Hedgehogs 2

Different owners prefer different methods of housing, based on number of hedgehogs, space, and cost. A common method is to buy large sterelite tubs and put one hedgie in each tub. Other owners buy ready made hedgehog cages from places such as Martin's Cages. Others build their own or, like me, modify a different cage. All hedgehog cages must have solid bottoms. Hedgehog feet and legs are so long they can slip through wire bottoms and cause a broken leg or worse. Also, hedgehog feet are tender and they do not like walking on mesh or wire. What I did was take a 3 level ferret cage and put some scrap linolium on the floors and ramps to make them solid. This works rather well. I then placed on the bottom floor their litter pan, wheel, a vellux bag for sleeping, one more vellux bag for keeping a Snuggle Safe Disc in and some vellux scraps. On the second floor is their water dish, food dish and some toys. On the third "balcony" is their pigloo. Whatever the housing, here's a list of must-haves and some points to remember:
~Wheel: I consider this a must considering activity levels. Without one your hedgehog will become obese and that can lead to serious health problems
~Food dish: Make sure it's heavy enough thay they cannot tip it over.
~Water bottle/water dish: Depends on what your hedgie is trained on. Water bottles are easier to deal with but some hedgies won't use them. Mine use only a dish.
~Bedding: DO NOT USE CEDAR! It is extremely harmful to your hedgehog and any small pets. Pine is still in debate. Carefresh is good but expensive. What a lot of owners use and I highly recommend is to use a vellux blanket cut into liners. Cut several, lay one or two down over a few sheets of newspaper and then just toss in the wash when needed (about once a week).
~Hidey box/hidey hole: Hedgehogs, like all small pets, need a place to sleep and hide to feel secure. It's possible to use old tissue boxes, PVC pipe (big!) or a "hedgebag" made out of vellux. Pigloos work well too.
~Litterbox: Not all hedgies can be litter trained but most can. Use a large, non-clumping, dust-free litter (or could get stuck in sensitive places) or even better, use a recycled newspaper litter like Carefresh, Yesterday's News, or a new one I've found made for dogs called Secondary Training or something similar.
~Toys: Ok, so these are not essential to life. But hedgehogs ARE active and really enjoy a few toys. You can use bright coloured cat balls, toy cars, toilet paper tubes (slit so your hedgie cannot get stuck in one) or even a toy truck. Really anything will work, just use your judgement. Large "Critter Crawler" balls (super hamster balls) work well too. Cherokee loves it, Snuffles is not so sure. A playpen with "obstacles" is great too-- they love exploring!

Hedgehogs eat about 1-2 Tablespoons of food a night. This is supplemented by treats such as mealworms, baby food, crickets, chicken or turkey. [Note! In the past it has been said that it is ok for hedgehogs to eat things like cottege cheese. It has now been found that this is bad for hedgehogs. Do not give dairy products!] There are several hedgehog diets out on the market. After much talk with other hedgehog owners and more than one debate, here's the general consensus:
~8n1 is REALLY good. It's formulated right and hedgies love it.
~Pretty Pets is good but some hedgies will not eat it
~Brisky's is ok, but can cause an increase in droppings
~Spike's Delight (PetPro) is good and hedgies like it.
~Vitakraft is BAD!! Do not feed!!!!! It's formulated for European hedgehogs, not our pets.
~High grade cat food is still in debate. Some owners refuse to feed any cat food, some say it is ok. Do your own homework here and decide for yourself.
Personally, I use Pretty Pets but I am switching to 8n1. They get a tiny bit of kitty chow for treats only because they love it. Hedgehogs love mealworms and can be fed 2-3 a day. Some owners sprinkle supplements on the food, I've not found the need for this. Just remember, high protein, low fat, and minimum on corn, wheat etc.