Alternative Bedding Choice

With some pets comes the scent of knowing they are present. Hedgies are no different, in fact, they themselves healthwise do best without the smell and presence of their urine or feces deposits. These adorable little creature's sustain a better health by maintaining their cages for cleanliness.

Myself, I have found an alternate bedding and cage liner's to help maintain a fresher environment for the hedgies. Though it requires a regular cleaning each day, and a weekly washing, the scent of the animals in the room is less prevalent. The following is my alternative to bedding and lining for a hedgies cage:

Line bottom of the cage with a Hartz Liner. Over top of the liner place a puppy training pad. Most of these can be cut to fit. I put this 3/4 of the way across the cage. Then I put a "fleece" blanket to fit (cut to fit) 3/4 of the way across or on top of the same length as the training pad. In the 1/4 space of the cage where the cage liner still shows, put a piece of the training pad down, and place another piece on top of this one to give extra absorbency. Placement of the exercise wheel should be on this 1/4 area. When hedgehogs exercise in the nighttime hours, this will be the area they make their deposits as they do not generally deposit near their sleeping quarters. I put a litter box with non-scented clumping cat litter (6x9 rectangular box) along the back of the cage meeting to the back of the exercise wheel. I spray this litter lightly with "Hartz No Odor - cat litter" spray. This placement of the litter box helps to keep most of the animals deposits to one area and the litter absorbs the urine for clean up daily.
The extra piece of fleece if you have any can be used in the housing unit you have at the opposite end of the cage. The fleece blanket as your lining helps to keep your hedgie warm whereby serving two purposes. This alternate bedding has decreased the scent of the hedgies dramatically. They have used the litter box regularly as well, their deposits are more often under or around the exercise wheel, which I clear out nightly and replace with a fresh piece and spray with the No odor spray. I remove the fleece blanket weekly and wash it. I replace the liner under it if there is signs of urination outside of the 1/4 area, and I scoop out the clumping cat litter and replace with a little fresh litter each evening and again a light spray of no odor cat litter spray.

In addition to this, I bathe the hedgies every two to three days dependent upon their visual appearance. They sometimes wear their own mess LOL. Just one more idea to help reduce the odor that sometimes accompanies your pet.