A soon-to-be hedgie owner looking for a good cage?

[whitetiger55]

Excellent!

Thanks so much! And you should all be shocked to hear that I am actually posting this message with no questions attached!

Thanks so much, guys, you are all SO helpful and friendly!

See you around!

-Tiger

[whitetiger55]

Argh, I hate having to double post here, sorry about this.

Anyway, so I was wondering, is a playpen neccesary? Also, can I take my future Hedgie outside in my backyard on warm summer afternoons? (we have absolutley no potential predators in the area, except cats...but that isn\'t a problem if i am sitting right next to the hedgie) and if I can, should I let him explore and eat plants (none are poisonous to humans in our backyard) and bugs as he wishes? I live in Bellevue (Seattle area in Washington) if this helps any.

Thanks!

[smhufflepuff]

I don\'t know that a playpen is necessary, but it\'s worked out as a good idea for my hedgie. She gets more room to explore on the floor during playtime and I don\'t have to hover over her, worrying about her darting under the couch or somewhere else that would be really difficult to retrieve her from.

[whitetiger55]

Oooh, ok, thanks! Well, to me, it seems like a rather wise investment to make, so I think I probably will.

Thanks!

Do you know anything about the outdoors? I heard one person post that they are thinking of letting their hedgie play in their critter ball in the grass, I think this sounds smart, but I\'d like some other opinions besides just my own.


Thank you to everyone helping me!

[jick]

I think the pen is a good idea. While it hasn\'t been necessary for me it has been convenient if I need to run to the bathroom or whatever for a minute and need a safe spot to put Ham. Also it\'s fun to hide bugs around the pen under toys and in tubes and whatnot. It seems to stimulate activity, which for Ham, has been necessary. :cheer:

Outside you need to watch the temperature.The big thing with having a hedgehog eat bugs in your backyard is that you do not know where they came from, meaning that they could be poisoned or carrying disease or something.

[omelette]

i would advise against letting your hedgie eat anything outside. plants and bugs can be carrying diseases, and could have been sprayed with pesticides. which could prove to be harmful to your hedgie. so if you take him/her outside make sure you are watching at all times. a play pen is a good idea if you want to let your hedgie run about in a restricted area. a critter ball would also be a good idea to let your hedgie run about outside. although neither one is absolutely necessary.