Sterilised soil as a more natural alternative?

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CmdrVimes

New member
Joined
Oct 1, 2012
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3
Location
Cannock Staffordshire
After being constantly nagged at by Simon, with him arguing that they don't come into contact with fleece in their natural habitat.... (but then he read that African Pygmy Hedgehogs wouldn't even be found in the wild as they are a hybrid species created by humans?) My question then, although fleece is a preferred substrate by the majority of hoggie owners that I have researched into "the way they do it", could I use sterilised soil to create a more "natural looking" abode, giving the hoggie the suitable substrate for burrowing?

I'm not saying I am definitely wanting to do this, I'm just trying to get him off my back. He had a go at me ages ago for putting a cuddly toy in with my bearded dragon, (he said what was the point in trying to keep it natural looking if i was going to ruin it with fluffy stuff?!) his bossy "I know everything" attitude today is "if you don't set it up as I tell you it should be set up, then I'm not interested and don't want to hear anything about it". *sigh*


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How would yo go about sterilizing?
I don't think I would use soil if any thing i would use coco.
I've thought about doing a small area with sterilized coco but theres no garentee you wont end up with a Hedgie who just inhaled dirt/dust..
For me potential harm far out weighs the potential benefits.

My opinion, I would tell this guy to take a hike... I personally don't do well with ignorance... It realy sounds like he doesn't know any thing about hogs and yet he's trying to control what you do for your animal...
Personally I don't Belive in various substrates for beardys either... If I could go back remove the substrate from my beardies tank and use reptile carpet instead I would still have my beardy. He died of impaction due to eating the substrate while feeding on crickets etc.

The thought of all animals we keep as pets having A natural environment is nice but not practical and in many cases not hygienic or safe for our domesticated animals. The animals we keep as pets are a far cry from the ones found in the wild.
Having lizards is not the same as having a dog, cat, Hedgie, or Chinchilla... We don't build a forest for our cats in a room with natural trees and shrubs but no one expects us to.
 
Here's an idea tho- perhaps you two could compramise and get a fleece/flannel print such as 'forest floor' some thing along those lines and purchase a superpet Tree trunk ( http://www.superpetusa.com/product-list/natural-tree-trunk-hideout-large.htm ) to use as an igloo with blankets and Hedgie bags made out of matching forest print material ?

One section of my hedgies cage I will be doing this exact thing... Maybe a sterilized rock for some thing different? It can have a natural look but you need to put primary focus on cleanliness and above all health.
 
I'm not a big fan of soil for hedgies. The first thing I think of is how messy/dirty their little feet and bellies would be. For cuddle time, you'd have to bathe them first... unless you're willling to get messy. And bath time is near the top of most every hedgie's list of hated activities.

I also think of the poopboots these little ones get stuck to their feet from running and pooping on their wheels. Then I'm imagining the pee plus dirt mudboot layer.

Next thing I think of is health/hygiene. Any cut or abrasion on their feet or underside needs to be kept clean... hard to do with dirt. any time you cut a nail too short, it can happen. A night of over-enthusiastic wheeling, it can happen. For the more plump ladies, urine can get trapped in their skin folds, causing irritation... I can keep going, but i'll stop for now.

Hedgies are prey animals. They hide illnesses and injuries. One way we often pick up on the fact that something is wrong is when we look at their fleece liners and see a urine spot that is tinged with red or brown. You can't see that in dirt. Or we'll see messy, malformed, of off-color poops... easy to see on fleece; not so easy to see in dirt.

There's also convenience for regular cleaning... pull up the fleece, shake off the poops, and toss it into the washer and dryer. I'm not so sure you'll want to be scooping up dirt, cleaning under where it was, and replacing with new dirt.

Add to that... what if hegie is ill? Or has mites? You can pull out the fleece, wash and dry on superhot, and wipe down the cage itself every day or every other day for weeks as needed. Try that with dirt... not so easy.
 
I much prefer fleece for the cleanliness factor as well. For burrowing, I would use cut up fleece strips or maybe a digging box with some aspen shavings. Just my opinion...plus I hate giving baths as much as my hedgie hates receiving them...best to keep them to a minimum.
 
Okies, thank you so much for your input guys! I really value your opinions and you've all proved that sterilised soil or any kind of small particle dusty/dirty substrate is just not an option. :) I DID think that this would be the case, but I wanted something to show to Simon to further support my side of the "argument". Since watching "The Dictator" he has been rather "do it my way or the highway" in attitude. Heheh

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using XParent Purple Tapatalk 2
 
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