Hedgehog Central banner

Sandpaper

7K views 31 replies 8 participants last post by  Sichuan 
#1 ·
I'm looking for a safe, non-toxic sandpaper that I can place under two ramps. My hedgie spends most of his daytime hours under these ramps, where he scratches the floor numerous times a day while rearranging his bedding of wood shavings. Since he's going to spend so much time scratching I want him to be sanding his toenails at the same time.

His first exercise wheel was the biggest Wodent Wheel I could buy but I could never get the sandpaper track because the company was always out of stock. I stopped using that wheel because of the cleanup hassle involved when he relieved himself on it while running. Taking the Wodent Wheel apart every day and reassembling it became too time consuming. I'm now using the 12 inch KAYTEE Silent Spinner, which as we all know is not silent, but it provides my hedgie with a solid surface that will not damage his toes or his nails and it takes less than five minutes to properly clean and disinfect it. I'm still looking for the best wheel I can provide him but my choices seem to be limited.

I've come to the conclusion that I don't want sandpaper on an exercise wheel he seems to think is his bathroom. I spent a lot of time attempting to potty train him but he's stubborn. He's in a large Guinea Habitat enclosure, divided into two sections.

Can someone recommend something I can place under his ramps, whether it's sandpaper, emery cloth or something else. I can always glue it to something if it doesn't have a hard backing.

Thank you in advance for your time and any assistance provided.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
The thing with sandpaper is that he's going to wind up tearing up his feet with it. You might try putting in a tile that isn't smooth in there and see if that will work. Just something with a little texture rather than being slick and smooth. Something that mimics stone. That would also have the added benefit of being a cool spot for him to lay on in the summer if it gets really hot.

Now, that being said, I'm super glad you switched off the Wodent Wheel, but Silent Spinners are not a safe wheel for hedgehogs. Really, I wouldn't put any animal on them, but hedgehogs especially. The problem (ignoring the often shoddy construction) is the little holes where the white and colored plastic parts meet. Hedgehogs tend to get their toes caught in them which has caused some nasty injuries. Lost toes, broken limbs, cuts. For commercial bought wheels, you'd want either a Comfort Wheel or a Flying Saucer wheel. There's been reports of the quality of the Flying Saucers not being as good as they once were, but it's been quite a while since I've heard anything about it. I'm a fan of the Comfort Wheels myself. I've been using the same one for nearly 3 years now with no issues. Alternatively, you could order a bucket wheel, or even make one yourself. There's plenty of guides online of how to do it.
 
#3 ·
Sandpaper will just shred the pads of your hedgehogs feet. They run on the pads of their feet so by the time his nails would touch th sand paper they would be dangerously long. If your hedgehog scratches at the sandpaper he will end up damaging his feet.

Silent spinner wheels are very dangerous and have injured many hedgehogs. The small slits are know to catch nails and tear them off.
 
#5 ·
Sandpaper will just shred the pads of your hedgehogs feet. They run on the pads of their feet so by the time his nails would touch th sand paper they would be dangerously long. If your hedgehog scratches at the sandpaper he will end up damaging his feet.

Silent spinner wheels are very dangerous and have injured many hedgehogs. The small slits are know to catch nails and tear them off.
Thank you, nikki. I appreciate your prompt reply. I've decided to do without the sandpaper. I'm an animal lover and I care very deeply about their needs whether that animal is domesticated, wild or a farm animal, so I don't want to do anything that would hurt my little hedgehog.
 
#4 ·
Thank you, shinydistraction, for your prompt reply. I appreciate it very much.

I like the idea of putting tiles in the cage. I'll go to Home Depot and Lowes tomorrow and see what I can find. There are a few natural stone and cultured stone dealers in my area also. Perhaps I could find something there. I'll forget about the sandpaper. I don't want to harm the little guy in any way.

I actually did a lot of research on pet exercise wheels before I bought one, which was the Wodent Wheel. He really liked that one and would come out in the daytime to run on it. I suppose he felt safe and protected within the walls of the wheel. He would look at me through the holes when he was running. I used Super Glue on the Silent Spinner when I first bought it so that I could lock the two sides of the wheel in place. I just took a close look at the Silent Spinner and I can't find a suitable manner in which to close or cover the tiny slits between the plastic pieces so I ordered an 11 inch Treadmill Wheel from Exotic Nutrition. I should have it in a few days. It's a solid metal "flying saucer" wheel utilizing ball bearings so I'm hoping it will be quiet, although that's really not a big concern of mine.

