# Wow, there is nothing pygmy about an African Pygmy Hedgehogs poo!



## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

Our new APH just did her first real poo with us and its huge!

I had no idea they could produce poo's of such size!

I guess I was expecting some kind of rabbit pellet type poo, but its more like a cats! :gasp:


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## paula72 (May 13, 2010)

Ha ha, I so remember the conversations held in my house about my first hogs poos, how big are they!!!:2thumb:


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## slimeysnail (Jan 29, 2009)

Lol if you think that your hogs poo is big, I suggest you dont start breeding!! .. lol as my females' seem to hold on to their poo for a couple of days after the birth.. and you ought to see the size of those!! Lmao. :whistling2:

Glad you have experienced your first poo though.. plenty more to come lmao!!:lol2:


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## fantapants (Jan 4, 2008)

wait til you have to scrape it off the wheel everyday. That stuff dries like cement and smells like oxo cubes that have been wet and left in the sun for too long  its seriously good advice to get 2 wheels so you an saok one for a good few hours and save your nails/brillo pads!


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## purpleskyes (Oct 15, 2007)

APH poo is one of the many things I hate about the little things.


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

Its OK, I dont need to clean it.

Its my OH's little baby so she can have that little excitement.


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

Remember that a good plan for reducing smell is to mix in an indoor cat food kibble

My mix is 2 cups of PAH (senior I think), 2 cups of Iams (which the hog came with, I will buy something else next time) and 1 cup of Go Cat Indoor and it is working brilliantly at reducing poop odour.


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## ambyglam (Nov 16, 2009)

the poo of mine does not smell all that bad!

but then it depends what the substrate is, for thos keeping their hogs on fleece or carpet there is too much absorbancy into the actual fleece/carpet. I keep mine on aspen so maybe thats y its not so bad!


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Its easy to train hedgehogs to use a sand tray as a toilet:2thumb:


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

Mine uses his litter box without fail, though of course some can fall just outside the box if he has gone whilst running on the wheel, which is stationed inside the box.

I personally use fleece, but that isnt the issue as he doesnt pee or poop on it, only issue is finding dropped quills in it when I hand wash the fleece...thats ouch


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

Our plan is to litter train her and use fleece


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## Rum_Kitty (Jun 14, 2009)

After 18 months plus of hog keeping I'm still occasionally astounded by the size of some of the poos that come out of the hogs. And it stinks. :lol2:


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## Pinkchi (Nov 23, 2009)

Oh yes, hedghog poo is quite special isn't it lol
Its amazing just how much poo actually comes out of something that small, quite impressive!
Don't have a problem with a smell here either and I use fleece with kitchen roll in her litter tray oh and she has go cat indoor as part of her mix


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## Avyron (Jun 29, 2010)

Spent weeks training mine to use the litter box, then I gave her a wheel and wondered why I bothered


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## Annihilation (Nov 2, 2009)

I just think it mells real bad! Especially the first time you hold it, and it craps on you. not good!


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## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Mmmmm.

Ours has to crap on me every time I get him out, despite being very tame, lil horror!
Then, just when you think he has completely emptied his bowels, whoah!, out pops another............

Dave


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

Shell - How would you go about doing that, I am really interested in trying that out when I get my APH.


Also, I think I'll probably be using some sort of woodshavings- Probably Pets At Homes- can you use the scented one to reduce the smell maybe?


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Cleo27 said:


> Shell - How would you go about doing that, I am really interested in trying that out when I get my APH.
> 
> 
> Buy your hoglet from a good breeder and it will already be trained to use a sand/litter tray
> ...


 
I wouldnt use scented shavings as it could irritate the hogs eyes and nose. I use finacard as a substrate and as my 3 use a sandtray once the trays and wheels are cleaned there is no smell.


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

Our little noobie hog seems to like to poo on me too, got me two nights in a row now.

She seems to be getting settled however - But she still huffs like a little nutter when I pick her up.

Iv found it takes here about ten minutes to un ball and start to wander about.

Odd little things!


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## Mrs Mental (May 5, 2009)

Hector was great to litter train, I just picked up his poo's and put them into his litter tray and within 2 days he just used his tray good as gold. His disc is in his tray as well so if he wee's or poo's while he's running it all goes in there automatically.

I keep him on fleece and change it every few days and use kitchen roll in his litter tray and change that daily and soak his wheel

I'm still just as pleased with the little guy as when I first got him twelve months ago :flrt::flrt:


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## andaroo (Nov 14, 2008)

fantapants said:


> wait til you have to scrape it off the wheel everyday. That stuff dries like cement and smells like oxo cubes that have been wet and left in the sun for too long  its seriously good advice to get 2 wheels so you an saok one for a good few hours and save your nails/brillo pads!


omg that is so true haha I have always thought the same thing about the oxo cube smell! I think their pee smells like chicken stock cubes!

