courtno said:
I thought it was pretty extensive, but yeah, I've never heard of the water pan, or chewing or rubbing their face on stuff. That stuff is in one of the sources, though. Also, I've read on websites before that corncob bedding is the BEST bedding! I don't use it, but thought that was odd. And most sites I've been to have also said to use regular cat litter. Adler never took to potty training though.
For everything someone says about raising a hedgehog, it seems someone else will say something opposite. Personally, I use a water bottle for my hedgehog and she has no problems with using it. I can tell a noticeable difference in the water levels.
I don't think the article is necessarily wrong, most of the things are about preference.
But yeah, the swimming thing was my main issue. NEVER heard that before.
I don't want to cause an argument but I have to disagree with you. Just because the article had sources doesn't mean those sources were correct or that those things are just a matter of preference. Sure some things are preference, one layer of fleece or two, which foods in the mix and how many. Aspen shavings or recycled paper bedding.
Leaving a pan of water in the cage for a hedgehog to swim in makes no sense, first of all no matter how warm it is when the hedgehog leaves the pan they will be to cold and will try to hibernate. Swimming too often causes dry skin because water washes off natural oils. Also it goes against their natural instincts to swim because they cannot ball up so are vulnerable. Some hedgehogs like water but that doesn't mean they need a swimming pool in the cage.
If they chew on something hard like a rock (which is the stupidest thing to recommend as an animal chew toy) they will break their teeth which don't grow back. Quigley has several missing teeth from his previous caregivers giving him rawhide and a water bottle.
The websites that say corncob bedding is the best are flat out wrong. It is not good for females because they can still get it stuck in private areas (although less easily) and because so many small animals have been known to eat it. Plus it stinks and is not comfortable for the hedgehog (or any other animal) to walk on/burrow in.
Cat litter is dangerous for hedgehogs because it is dusty, it sticks to private parts that are probably touching it when the hedgehog relieves it self, it can stick the hedgehogs nose if they sniff or burrow in it and if it clumps these problems are even worse. Furthermore if it is the cat litter with crystals I'm pretty sure it's toxic. Saying regular cat litter without a further qualifier is a recipe for disaster. Some have said that you can use, non-clumping, non-crystal stuff but it still has the dust problem and a certain amount will still get stuck to the hedgehogs nose. Also it doesn't absorb smell and really stinks as soon as an animal pees in it.
Most sites about hedgehogs are wrong and when people here give reasons for why something is not used or is not preferred it's clear to see who knows what they are talking about.
What you say is a matter of preference is the difference between things that are preferred because they are safer and generally better for the hedgehog VS things that a hedgehog can live with but have the potential to cause problems (like dust or bad ventilation in aquariums)
Quigley lived for over two years in a pet store that did not handle him, did not clean the cage regularly, had a water bottle in the cage, a wood hut that was too small, wood shavings that stunk, had no heat source with the cage in a drafty window, and gave him rawhide. He never had a wheel and he was on low quality greasy kitten food.
These people probably thought they were caring for him at least sufficiently because he survived. Is that good enough for our hedgehogs?
I am to lazy to type all that :lol:
