Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/24 03:32When I picked up my hedgehog the cage package came with the corn cob bedding. I was going to pick up the corn cob bedding again but doing some reading of the articles on here it does not seem to be a good bedding. So what do you all recommend.
Also what litter should I get. Marley does not not seem to like to use the litter box I have been picking up the poop every morning and putting it into the litter but no progress yet
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Heinrich
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/24 04:28We used the corn cob litter for about 2 weeks on our new Hedgie and she sneezed and started squeaking, so we changed to kiln-dried aspen shavings and so far, so good. I think and shavings that don't smell a lot work, but don't take my word for it, we've only had Heinrich for 2 weeks now. We, too, haven't had any luck with the potty training , so far she just uses her wheel so any other tips on that would be great. (Like what to use for litter).
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SpikesMommy
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/25 00:12I use fleece/vellux liners for most of my cage but for spikes litter box and under his wheel I use carefresh. I started out with pine shavings but after he got shavings stuck to his "boy parts" and it made him bleed I switched.
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Meatwad
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/25 00:17I'm going to Petco right now. I think I'm going to stick with the corb cob bedding. He does not seem to mind it.
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Meatwad
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/25 01:43I'm going to check with the forums first before I use this litter.
I bought Purina "Yesterday's News" cat litter -Moisture Locking Paper Pellets - Question will he eat them? -Unscented -Dust free, well 99.7% dust free
I also use yesterdays news cat litter in her litter box and i find it to be a very good alternative to corn cob bedding. I have had no problems with it so far and this is what my vet recomended to use the most. I have fleece liners and i placed her litter under her wheel and she eventually got the hang of it. Also when I take her out and I see that she is pooping I immediatly placeher in her small litter box to get her used to doing it there and now she pees in her litter box and does most of her poops in it too. But dont get your hopes up they will never be completly clean they always let a few slip. Bye Sabrina
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Meatwad
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/25 14:16The first thing he did when I set him in the litter box is start chewing on them
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Kiwisoo
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/25 14:24Like you, (same breeder for both our hedgies), I started with the corncob litter. It kept getting stuck in Oliver's penile sheath and he wasn't too happy when I had to try and get it out. I wrote to this forum and got many suggestions. I tried the paper bedding, but it was a mess. Stuck to quills and I was afraid Oliver would eat it. Changed to a wood bedding called Super Shavings and have been happy ever since. Oliver's runny nose has gone away and there's much less dust.
I gave up on the litter training and just put a folded paper towel beneath the wheel. He goes in there and it rolls off onto the paper towel.
Linda
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Meatwad
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/25 22:55Kiwisoo wrote: It kept getting stuck in Oliver's penile sheath
How could you tell it was getting stuck there?
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Kiwisoo
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/26 01:10Because when I turned him over, there was a big piece of corncob stuck in there.
I had heard that this may happen so when I first used the corn cob, I checked to see if it was happening. It was.
Needless to say, it was a bit touchy trying to get him to let me get it out. I'd had him for less than a week and he was not exactly sure of what I was about to do.
Since switching to the Super Shavings, nothing gets stuck under there at all.
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HamorHollow
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/27 00:37Meatwad wrote: When I picked up my hedgehog the cage package came with the corn cob bedding.
*shakes head* Oh my.
Kiwisoo wrote: Because when I turned him over, there was a big piece of corncob stuck in there.
OUCH!
*shakes head some more* Ya, corn cob is really bad for hedgehogs. It's worse on males, but not good for females either.
-KKelly Sosik-Hamor Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. | Do you want to buy a baby Hedgehog? Please fill out out questionnaire. | Hedgehog World - A Community for African Pygmy Hedgehog Owners and Breeders
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Kiwisoo
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/28 16:16Yep. I hadn't had Oliver for more than 3 days and I was trying to get him to let me remove corn cob from his private parts.
Oh yeah--have had him since mid-Feb and the longer he is with us, the less he wants to interact.
No matter how much I handle him, he takes awhile to put his quills down, and if I just move to shift position he gets jumpy and defensive.
He was definitely not socialized very well at the breeder's.
Linda
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HamorHollow
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/28 18:14Just hang in there and don't let him intimidate you. Hedgehogs are very smart and if they figure out that they can get away with something then they will keep doing it.
How old is he? Maybe he's going through a quilling, which would explain the moodiness.
-KKelly Sosik-Hamor Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. | Do you want to buy a baby Hedgehog? Please fill out out questionnaire. | Hedgehog World - A Community for African Pygmy Hedgehog Owners and Breeders
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Kiwisoo
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/28 21:04Oh, believe me, I am not intimidated by Oliver at all. He is four months old or so, I am not seeing any lost quills anywhere right now. He is actually pulling his hiding tube in front of the opening to his sleep tent so that no one can see him while he's in there. This is a new behavior.
If he is up and eating and I come in the room, he runs and hides. He has always been fearful.
I can handle him but we have to just be relaxing in one place or he is safe in his hedgie bag as I wear it.
My kids can only touch him if I am holding him.
I do keep handling him and carrying him around, but sometimes personalities can be set, you know? Maybe he's just not very social, I don't know.
But I sure do love the little bugger!
Linda
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Quilted_Lamb
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/04/30 02:56I do keep handling him and carrying him around, but sometimes personalities can be set, you know? Maybe he's just not very social, I don't know. Sometimes they can take up to a year to become social, but it sounds like you might just have a shy guy on your hands. I wish you the best of luck with your little guy! Hedgie hugs...Tiffany
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LoriL
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/05/03 20:51When I picked up Mikey, he had been using the corncob bedding at the breeder's. I didn't want to use that, and because of the human's in my house having many allergies and asthma, I had already decided that I would use fabric liners in the cage.
I love using the liners! It took a bit for Mikey to adjust, the poor guy, but he seems to really like it now. Of course, I switched him from corncob bedding to liners, from a water bottle to a water bowl and of course he had to get used to us too. Quite a bit for the poor boy. He is very shy too.
Anyway, he seems to be training himself to go in the litter box too and I think the liners help. Really the only time he has an accident is during the time he's sleeping and I don't know if it's because he goes while he's sleeping or if it's because he wakes up, needs to go, but doesn't want to because the light is on and he's shy.
The litter box is under the wheel, and he goes in that and whatever he does in the wheel then falls into the litter box. The true test was the night a couple of nights ago that I kept the wheel out because I clipped his nail too close and was a little nervous about him wheeling, and he went in the litter box with only one accident in the cage!
I've had Mikey now for 2 1/2 weeks, and he's still pretty shy with us, but he seems to be adjusting to his cage and is happy in it. Wheels like a maniac!
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Meatwad
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/05/04 00:32Well I switched out the corn cob bedding today for the carefresh. I think the switch may of stressed him alittle bit because he had some runny poops. What to I do with corn cob bedding I have a lot left. Can I pop it? Oh wait that is popcorn sorry.
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HamorHollow
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Re:Litter & Bedding - 2006/05/04 04:13Meatwad wrote: What to I do with corn cob bedding I have a lot left. Can I pop it? Oh wait that is popcorn sorry.
-KKelly Sosik-Hamor Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. | Do you want to buy a baby Hedgehog? Please fill out out questionnaire. | Hedgehog World - A Community for African Pygmy Hedgehog Owners and Breeders
You can throw the corncob bedding away, or if you know of someone with a garden they might gladly take it off your hands for you. It's great in compost, or so I've been told. Hedgie hugs...Tiffany
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