Ours always pees and poos whenever I've just taken him out or usually right whilst i'm holding him! :devil:


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## talanie506 (Nov 24, 2009)

my neices saw Ted poo for the first time saturday.

the youngest one said when i got home ' it was so big i wanted to text you'. :no1:

im having no luck whatsoever on the litter training, unless poo-ing on the wheel and all over the fleece counts, as at least he doesnt poo in his bed anymore.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

talanie506 said:


> my neices saw Ted poo for the first time saturday.
> 
> the youngest one said when i got home ' it was so big i wanted to text you'. :no1:
> 
> im having no luck whatsoever on the litter training, unless poo-ing on the wheel and all over the fleece counts, as at least he doesnt poo in his bed anymore.


 
Have you put his wheel in his litter tray?


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## talanie506 (Nov 24, 2009)

i did, but then he slept in the litter tray and poo-ed in his igloo.
he used to be a free range hedgehog and he did have favorite places to poo, but since he kept hiding behind the kitchen cupboards for weeks he's been imprisoned and now he just goes where he is stood.


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

talanie506 said:


> i did, but then he slept in the litter tray and poo-ed in his igloo.
> he used to be a free range hedgehog and he did have favorite places to poo, but since he kept hiding behind the kitchen cupboards for weeks he's been imprisoned and now he just goes where he is stood.


 
Makes our little girl sounds positivly well trained 

She is hitting the litter tray with most her poo now!

We are getting a nice 40x20x20 vivarium with extra vents for her this week too. Cant wait to make it all plush for her


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

purpleskyes said:


> APH poo is one of the many things I hate about the little things.


What is there to hate about them:gasp:, they are unbeleivably cute and very easy to care for!

-

My hedgehog, Bramble, who I got on Friday- doesn't really do big poo's. Infact, I expected them to be much bigger and smellier. :lol2: 
They are wonderful, couldn't imagine not having one now hehe :flrt: xx


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

Yeah I have to admit that the hog we have has grown on me. I wasnt convinced when we got her.

We got ours as a pet for my wife, who was promptly poorly for 2 weeks so I have been doing a lot of the handling.

Princess (the hog) is a right little huffy miss tho. When I try to pick her up she always balls up and hops up and down. Normally takes her a good ten minutes to stop being moody! But she does make me laugh when she starts to run about.

I could use some good handling tips I guess, as she tends to spike me a lot. Also any tips to help with the poo and wee after they wake up would be great!

She always seems to 'go' about ten minutes or so after I wake her up.


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

*APH advice.*

Well I'm not exactly what you would call an expert!

*toilet.*
But I have found that Bramble usually go's between 5-15 minutes after being out. It must be because they are sleeping during the day, generally being un-active, and then the movement causes their bowels to move too.

Personally I don't bother with a litter box, I just remove any poop when I see it. Gives them a little bit more space - the litter trays can be a little bit bulky. Usually you can see their toilet 'hot-spots' lol, and besides, they are clean little creatures too.

*handling*
Since the hedgehogs are nocturnal, I usually try and bring Bramble out between the hours of 8-10pm. I try and handle him for at least a hour per night- half an hour would be perfectly fine, it's just I kind of want to get him used to me and getting handled in a short amount of time, and I have found that the extra half hour I give him has really payed off!
I just kind of talk to him for about a minute before I actually get him out of his zoozone- they have got pretty crap eyesight, and just going in and picking him/her up is probably going to give them a fright. Once I have finished talking to him I gently scoop him up in a sort of fleecey blanket, and keep talking and reassuring him. I usually find talking to him and holding him close to me makes him slightly calmer. 
They don't really like getting woken up during the day and they are quite huffy if woken, so try and avoid handling in the daytime, you're just going to have a angry little ball of spikes, usually resulting in you getting pricked. 
Giving the hedgehog treats such as mealies and little bits of chicken, show your hedgie that you're not going to harm them, and they will probably start to see you as the 'mealie machine'. Lmao.
I have found that just sitting beside the cage at night and talking to Bramble has made him a little more confident with me.

Even though I have only had him for 5 days now I have seen a *massive* improvement from what he was like when I first got him. He hasn't balled up since the 2nd day and he seems to be enjoying handling and me interacting with him.

Hope this helps a little bit : victory:
www.pygmyhogs.co.uk - join this forum, they are all very helpful and will try and help you with virtually any question you throw at them


Oh and post some pics hehe :flrt:xx


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## excession (Apr 11, 2009)

Cleo27 said:


> Well I'm not exactly what you would call an expert!
> 
> *toilet.*
> But I have found that Bramble usually go's between 5-15 minutes after being out. It must be because they are sleeping during the day, generally being un-active, and then the movement causes their bowels to move too.
> ...



Thank you for the tips!

Spent a while waking her up slowly tonight, she still seems very scared.

Will noises like fish tank pumps and TV make her more jumpy?