I'm also thinking of expanding his Guinea Habitat. It's currently 2 feet by 4 feet and that's just not enough room for him. I'm looking at the extra large Living World Deluxe Habitat. It's seems to be very nice and I can connect it to his current Guinea Habitat. This will double his living area. I'm thinking about putting a 12 inch Comfort Wheel in this addition so he'll have two different exercise wheels to use. Is the Comfort Wheel you speak of the KAYTEE Comfort Wheel? I've seen a lot of complaints about the Comfort Wheel being noisy and breaking on the spindle frame but I'm willing to buy one anyway because I've also seen a lot of positive statements about it. It should be just as easy to clean and disinfect as the Silent Spinner.
 
#6 ·
It probably is KAYTEE now. I think the name has changed over the years. In general, just closely inspect anything you get before it goes in the cage. I'm sure there have been some that broke easily, but mine is old and still going strong. I was able to make it a little quieter using graphite, you just have to make sure you really clean all the excess off really well. You might still check out making a bucket wheel. You would get more say on what it's like.
 
#9 ·
It probably is KAYTEE now. You might still check out making a bucket wheel. You would get more say on what it's like.
Thank you again for your input. I ordered the KAYTEE Comfort Wheel. It should arrive tomorrow. I also ordered the X-Large Living World Deluxe Habitat, which is where I'll put the Comfort Wheel. It will arrive Friday. I like the Guinea Habitat I already have but closing the top sections can be a hassle at times. If the Living World Deluxe Habitat is as nice as it seems to be I'll probably get a second one and connect the two together.

As I mentioned earlier I spent a lot of time researching all the small pet exercise wheels before I bought the Wodent Wheel. I wasn't aware that some small pets relieve themselves while running on an exercise wheel or I would not have bought the Wodent Wheel. Taking the Wodent Wheel apart and cleaning all three pieces once or twice a day simply wasn't worth the time and effort. It's currently sitting in my garage, ready for an extreme emergency. I'm familiar with the bucket wheels you speak of but I don't think I'll buy one or build one. If the Comfort Wheel doesn't last I'll simply buy another one and reinforce it. I covered the seam and openings in the Silent Spinner I'm using with duct tape so that I can protect the little guy's feet and nails until the KAYTEE Comfort Wheel and Treadmill Wheel from Exotic Nutrition arrive, at which time I'll store the Silent Spinner in case I have to use it for a day or two if one of the other two wheels break. I should have the Treadmill Wheel in a few days. I've done a lot of work with specialty epoxies in the past and I think I'll be able to use a non-toxic epoxy to seal the seam openings in the Silent Spinner, which seems to be holding up quite well.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Please just switch to fleece.. Why anyone would want hedgehog rolling around in wood shavings, is beyond me. Fleece is just that much easier to clean, change, safer, etc etc.

Floyd used to live in some pretty unsanitary conditions, the people before me used shredded paper. When I brough my little guy home, my room smelled like a zoo. I changed the bedding and he just smells great all the time now. I smell him all the time =))


You can make a Carolina wheel for cheap too!!All you need is the cake lid itself, a rollerblade wheel, zipties, some plastic piping. If you want I can upload pics of it so you can see how it's put together. Your hedgehog will love you for it.
 
#8 ·
Please just switch to fleece.. Why anyone would want hedgehog rolling around in wood shavings, is beyond me. Fleece is just that much easier to clean, change, safer, etc etc.

Floyd used to live in some pretty unsanitary conditions, the people before me used shredded paper. When I brough my little guy home, my room smelled like a zoo. I changed the bedding and he just smells great all the time now. I smell him all the time =))

You can make a Carolina wheel for cheap too!!All you need is the cake lid itself, a rollerblade wheel, zipties, some plastic piping. If you want I can upload pics of it so you can see how it's put together. Your hedgehog will love you for it.
Why anyone would want to use a bedding type which is completely unnatural and does literally nothing for the hedgehog but only benefits the owner, is beyond me.

