Spike's Delight and thehedgieden question

[blueserenity22]

If it's tl;dr, I've summarized my two questions at the bottom.


My boyfriend and I decided, on Thursday, that we want to get a hedgehog. Since then I have been absorbing hedgie-care info like crazy and am starting to feel like I have a much better grasp on the little guys. I got directed over here from livejournal and most of my would-be questions have already been discussed. Woo!

However, I do have a question about the breeder that we are choosing (who is three hours away!). Here is the link to the "care package" that she offers. So far, the things that she has on her list, seem to be the same things that everyone else has been suggesting.

With one exception: Spike's Delight and Select Diet. Is this acceptable food for a hedgehog? Someone else posted a link of various possible foods, and it was not on there... so I am thinking it is probably not a good food. I've heard positive things about Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul food, and we have a store, literally, across the street that sells it so changing food won't be hard.


Okay, one more question. I am planning on using cloth liners because I've been reading that they are safer/healthier/more comfortable for hedgies. I saw a link to thehedgieden, but can't find how to *order* anything. Am I supposed to e-mail the owner and tell him/her what I want, and then find out how much it will cost?


So, to recap my unnecessary novella: Should I switch from Spike's Delight, and how do I order the linings/etc from thehedgieden.

Thank you very much!

 

[smhufflepuff]

Spike's isn't the best, but it's an okay food for hedgie if used in combination with other foods. If you change over from Spike's to CSCLS (and/or other foods), do it slowly... gradually mix in a little more of the new food and less of the old food over the course of a couple weeks. And you can always leave a little of the Spike's in.

Nancy (on this board) is thehedgieden person. I think you just email her. But you can PM her to be sure.

 

[Kiah-Muz]

It would be best to change from Spike's Delight- but as Hufflepuff said- do it gradually, and you should also try to mix two to three different foods. Example- our hedgehog is on a mixture of Royal Canin and Blue Buffalo.

Nancy's page offers a few email addresses, I would email her along the lines of saying you want to order liners then she'll send you order forms (I believe).She's pretty helpful/leaniant on how orders go.

 

[drewmw]

Hey there! I actually got my little hedige from that same breeder back in November. She is a really nice lady who really cares about her animals. When I picked up my hedgie, the breeder gave me a bag of Spike's Delite and something else I don't remember the name of. My hedgie seemed to like it, and that was what I fed her for about a month and a half. Then I gradually switched her to a mix of Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul and Blue Buffalo, which she has been doing well on.

Additionally, the breeder suggested I buy some bedding from her, which was a big bag of pine pellets. It was nice bedding- it didn't smell or anything like that. However, it did make lots of noise when my hedgie would move around, which was a problem since her cage is in my bedroom. So after about two months, I decided to switch her to fleece liners. I just went to JoAnn fabrics and got some fleece, then cut pieces to fit in the bottom of the cage. I replace it every week or as needed. I have had very good luck with it, and my hedgie seems to like the fleece-y-ness.

I hope this has helped. Good luck with your future hedgie!

 

[ike66]

I also purchased my hedgie and 2 chins from this breeder. My roommate also got 2 skinnypigs from her as well. She was very nice and answered all our questions before our 5 hour drive back home. All of our animals are doing great and seem very healthy.

 

[Mab]

I have ordered all my bedding from Nancy (TheHedgieDen). They are of wonderful quality and beautiful. People comment on my hedgie's bedding all the time. Nancy is also a great help if you have any questions - I highly recommend her products.

 

[LucksAngel28]

Yes, you can email Nancy at one of the addresses on her website to order products. They are wonderful, and I think anyone you ask would highly recommend her.

There are a couple of things you may want to consider about the care package. First, many people, including my hedgehog, would suggest that you use a bowl for water, rather than a bottle, as there have been cases of hedgies getting their tongues stuck in the tube part of the bottles. Of course, there are people who use both, but I gave Maserati both and she actually chose the bowl, so I ended up getting rid of the bottle.

Second, depending on your hedgehog, you will probably have better luck with an under-the-wheel litter pan than a corner litter pan, at least to begin with (be sure to use something bigger like Yesterday's News rather than cat litter). And, speaking of wheels, I would recommend the $10 upgrade to a bucket wheel. It will be worth it because they are quieter and SO much easier to clean.

Good luck with everything! :cute: