[Dana]

Hello everyone. I'm still finalizing my cage set up as we've decided to get the little one on Thurs. which will be the day before my son's b-day. I will pry her out of him and post pics, though not for awhile til she settles in as I want things as quiet and stress-free as our home of three boys and a whole bunch of abandoned pets can be! My son, Christian, wants her in his room. We have only two tanks there - one for fish, one for newts. I did get the ceramic emitter and thermostat today, so I feel a whole lot better about that as I was unable to comprehend the set up until finally seeing it in person.

Anyway, my son's room has a HEPA filter for the room. On "high", it's a lot of constant white noise. Will this upset the hedgehog to your knowledge? If so, I won't put her in there as they boys have a play room that's home to our leopard gecko, hamster and guinea pig at the moment. Obviously, they all their individual spaces and the boys are very conscientious about each animal's needs.

Please give me your input on the noise factor.

Thanks for everything I value your advice. I was told by three pet stores and the adoption agent that a heater wasn't needed, btw. I trust you all far more than I do them at this point! I do trust the adoption agent who cited having more issues w/ the hedgies' health during heat waves. They are housed in an air conditioned trailer, but I'm sure it's very warm (Ft. Laud.) at night now and esp. in the summer after a hurricane takes out the power, so I'm not discounting her opinion, just putting it in perspective. I find her generally well-informed, but not an expert on all animals.

Dana

 

[dorasdaddy]

I have a space heater in my room that makes more noise than a hepa filter and my girls seem to do just fine with it....and unlike the hepa filter, my heater is not constant since it is on a thermostat. i think they will get used to the constant noise much quicker than a case like mine.

On a side note, i am a hvac installer and was wondering if you have checked into a system called Clean Effects? You can get it from any Trane contractor and it attaches to your current central heat and air system to provide electrostatic air filtration for the entire house. If you have the HEPA filter for your sons alergies then i am sure you will see a great benefit from having the entire house filtered.

 

[Dana]

I have checked into that - but only a little. We moved into the house (knocked down the old one, took 5 years to build, etc.) three years ago and do have Trane A/Cs. We're right by the beach and they are supposed to be best for corrosion, etc. Who really knows as nothing lasts long this close to the ocean? Anyway, this son (my oldest of three, 9 on Friday) and I have horrible dust allergies but are negative for all of our pets, though I'm highly allergic to Timothy grass (hay is used by our guinea pig - switched to blocks for the most part to avoid the visible pollen on the ends.) Anyway, he and I both use the HEPA in our rooms for dust.

I forgot that space heaters are common so the filter should be OK. Will have to check into the whole house filter (have the water one and it makes a huge difference) when funds permit!

I think you and I are a lot alike. I saw your other post and I have to agree as I get VERY attached to the friends I rescue and am utterly devastated at each loss along the way. I am getting better about some of them - the old, infirmed, those who had a good life w/ us. We've never attempted to breed anything - not sure I could, not that I judge those that do as long as it's responsibly, but I also doubt the boys or I would be able to give up the babies! We are inadvertant newt captive breeders at the moment, and the boys think we can keep all ~20 should they all make it through metamorph! Our numbers are great and my husband thinks I'm a fool to take in yet another orphan in this hedgie, but every so often, something calls to me and I feel compelled to step in. They wouldn't be able to place her, I fear, and when the adoption counselor thought Christian is the boy for this challenge, I had to say "Yes" though she and I both knew that my arriving to "look" at her would be an implied "yes!"

Thanks,
Dana

 

[dorasdaddy]

I guarantee that you will see a 100% improvement in the air quality with the Clean Effects. That way you get filtration and allergy relief in the entire house, not just your bedrooms...it works so good that it will literally pull the smell of onion out of the air.

 

[smhufflepuff]

I have a HEPA filter and have used it on high, medium, and low with my hedgie. It typically sits about 2' away from her cage. She doesn't seem bothered the noise... no huffing or puffing when I turn it on. No visible or audible agitation while it runs. I think she pretty much ignores it.

 

[Dana]

Thank you! I won't worry, then!

Dana