While it may be particularly unpleasant, one of the best ways of knowing how your hedgehog is doing is to keep an eye out on its poo. Just like any other pet poo, hedgehog poo will give an indication of what it eats as well as its general state of health. However, the rate at which a hedgehog poops and whether it can poop in their house is still unknown by many owners.
So, do hedgehogs poop in their house? Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals. Due to this, they will tend to spend most of the day sleeping and get out during the night to go for a poop. Since they feed during the night and sleep during the day, hedgehogs often poop in their house. Since pooping is a natural biological occurrence, you shouldn’t be surprised to find hedgehog poop outside their house when you wake up in the morning. It’s worth noting that younger hedgehogs tend to poop more in their house than older hedgehogs.
Looking out for particular areas where your hedgehog poops is a great way of learning how your pet companion behaves. Whether it’s in its house or outside in their cage, knowing where your hedgehog poops will give you a better chance of better managing their behavior. Read on to find out more about hedgehog poop behavior and how to toilet train your hedgehog.
Can you toilet train a hedgehog to use a litter box?
Cleaning up hedgehog poo is no easy task. Apart from the health risk that comes with cleaning hedgehog poop, the actual thought of picking up poop everywhere in your house can be daunting. Toilet training your hedgehog will not only make it faster to clean your hedgehog’s house but will also give you more time to spend more time with your hedgehog.
So, can you toilet train a hedgehog? Naturally, hedgehogs have evolved to live in the wild, where they do their toilet business out in the open. Hedgehogs can still be toilet trained to use a litter box, with the chances of success higher if toilet training is started at a younger age. That being said, some older hedgehogs can still be trained to use litter box.
While it’s possible to toilet train your hedgehog to use a litter box, it’s of utmost importance to be consistent in doing so once you start. Starting the process and giving up just after a few weeks will not yield any actionable results. Toilet training your hedgehog is something that will definitely take a long time, but the results are definitely rewarding.
In a nutshell, toilet training your hedgehog is all about placing your pet companion in a litter box when they’re about to poop. The aim of this is that with time your hedgehog will be able to poop in the litter box on its own.
It’s for this reason that one of the most important skills that you should possess as a hedgehog owner is the ability to recognize when your pet is about to go to the bathroom. When you fail to take note of this habit, then you’ll not stand a better chance of toilet training your hedgehog.
How To Toilet Train Your Hedgehog
Toilet training your hedgehog to use a litter box requires trying to put the hedgehog into a litter box when they are about to poop. Hedgehogs raise their rear in anticipation of pooping and it’s at this time they should be moved to their litter box.
Knowing how to litter train your hedgehog will help in avoiding many of the common causes of illnesses associated with hygiene. Bacteria and parasites live in hedgehogs digestive systems and often come out in their poop. Therefore, you’d want your hedgehog to be healthy with good hygiene as well.
Whilst a litter box is a great way of toilet training a hedgehog it’s important to note, that hedgehogs can still poop outside of their litter box. Especially when they are walking or running on their exercise wheels, where they tend to poop whilst they are moving. A litter box in this instance will just make reduce the poop on the cage floor but no eliminate any that ends up on the exercise wheel or is flinged from the exercise wheel.
You can use the following methods to effectively toilet train your hedgehog and have a hygienic environment.
Get the Necessary Supplies
The first thing to do in order to effectively toilet train your hedgehog is to get your hands on all the necessary supplies that you need to get all set up. You can either buy or make a litter box yourself. However, if you decide to do the latter, then using a tissue box or a cardboard of the same size will be your best bet. Generally, once you have a litter box, you will be set to start the training process.
Start Potty Training
Before starting the actual toilet training, one of the most important things to do is to strategically set up your litter box. To do this, ensure to place the box in an easily accessible place, more preferably, close to the hedgehog’s cage.
Now that you’ve set up the litter box, it’s time to start the potty training. Keep in mind that the younger your hedgehog is, the better the chances of training him within the shortest time possible. However, it’s also possible to potty train your older hedgehog too.
While at it, ensure to be consistent and patient in your training efforts. As mentioned above, the core aim of potty training is to ensure that your hedgehog poops in the litter box and not anywhere else.
Apply the Defecation Relocation Method
This method is arguably the easiest way of toilet training your hedgehog. To effectively apply this method, you should first make the litter pan different from the rest of the cage lining. You can use a different color lining or wrap the pan with old newspaper. Thereafter, go ahead to position the pan underneath the hedgehogs playing wheel.
