Cages

  • Please be aware that although cages with a level & ramp may be on this list that all cages with a level (besides the Midwest Guinea Pig Habitat Plus cage) will need their levels & ramps either removed before use or modified to add walls/tall sides to the levels/shelves & to the ramps that will be tall enough so that a hedgehog cannot walk off/ fall off of them & get injured.

Also, please keep in mind that wire top cages do not hold in heat very well, so you may need to use a bin cage for the cold months of the year to keep your hedgehogs cage temperature steady enough (often times a heat source cannot always keep the airs temperature in the cage steady if there is a lot of change in the temperature around it/different air temperatures are coming into the cage frequently like they will with a wire top cage). & if you decide to use a heat lamp as your heat source (they’re what is most recommended), keep in mind that the larger the cage the more lamps you may need to use to compensate for how much space there is to cover, & the higher wattage bulb & larger heat lamp domes may be needed to keep the cage warm enough.

SOME GOOD CAGES TO USE:

Cage Accessories: Hides, Tunnels, Food Bowls, Watering Supplies & Toys

Hedgehogs must have at least one hiding place/house in their cage. Depending on the size of the cage you may need more than one hide. You can use snuggle sacks and other fabric bags, plastic igloos, fleece made hides, etc. (NOTE: All items that are sewn must have hidden seams so the hedgehogs cannot get any loose strings/threads wrapped around their feet, toes, head, nose, mouth, teeth, etc. which will easily cut off circulation and can turn into an emergency needing a vet a.s.a.p.). Wooden houses aren’t recommended for hedgehogs because they can’t be cleaned and sanitized easily. Anything used with hedgehogs needs to be able to be cleaned and sanitized easily, they also can contain mites. Their cage needs to have at least 3/4 the floor space cluttered with hides, tunnels, toys, etc. because open space tends to stress them out as they're prey animals.


HIDES:
* Snuggle Sacks
* Cuddle Cup
* Medium or Large Plastic igloo

TUNNELS:

PVC pipes make great tunnels, they’re easy to find, cheap, & easy to clean. Make sure you get 4” PVC pipes, bigger is fine but anything smaller & most hedgehogs won’t fit in them & could get stuck. Most hedgie’s like the elbow & T-shape PVC pipes.
* Elbow PVC Pipe
* T-Shaped PVC Pipe
* Bendy Tunnels
* Fleece Tunnel

FOOD BOWL:

A food bowl doesn’t need to be really large, it just needs to be able to hold about 2-3 tablespoons of kibble. A ceramic dish with a flat bottom is the most recommended choice for hedgehogs as it’s harder for the hedgehog to flip/tip it over. Hedgehogs love to flip bowls, a plastic bowl is fine too, heavy glass dishes like ashtrays also make for good food bowls.

A good food bowl:
* Living World Ergonomic Dish

WATER BOTTLE OR BOWL:

Hedgehogs can use either a water bottle or a water bowl, it comes down to owner and hedgehog preference on which to use. Not all bottles are safe, so make sure you choose a safe bottle if you choose to use one. Spring loaded bottles are unsafe, they can catch their tongues, lips and cut or rip them off. To test if the bottle's nozzle is spring loaded, push in the nozzle. If it springs back at you it’s spring loaded (very few bottles on the market are spring loaded anymore). You want a bottle that either has a free moving ball in the nozzle or has a chicken nipple nozzle. Although, traditional pet store bottles with a free moving ball in the nozzle are technically safe, however, they do have their drawbacks and dangers as well. Hedgehogs can break their teeth on traditional pet store type water bottle nozzles because the nozzle allows very little water to come out per lick of the nozzle, and hedgehogs/any small pet can get frustrated and want more water to come out faster. They will bite at the nozzle in frustration thinking it’ll also help get the water out faster. The nozzle is hard metal, and them biting on the nozzle can easily break their teeth. Drawbacks are they don’t give much water per lick, and the nozzle can’t be taken apart to fully clean and sanitize it so you have to be careful as bacteria can grow in them. Bottles with a chicken nipple nozzle are much better to use because they’re very safe, hedgehogs can’t break their teeth on the nozzle or catch their tongues/lips, they give as much water per lick as they’d get drinking from a bowl, and the nozzle can be fully taken apart to clean and sanitize. Water bottles can be more sanitary than bowls for some hedgehogs. Many hedgehogs tend to get poop and debris in their bowls. You can’t be there 24/7 to clean the bowl out so they may end up drinking gross water, and get sick, if not careful. There are some hedgehogs who will flip water bowls too--you may need to keep these hedgies on a bottle. Some hedgehogs will pee and poop in their water bowls, and stand in the bowl while drinking with poop on their feet. For those hedgehogs a bottle would be best to use with them. For a bowl, heavy ceramic or glass bowl is best to use--it should be able to hold at 3-5 oz of water, and shouldn’t be taller than 2 inches.

A good water bowl:
* Living World Ergonomic Dish


  A good water bottle:
* Hedgie Hog Tied Hedgie Waterer with a Chicken Nipple Nozzle

TOYS:

Some good toys:
* Mint Toys
* Hedgehog Toy
* Squeaking Piggy Toy
* Cactus Toy
* Mini Porcupine Balls
* Mini Finger Skateboard
* Rubber Ducky
* Ping Pong Balls
* Cat Crinkle Balls
* Toilet Paper Rolls (but always make sure to cut the rolls down the middle so they do not get their heads stuck in them which happens often).
*Never use toys with holes in them as they can get their mouths or legs stuck in them and cause injury.*
Not all hedgehogs will play with toys, but it's always good to still keep some in the cage in case they do eventually play with them.

BONDING BAGS:

Bonding bags are just like fleece snuggle sacks, but they have a strap and are usually a little larger. They’re used to help bond with your hedgehog, just like the name says. You put the strap of the bag over your head so it’s resting on the back of your neck, and the bag is resting on your chest/top of your stomach. You then put the hedgehog inside the bag, either lay around watching tv, movies, or do some household chores with them in the bag on you. This way the hedgehog is always close to you, and getting to know you as a safe, soft place to be since they’re in the bonding bag on you.
* Good Bonding Bag