Getting a Hedgie!

[horse_chic89]

oh no, i was logged in as Jules_77 when iposted that. oopsies(she and i are friends, she was over at my house yesterday) sorry for any confusion julie!!

[Jodi]

Congrats Mandie!! I'm sure you'll love your little guys!!


Here are some of my recomendations:
Feeding a mix of cat food & hedgie food is most recommended by hedgie owners & breeders. The ingredients in quality cat food is better than a lot of the hedgehog foods. Hedgies need a high protein, low fat diet. Good quality cat food is an excellent diet for hedgies.

Hedgie foods like 8 in 1 and Spikes Delight are "good" hedgie foods.

Some good cat foods are Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, Nutrience, Premium L'Avian & Wellness. Stay away from Iams (I've read it can cause liver problems in hedgies).

So the bottom line is...it's best to mix good quality cat food & good quality hedgie food. I mix 8 in 1 & Nutrience. With fresh fruit & veggies & mealworms.

Hedgies can have lots of different veggies & fruits too. Avoid stuff that has high fat, high sugar & high salt. Louie loves boiled chicken and small apple chunks. Some hedgies enjoy baby food (from a jar).

And don't forget about mealworms & crickets. Louie LOVES mealworms...he will literally run to get one when I offer it! Mealies & crickets are only used as treats though. They are not the main diet.
For the cage....I would recommend 2 Sterlite containers (most people use these) that you can connect with a PVC tube. Try to stay away from glass aquariums unless you're going to go with a big 55 gallon or bigger one. They need to have a lot of ventilation. The bigger the containers the better but go with what you can fit (& afford!) in your office. Youv'e seen Louie's cage which was really easy to make but not that cheap (about $125)...he has plenty of room to run & play.

For bedding I use Cellsorb Plus and it works great. I would HIGHLY recommend this. It's amazing stuff. http://www.cell-sorb-plus.com/ Most hedgie owners use this stuff and swear by it.

[lixx]

Quote: Originally Posted by Chinchilla_Girl Hedgie babies needing homes...what else?

Your heart is just too big! Congrats! I can't wait for pictures!!

[DirtySouthChins]

Mandie again I say how exciting..... guess we will be learning together on caring for hedgies
Jodi great info

[Denise]

Mandie, congrats on your new hedgie. Your zoo is expanding by the minute. How could you resist not adopting one?

[MissAmandasZoo]

yay! im sooo happy for you! I free feed oreo, but i have to use parrot or bird food bowls that clip to the side or he'll dump it all over. I feed him l'avian Plus hedgie food. I just found "healthy toppings" at petco. They are packs of dried fruit you mix in their food, or feed plain. Oreo loves the papya and mixed fruit ones! Here is his cage. I put left over vinyl tiles on the floor. It's a rabbit cage so i had to cover all of the wire floor. I switch his hedgie bags and nest boxes around.
He has a solid wheel. He loves mealies. I made a velux baggy with snaps or velcro at an open end that I put disposable handwarmers in to keep him warm. He can move it around if he's too hot or cold so its really great. He snuggles and treats little stuffed mice like his babies! soooo.. cute!! I used a spatula to get him out at first. He's quilling and really cranky! I give him warm baths with a tiny bit of olive oil to make him feel better. good luck!!

[Sassy]

Dried fruit is not recommended for hedgies Oreo,it can get stuck on their mouth and choke them.

[hedgehog_girl22]

I don't know if you're still looking for housing ideas, but I have a website on how to build a cheap 3 room hedgehog house: www.hoglets.com/house

[mrgew]

Hello if you have any questions feel free to ask as the first link Jules gave was for my cages. They work very well and for a cage aprox. 48x54" it costs like 45 bucs.

[Chinchilla_Girl]

Thanks Mrgew and hedgehog girl22... that site is so cute!! I really like how you arranged everything

[Sadie]

Congrats! I can't wait to see pictures!! =)