Hedgehogs need alot of room space to run about in and as such either need access to either a play pen or have a large cage. There is some debate as to how big the cage has to be, however I would say get the biggest one you can afford and go from there. I keep mine in a 3ft viv stack, wire cages are probably not suitable unless the wires are covered, this is due to the fact that hedgehogs can climb and they do not have the best eyesight, so can fall and injure themselves, they prefer either viv's (if you have one you need to make sure it has lots of ventillation as the humidity will definatly rise and this can lead to fungal infections and respiratory problems for the hog. (In past experience you need at least 5 vents in a 3ftx2ftx2ft viv, alternatively replace the glass with doors with mesh in) or zoozone cages. It is again down to the individual hog, Igel
has never had or shown the inclination to climb so he is fine in either a wire cage or a viv!
Below is a picture of my viv stack, they are about 100cm long, 50cm wide and 50cm high.
The Viv stack my dad and I made over the summer
Substrates
I personally keep my both my boy and girls on newspaper with a fleece liner on the top, but every one is different, I prefer paper as this is natural, and free :-).
I have heard some say that sawdust can get stuck to their undersides and can lead to urinary tract infections etc due to it causing a blockage. However it is totally up the the individual, if sawdust is used, it does need to be dust free. Other substrates include "yesterdays news", finacard and fleecy cage liners.
All 4 of my hoggies have home made wooden houses with bases that are made from treated MDF, curtesy of my wonderful and very handy dad! All the houses have a heat cable that runs under half to provide a heat spot if needed, this is on a stat. I use fleece for my bedding which I wash every week to keep clean and free from any little friends such as mites.
To sleep in I prefer a wooden house like the one in the picture above which is a home made one made from MDF then varnished to seal, and then I buy some cheap fleece blankets and cut them to size so they can make their own nests out of what they please.
I have also found that old fleece jackets and unwanted jumpers provide perfect bedding for them and they both love to roll up in them. Some people prefer fleece houses for their hogs and a link is provided in my links section to a person that makes houses for hogs :-), I have got 4 fleece pouches now, and these are perfect for travelling the hogs as they can be warmed prior to travelling and the hogs will stay nice and cosy and most of the time go to sleep!
Litter trays can be lined with kitchen roll, finacard or paperbased litters like yesterdays news or biolitter, it is personal preference which you use, I use a paper based litter as I find it the easiest to clean and it also prevents unwanted aromas too! Below is a typical viv set up, you can see the brown heat cable and a wheel with a tray and a tube! Clean fresh food and water should always be avaliable!
