Poopie Hedgie

[Lexington]

I've got a poopie little man. he's pretty good about going in his litter trays, the only time he doesn't use them is if he's on his wheel or unfortunately if i don't let him go before i pick him up to play (it then ends up on me, yuck!). He has yet to understand that after you go you don't walk through it so he constantly has poopie feet. I've tried just a wet cloth and letting him walk around in half a centimeter of water. Any other suggestions on how to keep his feet clean?

Thank you! Smile

 

[smhufflepuff]

My little guy has poopboots every morning after spending the night running and pooping and running through the poop on his wheel. It's a fairly common thing for hedgies to do. Each morning, he gets a little footbath and snuggletime. Then he settles down to sleep during the day with clean footsies. I worked out the same arrangement with Miss Satin: she worked hard during the night to make messies, I worked hard during the day to clean those messies up.

I've tried talking to them. I've offered litterboxes filled with different things. I've pinned up small signs. I've pointed out that they can avoid the dreaded footbath if they poop on NOT the wheel. Doesn't seem to make a difference. It is the hedgie way to run through poop.

It does get a little better as they get older - babies are such poop machines. But, in the end, best way is just to expect that they'll have poopboots and develop a routine to clean them up in the morning. And, one day, when they don't have poopboots, not only will you NOT be happy, you'll find yourself alarmed. What happened? Didn't you run? Did you not poop? Are you sick?!?!

Poopboots are good. Messy, but good.

 

[Kalandra]

Foot bathes daily is life with some hedgehogs. Outside of what you are doing, you might try baby wipes, but those only really work well if they have fresh poop on their feet. Once it dries, its pretty much time for a foot bath.

As already mentioned, the day you have a clean wheel or clean feet when they normally are poop covered, is the day when you start to worry and start to pray for poop to clean up again.

 

[Lexington]

Thank you, i think he hates it more than i mind doing it. i keep telling him that he wont have to do it if he just didn't walk through it but he just doesn't get it!

 

[Kalandra]

Some of them absolutely hate water, and act like you are torturing them. Tula gets so upset by water that just walking into the bathroom sets her off. There doesn't have to be running water or any in the sink. She just recognizes that room as the room where she gets wet and she doesn't like it. Thankfully her feet stay pretty clean.