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Hey guys, if I were to get a large hamster ball, would it be safe to let a hedgie roll around in one? And if so, would it still be dangerous to have a hedgie in the ball around a dog? 
hamster balls...good or bad?
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ok. i thought the air holes would be a problem...but...i really didn't think about poop.
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I got Coraline a ball thinking that since she caught on the the wheel so quickly then the ball would be ok... She did not take to it at all. She would just sit in it, I would save the money and get some sort of play pen.
I purchase a large exercise ball a while back, figuring if my hedgehogs liked wheels, they would like the ball....unfortunately, I was wrong. Most of them were not interested at all and refused to move in it....those who did move pooped and it was huge mess. I would definately recommend a playpen with some tubes to run through over a ball
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- bad ventilation -> constant inhaling poop fumes
- nails can get caught in the slits and get ripped off
- dog + ball = hedgie soccer -> very traumatized if not severely injured hedgie
And...be careful if you're going to introduce dog and hedgie, as one bite, one trample is enough to kill the hedgie from external and/or internal injuries.
Playpen where the dog can't get at the hedgie is much safer.
- nails can get caught in the slits and get ripped off
- dog + ball = hedgie soccer -> very traumatized if not severely injured hedgie
And...be careful if you're going to introduce dog and hedgie, as one bite, one trample is enough to kill the hedgie from external and/or internal injuries.
Playpen where the dog can't get at the hedgie is much safer.
I put my hedgehog in a ferret-sized ball and he loves exploring and smelling the apartment! He hasn't gone potty in it yet... but I'm sure he will someday. As far as his nails are concerned, they don't really ever come in contact with the air slits, so I'm not really worried about him getting a nail caught.
I personally won't even put my hamster in those hamster balls. It may seem like your hedgehog (or hamster) is having a blast but when a hedgehog is in one of those balls, you basically take away it senses. It sense of smell is cut off, it's hearing is cut off too, and it's certainly not going to give the hedgie a better view of the world. And honestly, constantly crashing into walls and objects does not sound fun for a hedgehog. I'm sure if your hedgehog has a chance to escape those balls, it will. But of course, when they try to climb up the sides, they just end up rolling. And really, it just takes the fun away from you. How can you interact with you hedgie when its trapped in a ball? And obviously the ventilation isn't fantastic either.
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I have not put my hedgie in there, but they are great for hamsters! My little girl who REFUSES to be held loves her out of the cage ball time. I can't pick her up to put her in the ball (she is like a water snake when held, ahah!) so I just put the ball in her cage and she immediately runs over to it and climbs in! Sometimes we let her "free roam" a bit on an enclosed couch, but she always runs right into her ball again to go exploring. So I don't think they are scary for all animals, but they are not good for hedgies when you can get a safe play space. Unfortunately, safe play spaces for hamsters are not as easy to achieve :lol:
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Wish I had searched for this article before I bought a ball. I purchased two of them and both of my hedgies panicked. I felt so bad! One panicked immediately and pottied and the other froze in a half-ball, refused to move. I waited with him (Whyte) to see if he just needed to warm up to the idea but his body-language was very stressed so I took them both out of their balls. Could have saved myself and them the stress and money, oops! Then I thought maybe they just needed a larger clear ball but after reading these posts I wont bother. Thanks.
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I had one for my mouse and it worked ok at first. Eventually I grew to hate because if she peed in it would get all over the floor through the slits, all over her, and all over me when I went to take her out. On top of that she almost escaped a few times because the lid came off and she got out of it. We always found her close to the discarded ball and she was very tame so just scooped her up again but it still scared me. After getting rid of the ball Bianca enjoyed playtime on a high table covered with newspaper and an old towel.
For a hedgehog with bad sight and bad depth perception I would say that those balls are a death trap. Not to mention messy.
For a hedgehog with bad sight and bad depth perception I would say that those balls are a death trap. Not to mention messy.
I have a ball for Mika, and never thought about the air slits. All she did was sit in it wondering wth I was doing putting her inside something like that lol. At this point, I'm thinking of plugging the holes and keeping the lid off, and maybe she'll use it as a nest.
Also, it looks like you can unscrew the screws to separate it into two hemispheres. I can take a Dremel tool and cut a door, sand it down, and give Mika a more permanent igloo than a cardboard box =D. Keep the slits unplugged, and she'll have proper ventilation too.
Also, it looks like you can unscrew the screws to separate it into two hemispheres. I can take a Dremel tool and cut a door, sand it down, and give Mika a more permanent igloo than a cardboard box =D. Keep the slits unplugged, and she'll have proper ventilation too.
I've got one for Beck, and though I haven't used it in a long time, he actually used to love it. As in, I would lay it open on the ground and he would RUN into it. Nowadays, he's been spoiled because he just has free run of my room all the time, so he might not be as excited about it now, but before I was in my own place it was the only way he was allowed to explore outside of his cage (parents were quite strict about hedgehogs, messes, shavings, etc-- I don't have to worry about that in residence ). He never used to poop in his either. Each hedgehog is different?
). He never used to poop in his either. Each hedgehog is different?
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I had a 3 year-old hedgie, Max (RIP), last year who loved using a ball. He was a very large guy. Each night I would take him out, give him a snack, and after he pottied I'd place him in the ball. I can see how all of the issues everyone mentioned could come into play. My current hedgie, Prince, is still young and a bit unpredictable with his pooping so I'm not comfortable leaving him the ball.
Sarah
Sarah
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