Heating

[Ria]

I use kaytee clean and cosy as litter as its soft and white, and shredded cardboard thats been made safe for animals and dust extracted.

The kaytee is cheaper than the care fresh but is the same thing. I use the animal safe shredded cardboard as I can get it in bigger bags so it lasts longer and its not that expensive here either. Its mainly use as horse bedding.

I always forget about the water bottle trick to be honest but that works too.

[Brooke Lancelot]

Lmao ok, I put in the water bottle and Igor curled up next to it for a bit. That was adorable.

I also put in some toys to get him to stop climbing the bars.
I got the socks and put mealworms in them, and I used a toilet paper roll, put a pupa in that one. He smelled the pupa, lifted the one side of the toilet roll, looked inside, tried fitting inside (his head doesn't even fit) and then left it. Since he lifted it, the pupa dropped down to the other side, and he forgot about the toy, then when he moved past it, he smelled it and gobbled it up. He hasn't touched the socks yet 😂
Ok so I have the lamp on, and the water bottle in. I also gave him two blankets to sleep under.
Hopefully it works and keeps him warm for tonight.

[Ria]

It should should do for warmth, sounds like he had fun, cut the toilet rolls so it has a slit down it that way if he doesn't give up he wont get stuck as the slit makes it easier to get it off.

You could make a forage tray and hide insects in there as well as some if the cat biscuit, hedgehogs love this.
Holly's whole cage is basically forage for her😂

[Mecki]

@Brooke, could you post a photo of your set-up? That might make it easier for everyone to suggest ways to make the CHE work in the winter time.

[Brooke Lancelot]

Ok here's the setup!

First picture is the cage. The Heat Lamp is on the left side.

Second picture I closed the cage with the blanket, not covering the Heat Lamp.

[Ria]

The biggest problem with the blanket is gonna be during the day it blocks out light.. and then that will mess up the day/night cycle.

[Mecki]

Originally Posted by Brooke Lancelot

Ok here's the setup!

First picture is the cage. The Heat Lamp is on the left side.

Second picture I closed the cage with the blanket, not covering the Heat Lamp.

Aaahh.. Now I see the likely problem. Heat, as you know, rises. The way you have the bulb on the side, no wonder the heat is escaping.

What you need is to have the bulb in a dome. The dome is then placed on the top of the cage facing downward. This disperses the heat down into the cage. Otherwise the heat from the bulb isn't being directed where it needs to go. Here is a link for such a dome:
https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta...gateway&sr=8-1

You also need to get a thermostat so that you can set a specific temperature. This will prevent the cage from over-heating and will also keep it from ever getting too cold. Here is an example of a simple one:
https://www.amazon.com/Ohuhu-Thermos...%2C214&sr=8-18

I have a thermostat that shows 2 separate temps -- the temperature I set it for and also the currrent temperature in the cage (a probe reads the temp). The only way the cage can overheat is if the indoor house temperature gets too hot - it won't be from the heat bulb if it is plugged into a set thermostat.

Once you have this kind of set-up, you will be able to see whether or not that will be enough to keep it warm without any other cage adjustments. If it does not, then you could easily put something like coroplast along the back wall of the cage and perhaps on a side wall as well. In short, it will be much easier to see how to regulate the temp once you have a dome with a thermostat.

[Ria]

Domes are better for these cages, however you can the heat lamp like that, and cover the back and the side opposite in chloroplast. Then if you dot tin foil on the sides and top it will bounce heat back into the cage too. Then what she has already and where she has it works.

Also can try finding a guard for that heat set up you have will also help, this guard can also be sat on top of the cage and the heat will go down into the cage - Again I did this for a few months when I was saving money to change her cage to a vivarium so it was pointless getting a dome when I would need the one like this that screws into the viv.

If you do feel like its going to be better to get a dome then go ahead. They aren't overly expensive in many places.

[Brooke Lancelot]

Igor's in my bed the whole day through. I put him in his cage at night.

The dome, uhm, ok so I place it ontop of the cage? And point it down into the cage? It'll work?

And the thermostat will regulate the temperature. Do I just... Plug the thermostat onto the dome and it'll be connected to the lamp in the dome?

Ok the guard. I tried googling it but I'm still not sure I understand. Can you maybe explain what a guard is and what it does?

You also said to cover the back and opposite sides of the cage in chloroplast. The back, does that mean thr back of the lamp or the back on the other side of the cage?

[Ria]

I'd show you but for whatever reason I still cant attach photos. Its called ceramic heater guard.

The back of the other side, so the one opposite the che and then to the left of that one. So from where you took the photo u have the front, the che side the back and then the side opposite the che.

The dome you got it right just place it in the stop of the cage (still worth coving up two sides of the cage) and then it will go down into the cage.

The thermostat should have a plug socket on one cable, which you just plug the dome into and then the just plug the thermostat into the mains, this will then work together to heat the cage to the temp you set the thermostat to, well as long as the prob is in the cage it should be hog level.