Once the pan is strategically placed, go ahead to relocate a few pieces of poop and urine into the litter box.
While this may look like a long shot, you should expect your hedgehog to adapt to using the litter tray within two weeks. The catch is to ensure that you clean the litter box each and every day and replace the empty tray with any poop lying around.
Be Patient!
While some hedgehogs will catch up with using a litter box with ease, some will take longer. Ideally, there’s no telling how long you will take to successfully and effectively toilet train your hedgehog. The only thing that you can control is the level of consistency and effort you put into the training process.
It all boils down to how patient you are with your hedgehog. Keep in mind that if litter training works, your overall hedgehog ownership experience will be heightened. You’ll spend more time bonding with your hedgehog and less time cleaning or buying more beddings.
Will a Hedgehog Use a Litter Box as a Bathroom?
A litter box is one way of reducing the task of cleaning your hedgehog’s poop and pee. When you buy or build an enclosure for your hedgehog, you might be wondering if it is necessary to place a litter box.
Some hedgehogs will use a litter box as a bathroom if they are trained to do it. Some will use the litter box sporadically, and you have to check their enclosure for poops. The probability of your hedgehog using the litter box is all down to luck. There are instances where a hedgehog will start using a litter box with little to no training.
Training your hedgehog to use the litter box is hard work and requires patience. Your hedgehog will not instantly use the litter box, but it might use it within a few weeks with consistent training. To train your hedgehog, you should first place a litter box in its enclosure. The litter box should be low enough for your hedgehog to climb in and large enough for it to move around. Place the litter box in an area where your hedgehog likes to poop.
Place a few droppings in the litter box to help the hedgehog know where it should poop. Check for signs that show your hedgehog wants to poop. Every time your hedgehog exhibits those signs, pick it up and take it to the litter box.
You have to do this for a while and do not give up. Some hedgehogs will start using the litter box even after months of training. It will not be 100% accurate once your hedgehog learns to use the litter box, other times, it will poop anywhere it wants.
Do Hedgehogs Poop Everywhere?
Hedgehogs will poop anywhere and everywhere when they want to go for a poop and this can include pooping where they sleep, where they exercise and near where they feed and drink. Hedgehogs will even poop when they are being washed in their bath water. Hedgehogs can also poop when they are moving as well as when they are stationary.
It’s important to make sure the hedgehog doesn’t soil their food, as they can sometimes turn away from their food bowl and start pooping. Inadvertantly this poop can end up in their food bowl. I always check the food bowl for any remnants of poop and remove this often solidified poop from the food bowl. Sometimes, I have to wash the food bowl, as some of the poop has solidified, particularly to the sides of the bowl and this can require soaking to make it easier to get the poop off.
Water bowls need to be cleaned out everyday as it’s no easy task just removing any poop remnants and hoping the water is clean. It’s just better, more hygienic and safer for the hedgehog to have clean, fresh water everyday. Hedgehogs that can drink from water dispensers, have less likelihood of fouling the water but care should still be taken to ensure the nozzle from where the hedgehog drinks from is still clean and free from poop.
Do Hedgehogs Poop When They Run on Their Running Wheel?
Hedgehogs are biological beings, and just like any other biological creature, whatever they eat must be excreted. However, many owners are astonished at how hedgehogs poop everywhere from their houses to around their cages, even as they are moving.
So, do hedgehogs poop when they run on their running wheel? Hedgehogs do poop when they are running on their exercise wheel and this poop ends up on their feet, solidifying into what is known as poop boots. The running wheels need to be cleaned regularly, to stop the levels of poop building up and hedgehogs need their feet cleaned regularly to remove the poop stuck to their feet.
Hedgehogs, just like any other creatures are meant to poop. It’s a pretty simple fact about living creatures. In their natural habitat, hedgehogs are accustomed to poop while running and the poop get left behind. Therefore, you should expect a hedgehog to poop while it’s on the running wheel. The only difference is that while hedgehogs leave their poop behind while in the wild, they make a mess once they poop in their running wheel.
Some hedgehog owners find it hard to come to terms with their hedgehog pooping while running on their wheels and decide to do away with the wheels. It’s worth noting that since pooping is a natural physiological process, denying your hedgehog a running wheel will do little to help. The least you can do is to clean the wheel on a daily basis to maintain optimal hygienic conditions.
Why Does My Hedgehog Keep Pooping on Me?
