Dumping out food?

[LucksAngel28]

Maserati has started a new weird behavior: dumping her food all over the cage at night. I'm wondering if this is normal, or if it could possibly be acting out, because she only started this after I brought her back home after leaving her with a sitter for a week while I visited my parents in PA. Before my trip, she would have the normal crumbs on the floor after eating, but now she is dumping her entire bowl onto the floor, spreading it all around the cage, and digging in it. I thought at first maybe she was trying to get to the food at the bottom since she uses a mixture of kibble, but I completely cleaned out the bowl and put all new food in and she still did it. I also have more than one place where she can dig/burrow. Should I try a shallower bowl? Or is this just normal?

 

[tskoffina]

One of my boys does this all the time. Sometimes multiple times a day. I don"t know if it's common, but it seems normal for Spock. He's done it since seperated from Lily and Kirk, at 6 weeks, the biggining of January.

 

[pricklesnquills]

I wouldn't be concerned. I have some of my hedgies that always manage to knock over their food bowls every night. I have others that are 'perfect' and never get a crumb out of their bowl, lol.

I'm not sure why they do this....maybe just to play with their bowl....maybe because they like to eat on the ground better than eating in the bowl.

 

[PeaceB2U]

I wouldn't be concerned. I had one hedgehog that was such a big boy that every time he went to his bowl to eat, it would tip over. I was never quite sure if it was because of his weight or that he just simply preferred eating this way. Finally, to keep him from making too big of a mess, I started placing the bowl of food on its side so he could walk right up to it. That way the food just stayed in the one area with the bowl resting against the side of the cage.

 

[Courtney]

I have one girl who will literally put one front paw on the bowl and lean until the thing tips over and spills food on the floor. Then, she eats. I have no idea why, but if it makes her happy... so be it.

I have another who only likes to eat about half of any kibble. He'll pick one up, chew it and let half of it fall out of his mouth. He never tips the bowl... he just makes a huge mess of his entire cage.

The third is a little cleaner, but she stock-piles kibble in her hedgehog bag. I'm forever cleaning crumb out of there and from between her quills because she sleeps on her side, completely sprawled out and the crumbs get caught between them.

 

[LucksAngel28]

Good to know Maserati isn't the only messy eater. I just wanted to make sure it was okay since it was a new thing for her. Thanks for the advice and funny stories, everyone! :cute:

 

[Nancy]

Most hedgehogs at some point in time in their lives will put their paws on the side of the bowl to eat. If the bowl is not large enough or heavy enough it will tip over. I'd try a wider, shallow and heavier bowl.

 

[pinkdaisy]

My hedgie doesnt tip over his bowl but he certainly would if they weren't heavy bowls. He always eats with both paws inside the bowl, no matter what. I can sometimes see three little "holes" in the kibbles, two from his paws and one from where he eats the kibbles. I would suggest maybe getting a heavier bowl so s/he can't tip over the bowl as easily..or just let them be and make their mess.

 

[sunshine]

Fray gets INTO the bowl to eat and kicks things all over.

Nuance puts paws on the edge and takes her kibble piece, then steps out and crunches all over the cage.

 

[LucksAngel28]

Fray gets INTO the bowl to eat and kicks things all over.

Nuance puts paws on the edge and takes her kibble piece, then steps out and crunches all over the cage.

Sounds like Fray and Nuance are quite a riot! :rofl:

Right now Masi is using the small pet bowls from WalMart, so I guess I will be searching for new, heavier ones this weekend. Thanks!

 

[pinkdaisy]

Right now Masi is using the small pet bowls from WalMart, so I guess I will be searching for new, heavier ones this weekend. Thanks!

I would suggest using human ceramic ramekins, they are heavy, have safe glazes on them, and you can buy them for very inexpensively at anywhere that sells housewares. I bought a set of 4 (two each for food&water, that way they can go through the dishwasher each week for cleaning) for around $2-3

 

[kitty-kat-kazoo]

"The third is a little cleaner, but she stock-piles kibble in her hedgehog bag. I'm forever cleaning crumb out of there and from between her quills because she sleeps on her side, completely sprawled out and the crumbs get caught between them"

I think that is SO adorable

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

aren't animals so much fun!! I have several chins that love to paw all their food onto the floor and waste so much food. I have found that if I double dish the food, it helps Put a smaller heavy dish into a large heavy dish It should work with hedgies too, I would think