Changing Bedding

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lcw142

Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2013
Messages
21
Location
Upstate, NY
Does changing the bedding affect the hedgehog in any way!? The breeder used wood pellets and I know Milo likes his blanket so I wanted to give him more cuddly bedding. I bought carefresh and he liked it, but I was also told to try sunseed fresh world bedding and I like that too, I just never heard the brand before so I want to make sure it's okay. What do you think!?
 
I haven't heard of sunseed bedding before. In general, though, I tend to stay away from particulate bedding - whether it's Yesterday's News, Carefresh, or what have you. Instead, like many other hedgie owners, I use fleece.

Hedgies don't accidentally eat fleece (particulate bedding can be eaten & cause an impaction), they won't breathe it in (think of how dusty Carefresh or shavings can be... and the effect on a hedgie's lungs), it won't hide blood or other signs that hedgie is unwell (messy poops, vomit, blood in urine...), it won't accidentally stick to you or hedgie and travel over your home/show up in your laundry/get stuck to your clothes, it won't get stuck to a male hedgie's penis and cause issues there...

If that's not enough to steer you toward fleece, how about the fact that you've noticed Milo likes his blanket? Imagine the whole cage floor as a blanket!! And he can still have smaller fleece blankies to snuggle up with.
 
The simplest thing I've found to get some fleece liners and blankies is to head over to a fabric shop like JoAnn's, find some fleece you like (look for the lighter colors/patterns that won't hide blood, urine, etc...), get a few yards and a nice pair of scissors, toss the fleece in the washer when you get home (scent-free detergent; no fabric softener), dry without dryer sheets, then cut out some liners that are just slightly bigger than the cage floor and cut the rest into smaller pieces to use as blankies, wheel mats, placemats for dishes if Milo is a messy eater, etc...

For a more refined look, I go to the experts: http://quillsnthings.webs.com/

But, if you're handy with a sewing machine, you can certainly stitch them together yourself :) The basic idea is two fleece layers (either with or without an absorbent middle layer), stitched together using nice tight stitches and no dangling threads so hedgie doesn't get a toe caught that could result in a sprain, break, or loss of circulation.
 
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