Fleece is one of the most hedgehog-unfriendly bedding types. It has about zero benefits for the hedgehog, but is invented as something easy and cheap for the owner. The only minor benefit for the hog might be the fact it's so unnatural and sterile, it's "safe".
Wood shavings aren't my favourite, but provide a better option for the hedgehog. It's up to the owner what they prefer and what they find more important.
Now, if you do want to switch to fleece, I recommend adding lots of other stuff so your hedgehog can still be a hedgehog and act on it's natural behaviour. It's doable on fleece, but asks for quite a lot of extra modifications which you don't need (as much) on other bedding types. I would personally never recommend fleece without any extra adjustments.

(Of course that first part was just joking as a bit of an exaggeration in copying you :p )
 
#18 ·
Thanks again, Floyd. I did a lot of research upon my wife receiving the little guy as a birthday gift. I read many articles that stated that pine shavings should not be used with hedgehogs but then again, I read a lot of articles that stated that pine shavings were OK to use with hedgehogs. By the same token, I read a lot of articles that stated that aspen shavings were toxic to hedgehogs and a lot of articles that stated that aspen shavings were OK to use with hedgehogs. Long story short: I've used both with my little hedgie and he burrows into them with no ill effects. I prefer the soft pine shavings because they are more uniform and they are not nearly as hard as the aspen shavings.

The pine shavings I use are cured, kiln dried and contain no toxins and no wood dust. They are very thin, which makes them very soft. They actually control odor much better than the aspen shavings. They present no danger to the little guy.

I do appreciate your opinions.
 
#13 ·
pine is very dangerous for hedgehogs if you really want to use shavings aspen is the only way but i absolutely recommend fleece. its cozy, sanitary, and if you cut some fleece strips then you have a snuggly place to burrow without the risk of a wood shaving getting stuck in their genitals or the cage being dusty. fleece is awesome!
 
#19 ·
Thank you for your reply, happytreecompany. I appreciate it. I understand what you are saying. I use very soft, cured, kiln dried, non-toxic, dust free pine shavings and have not had any problems. I monitor the little guy constantly and if I determine that the pine shavings are negatively affecting him in any way you can rest assured that I will choose a different bedding. As I mentioned before, I've tried using fleece and didn't particularly care for it.
 
#14 ·
  • Like
Reactions: Sichuan
#20 ·
Uncured pine can be very dangerous. However, if it's properly cured and ventilation is provided it's generally regarded as being fine. This link goes into more depth.
http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/bedding.shtml
Thank you for the reply, Prue. I use cured, kiln dried, not toxic and dust free soft pine wood shavings and the little guy loves it. I'm currently adding a second 2 ft. X 4 ft. cage to the one he currently lives in, so that he can go from one cage to another when he so desires, giving him twice the living area he currently has and twice the locations where he can happily burrow and hide. He's now in a Large Guinea Habitat cage, which is fully ventilated. His new addition, an X-Large Living World Deluxe Pet Habitat, is also mostly a wire cage with good ventilation.
 
#16 ·
Awesome that you're expanding your hedgie's cage! I made my own C&C cage, and hope to expand it again soon. :)

You mentioned having a heating pad for your hedgie. Have you considered using something else? Everything I've read and heard from breeders suggest that heating pads can be dangerous because they can cause burns and they don't heat the air, which is what hedgies need (air temperature should be around 75-80 degrees). If people use a heating pad, it seems like it's usually for supplement heat after a hibernation attempt, and is closely monitored at all times. A lot of folks either heat the whole house (yikes on the electric bill!), use a space heater, or go with a CHE bulb set up. I use a CHE myself, and love it! If you're interested, there is tons of info in the heating section of the forum. :)

Have a great day!
 