Pet hedgehogs are quiet and entertaining, but they require a lot of care. Hedgehogs have a reputation for being poop machines; therefore, you must be ready to clean up their poop every day. Hedgehogs poop a lot, and it might happen any time, even when you are cuddling it.
So, why does my hedgehog keep pooping on me? Most hedgehogs will poop anywhere and anytime, including when you are handling them. Your hedgehog pooping on you is part of owning a pet hedgehog. It happens mostly with young hedgehogs and untrained adult hedgehogs. If you want your hedgehog to stop pooping on you, you have to train it to use the litter box in its enclosure.
Hedgehog poop smells and leaves stains on clothes; therefore, letting your hedgehog keep pooping on you might lead to an embarrassing encounter with your guests or coworkers. Read on to find out more on why your hedgehog poops on you, whether they poop when scared or sleeping, whether hedgehogs rub poop on themselves, and whether they can use a litter box as a bathroom.
Why Does My Hedgehog Poop on Me?
Hedgehogs are cute and small, making playtime an enjoyable time. Since hedgehogs are nocturnal, playtime is short, and you do not want anything to ruin it. Their tendency to poop any time when awake is something you have to get used to.
Your hedgehog is pooping on you because it felt the urge to poop. Hedgehogs can poop anywhere at any time. Most pet hedgehogs will poop whenever they have the urge to do so. Unlike other household pets, hedgehogs lack self-control when it comes to regulating bodily functions. When you pick up your hedgehog and cuddle, it will poop on you if it gets the urge. Moving your hedgehog around also makes it poop.
Hedgehogs usually poop a few minutes after waking up. It might poop inside the enclosure or in its litter box if there is some poop left in its system. Therefore, you can wait until your hedgehog has pooped, or you can risk it and pet it a few minutes after waking up.
To avoid getting pooped on, you can bathe your hedgehog. Hedgehogs poop a lot more than adults, and a bath can stimulate them to poop. Before you spend time with your hedgehog, prepare a shallow bath and rub your hedgehog’s feet.
The bath is a signal that it is time to get everything out of their system. Most adult hedgehogs will not poop on you after a bath, but baby hedgehogs may still have some poop left in them.
You should also watch the type of food you give your hedgehog. Foods with lots of fillers have no nutritional value to your hedgehog and will pass right through them. The more you feed your hedgehog low-quality food, the more it poops.
Give high-quality food to your hedgehog, its digestive system will absorb most of it, and your hedgehog will have less poop in its system. Do not overfeed your hedgehog. The more it eats, the more it poops.
When handling your hedgehog, you can also use a cover. Most people cuddle their hedgehogs while sitting on their bed or couch. Without using a cover, the poop and pee could stain your clothes, couch, or bed covers.
You can also train your hedgehog to poop in a designated area. You can place a litter box in your hedgehog’s enclosure and train your hedgehog to use it. Not all hedgehogs learn to poop in their litter boxes, and for some, it might take a long time, but it is worth trying.
What Does It Mean When a Hedgehog Poops on You?
Hedgehogs poop a lot, and, sometimes, they can poop on you when you are handling them. After sometimes you might start wondering if your cute little pet is doing it on purpose or are there hidden reasons why it is doing so.
It does not mean anything when your hedgehog poops on you. It’s just doing it because it’s is used to pooping anywhere at any time. Most people will handle their hedgehogs after they wake up, and within the next few minutes, the hedgehogs will poop on them. Young hedgehogs poop the most, and it will happen whenever you handle them.
Stress can also make your hedgehog poop on you. Not all hedgehogs like to be handled, and there are many ways a hedgehog will use to communicate to you that you should leave it alone. Most hedgehogs will hiss or puff when you approach or pick them up. If you continue handling a stressed hedgehog, it might poop on you.
Illness can also make your hedgehog poop on you. When your hedgehog is ill, it might lack control even if you have trained it to poop in its litter box. Check the texture of the poop to determine if your hedgehog is unwell. If your hedgehog keeps pooping on you, and the texture has all the illness signifiers, you should take it to a veterinarian.
Do Hedgehogs Poop When Scared?
Fear can cause your hedgehog to react in different ways. Hedgehogs are small, and any interaction with larger animals can lead to disastrous results. When you hold your hedgehog, especially during the first few weeks, it will react differently.
Sometimes, hedgehogs will poop when scared or nervous. Hedgehogs are small prey animals, and the size of their owners can be terrifying. A hedgehog pooping when scared will happen during the first few weeks after getting it from the pet store since your hedgehog is yet to trust you, and every time you approach it, it thinks you want to harm it. The stress makes your hedgehog lose control of its bodily functions every time you are handling it. Check the color of the poop, and green poop is a sign that your hedgehog is scared and stressed.
