Possibly getting a hedgie...

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EmilyLiliLove

SassyChinchillasRescue
Joined
Oct 27, 2014
Messages
145
Location
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
I have been thinking of getting a hedgie but i am not sure yet.
What should i know about them before getting them?
Cage? Would a ferret nation or critter nation work? If not, what cage is the best?
Toys? Best toys for them? Where to get them? Can i make my own?
Food? Where can i get it? Best brands?
Animals? Can they play with other animals, like chinchillas?
List of supplies i need to get before getting one.
Pros and Cons?
 
Cage? Would a ferret nation or critter nation work? If not, what cage is the best?

Yes, either a ferret nation or a critter nation would work well. Comparing the two, the critter nation has smaller spaces between the bars and more horizontal bars. This can be a plus and a minus. You can feel more confident in keeping smaller babies inside the critter nation, but it also makes it so much easier for the more ambitious hedgie to climb the walls and injure themselves.

I've also used the plastic bottom, wire top cages. A lot of them are great. I particularly like the Marchioro brand. They have a nice big door on the top to get the wheel in and out easily, large-ish doors on the front to get hedgie in and out easily, and a flat top, so you can put heat emitting lamps on them.


Toys? Best toys for them? Where to get them? Can i make my own?
Seems each has their own preferences. My first loved her plastic dump truck, but not much of anything else. My the others seem not to care much for toys. Though I give/gave them all small stuffed animals.

Of course, they all love their wheels. And hedgiebags or hats or igloos. But I don't really consider those "toys." A wheel and a good place to snuggle and hide is a necessity for hedgies.


Food? Where can i get it? Best brands?
Fromm and Now! are currently on my hedgies' list of favorites. Other good brands are Katz-n-Flocken, Spot's Stew, Natural Balance, Blue Buffalo...


Animals? Can they play with other animals, like chinchillas?
Hedgies and chins have different requirements. Hedgies need it to be nice and toasty (not so good for chins). And temps that chins need would be too chilly for hedgies.


List of supplies i need to get before getting one.
Cage, heating supplies (will depend on if you want to heat the whole room vs. just the cage), food, water dish, food dish, hedgie-safe wheel (ie, large, with a flat running surface), cage liner, medical supplies, bath-time supplies, nail clippers...
 
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