We are moving her to a new viv in the reptile room in a few days which will be quieter.

Ahh pictures, I can help with that!

Here you are:


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

*handling your hog!!*



excession said:


> Thank you for the tips!
> 
> Spent a while waking her up slowly tonight, she still seems very scared.
> 
> ...


Awwww she is lovely :flrt:!
Well I have kinda found loud noises or even something as simple as a light switch can make them jump and have a wee huff. So maybe try to handle her in the quietest place in your house, maybe somewhere with the TV on quite low, for the first couple of days until she comes out of her shell a little. Well thats what I've done with Bramble:whistling2:
They are the type of animals that basically give you back just as much as you put in, and are very rewarding when they finally begin to trust you.
As I said, keep feeding her little treats and talk in a calm, soothing voice - and I'm sure she'll come round in no time!: victory:
He is much better and I have saw so much improvement in such a short time. There is obviously some hedgehogs that are just huffy, and that's their personality, but with a bit of coaxing and lots of love - all of them can start to tolerate (and enjoy!) handling.

Oh and one more thing! What I have done is handle Bramble in a room where he can kind of walk around in and have a sniff about, the best place for that in my house is my hall because theres nothing that can do any damage to him. Its also quite quiet. Now I have moved into the living room and just sat on the couch with him watching TV or surfing the internet, just to get him used to my movements etc. Now I have turned the TV up to normal volume and it doesn't bother him at all now, because he has been introduced to it gradually. He's starting to really enjoy handling, when I put my hand in the cage I *always* offer a treat, and usually this acts as a token and he knows that if he's good and comes out he'll get a reward. This saves me footering around with hides and fleeces trying to get him out. So maybe you should give that a try too.

Let us know how you get on.
Remember it might take days, weeks or even months - every hedgie is different !

Hope this helps, Brooke : victory:


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

I only have fleece pouches for my hedgehog and when taking him out take out the fleece bag, which I then pop on a removable strap over my shoulder like a handbag. Walking around for 10-15 mins like this whilst I get sorted get his tunnel, treats etc together, feed the other animals, tidy up the side whatever to spend the time whilst he wakes up. 

Then simply sit on the sofa and place the bag down and he comes out fine for the mealies and a wander etc. To pick him up I always try to lift him with the bag and then lower him gently on to my bare hands rather than come over him with my hands and pick him straight up 

I have to admit though that Heath is a little odd, I rehomed him from a home where he was brought for a child, and he wakes up and is best behaved around 2pm for handling, which is maybe when the childs Mum use to let him out after school. I still get him out around 9pm, but he is never quite as happy as he is at 2ish.:flrt:


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## Cleo27 (Jan 9, 2010)

Kare said:


> I only have fleece pouches for my hedgehog and when taking him out take out the fleece bag, which I then pop on a removable strap over my shoulder like a handbag. Walking around for 10-15 mins like this whilst I get sorted get his tunnel, treats etc together, feed the other animals, tidy up the side whatever to spend the time whilst he wakes up.
> 
> Then simply sit on the sofa and place the bag down and he comes out fine for the mealies and a wander etc. To pick him up I always try to lift him with the bag and then lower him gently on to my bare hands rather than come over him with my hands and pick him straight up
> 
> I have to admit though that Heath is a little odd, I rehomed him from a home where he was brought for a child, and he wakes up and is best behaved around 2pm for handling, which is maybe when the childs Mum use to let him out after school. I still get him out around 9pm, but he is never quite as happy as he is at 2ish.:flrt:


 
Bramble usually starts coming out between 3pm - 11pm, I usually see him at these times.. sometimes slightly earlier. I try and take him out at about 8, and he seems quite happy getting out at this time. I still pick him up with a fleece when he first comes out, so he feels abit more secure, but 5 minutes later he's out and about crawling on me hehe :flrt:
Love him loads he's my baby now lmao :lol2:xxxxxxx


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## talanie506 (Nov 24, 2009)

OMG. i cant believe ive been so dense! he didnt like the litter, so i just put kitchen roll in. then i put the wheel *over* the litter tray and HE USES IT! in seven days only one accident! SHell195 you are fab! xxx
he still isnt up and its 23.37 but hey, he poos in his tray.....
and he runs away when there's any scary noises on the telly.
my favorite so far.. the kids were watching the 2nd twilight film ( i promise i was not perving over the youth in the shorts) and a werewolf roared and he belted off across the floor and hid under my coat. 

werewolves 1 .. hedgehogs 0


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

talanie506 said:


> OMG. i cant believe ive been so dense! he didnt like the litter, so i just put kitchen roll in. then i put the wheel *over* the litter tray and HE USES IT! in seven days only one accident! SHell195 you are fab! xxx
> he still isnt up and its 23.37 but hey, he poos in his tray.....


 

:lol2: Thanks. You need to start waking your hog up at an earlier time and once he realises he gets mealies he will get into the habit and be waiting for you


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