#21 ·
Awesome that you're expanding your hedgie's cage! I made my own C&C cage, and hope to expand it again soon. :)

You mentioned having a heating pad for your hedgie. Have you considered using something else? Everything I've read and heard from breeders suggest that heating pads can be dangerous because they can cause burns and they don't heat the air, which is what hedgies need (air temperature should be around 75-80 degrees). If people use a heating pad, it seems like it's usually for supplement heat after a hibernation attempt, and is closely monitored at all times. A lot of folks either heat the whole house (yikes on the electric bill!), use a space heater, or go with a CHE bulb set up. I use a CHE myself, and love it! If you're interested, there is tons of info in the heating section of the forum. :)

Have a great day!
Thank you for your input, AH. I appreciate it. Actually, I've been looking at CHE bulbs and fixtures for quite some time now. I'm still researching the bulbs as I don't know whether I need a 60 watt or 100 watt bulb. I'm considering the Zoo Med CHE, to go with the Zoo Med Deluxe Porcelain Clamp Lamp or the CHE and clamp lamp from Exotic Nutrition.

One of the heat pads I use is placed under the heavy duty canvass bottom of his Guinea Habitat, which is directly under his large hut. He refuses to sleep in his hut but he likes to burrow under it and sleep, keeping his body half on and half off the canvass covered heat pad. I also have a second heat pad under another section of his Guinea Habitat, directly under a sand textured ceramic tile that he hopefully will scratch enough to keep his nails filed down. He constantly scratches and rearranges his sleeping areas during the daytime hours. I just purchased the tile the other day and it stays colder than the rest of his cage, which is why I placed a heat pad under it. However, he doesn't seem to care for the tile, it being either too cold or too warm for him, or perhaps he simply prefers the feel of canvass over the feel of hard tile.

As always, I did a lot of research on heat pads before buying one. I use thermostats on the heat pads to make sure that they don't overheat and cause injury to the hedgie or cause damage to the cage bottom. These thermostats and heat pads are on GFI circuits. These thermostats will guarantee that the heat coming from the heat pads don't exceed a preset temperature, regardless of the temperature control within the heat pads themselves. I'm still trying to nail down the normal body temperature of an African Pygmy Hedgehog. I've read that it is anywhere from 99 to 120 degrees. I believe 99 is the more accurate temperature although I don't really know.

My hedgie resides in a room that keeps a constant 72 degree temperature. If that's not warm enough for him he always has the option of choosing one of the two heat pad locations within his cage. I've never noticed him getting sluggish.
 
#23 ·
I want everyone to know that I care very deeply about the welfare of animals, whether those animals are of the domesticated, wild or farm type. I've personally removed abused dogs from the ownership and control of individuals. I've signed in excess of 29,000 petitions involving the welfare of animals, whether those animals are associated with irresponsible breeders, bears in China and Vietnam that are held captive for bile extraction, dogs in China headed for someone's dinner plate, elephants and rhinos mercilessly abused and killed for their ivory and other animals facing extinction simply because their body parts or body products create profits for individuals and businesses.

I'm not blowing my own horn. I don't want a pat on the back. I don't want any credit for my actions. I just want you to be aware of how much I truly care about animal welfare and that I would never knowingly do anything to harm my little hedgie in any manner.

I sincerely appreciate all the replies to my thread and I'm certain that those on this forum care as much as I do about the health and well being of their pets.
 
#24 ·
The wattage of the bulb will depend on a few factors. The size of the area you are trying to heat, the ambient temperature of the room, and how well the cage holds heat. Since you're cage is more open and ventilated, I would go with a 100 watt bulb, but you may actually need two domes and bulbs. I say this because you're adding a second cage to expand out and that will probably be too much room for a single lamp to handle. You'll want the 10in dome to help spread the heat better.

72 degrees is on the low end of where a hedgehog should be kept at. But some do well in the cooler side of their spectrum. I prefer to keep it a bit warmer myself, but that's to give myself wiggle room in the event of a failure in the heat system.

Just so you know, I don't believe anyone here has intended to give you the impression that we think you don't care about the welfare of your animals. Hedgehogs are strange little creatures and there is just tons of misinformation out there that have led to the harm of hedgehogs and have caused them to be passed around from owner to owner because they just simply didn't know how to handle each part of their care. That's why we've been a little nit picky with the things you've told us. We know how difficult it is to get correct information on their care, and these are things many new owners just get wrong. They seem harmless enough, but the devil is in the details. We've had to lead people through too many vet visits to not say something before it's a problem.
 