Your Hedgehog will stop pooping when scared after getting used to you. You should try and bond with it as soon as possible. You should avoid putting your hedgehog in a stressful situation, such as picking it from above.
Use both hands to pick your hedgehog from underneath. At first, your hedgehog will curl into a ball or poop a little. Once your hedgehog gets used to your presence, it might stop curling into a ball or pooping on you.
Most hedgehogs prefer to spend their time alone than cuddling with their owner. If your hedgehog is struggling to get away from you, let it go. Most of the time, hedgehogs love to move around and explore their surroundings.
When your hedgehog moves around the house, and you go after it, it might think you are a predator. If you have to pick up your hedgehog, do it slowly. Quick movements will make your hedgehog scared and nervous.
Do Hedgehogs Poop Where They Sleep?
Cleaning the poop of your hedgehog is not fun and also unpleasant. However, you have to do it because a dirty enclosure could make your hedgehog sick. Since hedgehogs are active during the night, it can be difficult to monitor their pooping habits.
Hedgehogs will poop where they sleep, especially young ones and adults that have not been trained to use the litter box. Hedgehogs poop a lot, especially after they wake up. Therefore, it is upon you to train them to poop in a designated area. Training hedgehogs to poop in their litter box is a difficult task. However, if you are successful, it will make cleaning the enclosure easy.
To stop your hedgehog from pooping where they sleep, you have to train them. Most people provide their hedgehogs with hides or small sleeping bags to sleep in. You can train your hedgehog or ask a breeder to train your hedgehog to use the litter box. You can start early when your hedgehog is young.
If training does not work, you have to clean the enclosure regularly. The accumulation of poop and pee in the enclosure is a health hazard, especially if your hedgehog is quilling. A dirty enclosure is a breeding ground for bacteria and other harmful microorganisms.
If you do not clean your hedgehog’s enclosure, your pet could get sick. You should use the appropriate substrate as flooring in your hedgehog’s enclosure to make it easy for you to clean the enclosure.
Do Hedgehogs Rub Poop on Themselves?
Sometimes, hedgehogs will rub their poop on themselves. It is a self-defense mechanism to protect themselves from predators. Some animals, especially predators, will rub their poop on their bodies to mask their scent to make it easy for them to sneak up on their prey. Hedgehogs rub poop on their bodies so that they can hide from predators.
Your hedgehog does not need to mask its scent at home because there are no predators. However, there are instances when your hedgehog will rub its poop on its body. During the first few weeks after getting your hedgehog from the pet store or breeder, it might rub its poop on itself because it does not trust its new environment. Therefore, your hedgehog will treat you as a threat and will try to hide away from you.
Your hedgehog will also rub poop on its body when you introduce another hedgehog or another pet. New smells on your or around the house will make your hedgehog rub poop on its body.
To prevent your hedgehog from rubbing poop on itself, make sure you clean its enclosure. You should also avoid changing your scent every day. Try and have a consistent scent on you because your hedgehog uses scent to identify animals and people around them. You should also avoid putting your hedgehog in stressful situations.
Finally
Understanding how your hedgehog behaves is crucial in according it comfort and better health. When it comes to poop, it’s important to remember that as a biological creature, a hedgehog can poop anywhere at any time. The good news is that you can potty train your hedgehog in order to minimize any side effects of the poop to your health.
The mere thought of making hedgehogs’ pets is a clear indication that they can be trained to follow directions. This also applies to toilet training your hedgehog. However, it’s worth noting that the younger the hedgehog, the higher the chances of effectively toilet training it. Even so, you can most definitely toilet train your older hedgehog.
Spending time with your cute hedgehog is fun until it poops in your hands or clothes. A hedgehog will poop at any moment, especially after waking up. Most people play or handle their hedgehog a few minutes after it has woken up, and if your hedgehog is not trained, it will poop on you. Young, injured, or ill hedgehogs are the most likely to poop on you.
Hedgehogs can lose control of their bodily functions when scared or nervous. Therefore, make sure you do not expose your hedgehog to stressful situations. You should also clean your hedgehog’s enclosure. Most of them will poop where they sleep. If your hedgehog sleeps in a blanket, make sure you wash it regularly. You can train your hedgehog to use a litter box as a bathroom, but you have to be patient and persistent because the results are not immediate.
