Soon to be a new Hedgie mom

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Truffle

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Hi Everyone!

I'm new here, and I'll be getting a baby hedgehog at the beginning of January. My husband and I are very excited, and we're already setting up a 3' x 3' (9 square feet total) solid bottomed cage, space heater and bucket wheel for our new family member.

I want to use fleece liners for the bottom of the cage, and I was thinking of setting up a litter box at the bottom of the wheel like Heather has in the thread with the cage pics.... but I have some silly questions. lol.

First off, I keep hearing stories on the internet of hedghogs getting their quills stuck in sleeves or socks, or some kind of fabric, etc, and then having to get "cut out" because their quills get snagged. Is this true? Is there a possibility my new hedgie could get stuck in its snuggle sack or something like that?

Also is there a type of fleece that makes better liners? Or is it all pretty much the same? Is there a secret to getting them to lie flat? Or will it not hurt anything if there's a few wrinkles? I'm not a terrific sewer, so I'm afraid if I try to do something like the flannel/fleece/flannel liner, I'll end up with threads hanging out to catch the hedgie. ^.^;

I've read a lot on the forum about having a "digging box" for your hedgie when you use liners. What do most people use for a digging box? How deep should it be?

Sorry for asking so many questions, and thanks so much for your suggestions and advise! :)
 
Congratulations and welcome to CnH.

If bags are made properly and large enough there is no way she'll get stuck. Socks and sleeves are a different matter especially if they are quite tight and knit as socks are.

Liners are easy to make. As a liner maker and seller for 6 years, I could do it with my eyes shut. My personal preference for liners is flannel, cord or cotton topped with fleece or cord back. When using anything other than fleece, add an inch or two all around for shrinkage. With your size of cage, add 2". Sew with the right sides facing each other and the inner core on the bottom, leaving about 6" to turn right side. Turn right side out and sew about an inch for the edge and sew up the opening. Voila!

Wrinkles don't matter. If it is a C&C cage, you might want to make an inner coroplast base that you can just wrap the fleece or flannel around and fold under the edges. A layer of fleece under flannel will work great and as long as it is wrapped under and no exposed edges, it will be fine. The elastic mattress holders will keep it under the edges.

Not all fleece is created equal. Buy a good quality. Some of it attracts hairs like crazy and some goes all pilly.
 
Thank you so much for the help and instruction, especially with the liners, Nancy! Even with all my thumbs, I should be able to manage that. lol.
 
If you can sew a straight line and turn at a corner, you can sew a liner. Your hedgie won't care if it's not perfect. :thumbsup:
 
I did it! I now have 3 lovely liners ready for the hedgie when she gets home... I was even brave enough to try a sleep sack. :thanks:
 
Here's what my brand new hedgie set up looks like
(complete with liners thanks to Nancy! :hug2:)

I'm still looking for something to use as a litter pan under the wheel...


photos033.jpg


photos034.jpg
 
Ah! That's a beautiful cage! I'm sure your new hedgie will love it!
Very nice liner, indeed! =)
 
Hehe, thanks! I know I'm way too excited. My husband laughed at me for posting pics of an empty cage :p
 
I feel ya, I couldnt sleep the night before I had to pick Mizy up there was a major snow storm and still drove 151 miles to get her.
 
Could you use a baking dish under the wheel? I can't really tell how big it is from the pictures...If you need a custom made pan Bass Equipment makes custom pans for a decent price.
 
I LOVE the cage! It is so cute and roomy.... your hedgie will be so happy!

Regarding your question about a digging box.... I have one for my hedgie and she loves it! I made it from a rectangle Tupperware container and cut a semicircle out big enough for her to walk through. It was pretty easy, I just used tough scissors and then sanded down rough edges left from the cutting. I have used both fleece squares and Yesterday's News. Both work equally well; just make sure you have a mesh bag to wash the fleece strips in if you use them because at least here the dig box is sometimes used as a potty.

Just a note about the water bottle: they have mixed reviews, but you may want to check out this thread before committing to a bottle over a bowl. I have a bowl just like the one in your cage for my girl's water.

Welcome to CnH and best wishes for you and your new hedgie! :cute:
 
Truffle said:
Here's what my brand new hedgie set up looks like
Click to expand...
Um... don't want to alarm you or anything, but your hedgie's quills look a little funny. I see him behind the flower pot... looking all soft and stuff ;)



Nice set-up. Did you make the wheel yourself?
 
Thanks for all the great ideas! The pan and the digging box sound wonderfully simple and easy to clean. Also thank you so much for the heads up about the water bottle-- I hadn't heard any of that before, and my breeder recommended the bottle over the bowl...so that's what I got. I would hate it if my hedgie chipped it's teeth or ended up dehydrated or something.... I guess I'll leave it in there for a bit and add a bowl, since that's what she's used to.

I love my fluffy hedgehog toy, but I'll be even happier when the real thing comes home this Saturday... I got my husband to make the wheel :)
 
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yay! I have Cinnabun using a water dish, and she didn't seem to have any issues with the transition at all, so the water bottle is now gone. She also promptly re-arranged her cage and decided that the wheel was for squeezing under in a belly crawl... I haven't actually seen her use it to run in yet lol
 
that cage looks like a wonderful home for your new hedgie! would it be possible for you to explain how you made it (in detail =D )? i have been looking for something exactly like that, and if i had directions i think i could tackle it.
 
Truffle had her husband do it.

This is her husband.

Lowe's sells plexiglass in big ol' honkin 36 x 72 sheets, and they'll cut it for you.

I had them cut that bad boy into 4 36 x 18 sheets. I then framed those sheets using pine 2 x 2s.

When framing, first use a couple screws (I like using metal screws as they come with a built in washer and are perfect for plexiglass) to screw the plexi on to 2 36" 2x2's; then use longer screws to attach 18" 2 x 2's to two of the longer 2 x 2s. Then bolt all the sides together. Watch out, and be gentle, because it's going to be pretty unstable at this point.

You are, of course, going for the plexiglass on the INSIDE of the wood. Do not make that mistake. Learn from my error there.

For the bottom, I basically just used plywood and a section of linoleum; make sure it's the size of your put-together cage, and then glue the linoleum to the plywood. You want the linoleum to cover the entire space of the plywood, so that it slides itself up under the 2x2s.

Once that's glued together, just screw the plywood to the bottom 2x2s and you've got a hedgie cage that, from the inside, is nothing but a couple of (rounded) screw heads, plexiglass, and linoleum - Quick, simple, and urine-proof.
 
lol, I don't have many pics yet, cause Cinnabun rarely sits still.

110.jpg


She's on her pedigree as a Algerian Dark Grey Pinto, but the breeder said her color might change as her adult quills come in. I named her cinnabun 'cause the pinto marking is right on her rump and makes her look just like a cinnamon roll. ;)
 
She just started quilling the other day too-- here she is right before bath time. I'm happy to report that her mood improved considerably after the bath lol.

grumpyCinnabun-1.jpg
 
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