#25 ·
Thank you again, shinydistraction. I appreciate the information. I'm never offended when someone offers me constructive criticism or steers me in the right direction. That's why I'm here, to glean the knowledge and experience of others. The new cage and treadmill wheel will arrive today. I received the Comfort Wheel yesterday and he loves it. It's very quiet but the manner in which it attaches to the cage is nothing to shout about. I prefer to keep the exercise wheels on their stands AND attach them to the cage, for stability. If the cage attachment swiveled it would be very simple to attach it and remove it but unfortunately that's not the case. Since I clean his wheel at least once and sometimes twice a day I'll simply remove the Comfort Wheel from its spindle when it's time to clean it. I may not have this problem with the new cage. It will be taller than the Guinea Habitat and I may be able to swivel the whole wheel and stand and install and remove it all in one piece. I'll know later today.

I'm currently looking at cage ramps and tunnels to determine which one I'll need to buy and how to configure it so that he can go from one cage to the other cage. I'd rather not cut and remove part of the wire on his Guinea Habitat or cut a hole in the wire or plastic bottom of his new Living World Deluxe Habitat.

I'm still checking out all the CHE bulbs and domes. I'll go with two 10 inch domes and the 100 watt bulbs since, as you stated, both of my cages are open enclosures. Since I'm new at this can you or others recommend a particular brand of bulb and fixture? I would appreciate it very much. Like any product, some brands of CHE bulbs and ceramic fixtures will be better than others. What cage temperature do you recommend? 75 degrees? 80 degrees? If these bulbs work as well as they should I'll be able to eliminate the heat pads, which the little guy doesn't seem to appreciate.
 
#27 ·
Thank you again, nikki, for your input. I have thermostats for the heat pads but I don't know if they will be compatible with the CHE bulb and dome fixture. Is there a particular thermostat you use or could recommend?

I'm having trouble finding a well made, durable 10/10-1/2 inch dome fixture with porcelain/ceramic socket. The ones I've managed to find are all rated as junk and unsafe by the majority of reviewers. I don't want a dome fixture that is going to catch fire or fall on the little guy.
 
#28 ·
I found my CHE bulbs on Amazon. They're Zilla brand, and I've had good luck with them. The 10" dome I found at Petco, and I believe it is Fluker's brand (rated for CHE use) but I'm told you can find them on Amazon as well.

I use the Zilla brand thermostat, with the 1000 watt capacity so I can plug two lamps in at once. I set my thermostat to 78, which (for me) means Hazel's cage is about 76-77 degrees...her preferred range. You'll want to play with it and see where you want it set. Once you figure it out, you can mark the thermostat with a silver Sharpie Marker so you know where to leave it at.
 
#29 · (Edited)
I use the Zilla brand thermostat said:
Thank you again, AH. I appreciate all the good information. I'm not too concerned about the CHE bulbs. It's the dome fixtures I'm worried about. The ones I've researched on Amazon all have bad reviews, stating that they are either flimsy, they overheat or they have loose wiring. I haven't yet checked out the Fluker fixtures, which I will do today.

I received the Treadmill Wheel from Exotic Nutrition yesterday but I have to return it. It's extremely quiet, noiseless basically, but either the shaft is bent or the wheel is bent. I received a prepaid return label from Exotic Nutrition and it will be replaced once they verify the defective wheel. I don't want a wheel that fluctuates up and down appx .75 inch because I don't want to put any stress on the little guy's spine. I'm almost certain he'll really like it.
 
#30 · (Edited)
AH, I forgot to ask you a question. Is there any difference between the white and the black CHE bulbs? Do either one of them emit any noticeable light that would disturb my hedgehog? I read one review that stated that the black CHE emitted a faint "red" glow and I read another review that stated that the white CHE emitted a faint, bluish "moon" glow. I've also read reviews on both types that stated that they emitted no light at all. I'm confused.

The white CHE I'm favoring is the BYB 100W 110V Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter and the black CHE I'm looking at is the 100W or 150W Pecute Reptile Heat Lamp Infrared Ceramic Heater Natural Heat Emitter.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top