea! Or a piece of disposable liner, just in the potty area, and a full regular liner for the rest of the cage. Sounds great. Thanks!

Emily

[Sylverwynde]

Out of curiousity, would an aluminium pan make a good litter box? There isn't room in Sheridan's cage for a full litterbox, and he's making an unholy mess of Nancy's lovely liners! :laugh: I bought a couple of aluminium pans at the dollar store, they're small enough to fit under the wheel, but when I put it in the cage a few weeks ago with some paper towels, all he did was attack the towels.

I bought some Carefresh, might that make a difference?

On another note, I noticed that some people have digging boxes for their hedgies. Is this a necessity?

On yet another note (last one, I promise!), how do you know when it's time to cut a hedgie's nails? And how do you keep a bundle of energy still long enough so you don't slice off a toe by accident?????

[hemi_mygirl]

I think an aluminium pan would be fine, as long as he has enough room to turn around and find the perfect spot to do his business in. I just made a litter box out of some left-over coroplast I had from her cage, which works great.

If he attacks paper towel (my girl does the same), try Yesterday's News. It works great, and I find it keeps the odor down really well. If they eat it, it's just paper and won't cause any harm. Just keep an eye out for the odd piece of metal or tin foil or something. In the year+ I've been using YN, I've found one tiny piece of tin foil.

I don't think digging boxes are necessary, but it gives hedgie something to do. My girl just digs around in her litter box. It serves a double purpose.

Nail trimming. I check every couple days, and just trim up the ones that need it. Lately, I've been slacking off a bit because of school, but she'll be getting a manicure tonight or tomorrow. Sometimes nail clipping is a two person job. Or, let hedgie run around in water, and trim while he's doing that. He'll be so distracted by the water he won't notice the nail trimmers.

[Sylverwynde]

If he attacks paper towel (my girl does the same), try Yesterday's News. It works great, and I find it keeps the odor down really well. If they eat it, it's just paper and won't cause any harm. Just keep an eye out for the odd piece of metal or tin foil or something. In the year+ I've been using YN, I've found one tiny piece of tin foil.

Nail trimming. I check every couple days, and just trim up the ones that need it. Lately, I've been slacking off a bit because of school, but she'll be getting a manicure tonight or tomorrow. Sometimes nail clipping is a two person job. Or, let hedgie run around in water, and trim while he's doing that. He'll be so distracted by the water he won't notice the nail trimmers.

I've been looking for Yesterday's News, and haven't been able to find any yet. We used to use it as litter for my cat when we first got her over 10 years ago, but I haven't seen it in Quebec in ages. I'll keep looking, and try the Carefresh for now. And I'll keep an eye out for foreign objects in the litter! :laugh:

I'm really afraid to trim Sheridan's nails. It hasn't been done since we got him on the 4th, so I guess he's overdue. He just never sits still! I can get my SO to help me out by holding him, but Sheridan's such a squirmer!

Maybe I can get up the nerve to try tonight. Wish me luck, and I'll report in tomorrow to say how it went. :eek: