Bedding, toys & hissing

Question
Hello again,

I am using newspaper to cover the cage bottom & torn up paper towel for some borrowing, is this ok? she always digs under her hide box every night... why does she do this? she also has a face cloth that she can sleep under if shes cold... is this safe? right now she has a cat jingle ball(the ones with the bell in it) in her cage... I think she should have other things to play with(do hedgehogs play?), I know she needs a wheel and will get one as soon as I can, but until then is there anything I can make for her so she has something to do? would she enjoy some hard plastic small baby toys to fling around? would it be better to have more cloth in the cage for her to curl up in if shes cold?, and lastly I know its normal for her to hiss of puff but everytime I have her out and pet her she hisses, puffs and seems to loung in the derection of the hand peting her or trying to pick her up... is this normal? will this stop or will she always be like this? thank you for your help it is apreacted.

Answer
No, the newspaper is not ok. Buy some proper bedding. No cedar. Can be the pulpy stuff or wood with little dust or some people kind of use astroturf. My hedgehog loved to dig, so I wouldnt worry. Are you using a cage that is big enough? I like the huge sterlite plastic storage containers. You don't need a lid.

Take the cloth out immediately. I cannot stress that enough. The threads can come lose and wrap themselves around the hedgehogs leg. Hedgehogs do not bother to untangle, and the thread can cut their leg very bad. You even have to watch out about your hair, that can cut very deeply into the leg.

Do not give baby toys, and it is debatable about the cat toy. A very cheap toy is to take a toliet paper tube and cut it in half so you have two tubes, and then to halfway split the tube. Hedgehogs love this.

You need some bonding time with your hedgehog. That is normal behavior for being scared. I bonded with my hedgie by watching tv. Sloutch and set the hedgehog on your chest/belly and just watch tv. No touching. Just let her get used to your scent. As she gets hot she will come out of the ball and either sleep or play. just leave her alone. Do this everyday. Soon she will learn that you are safe. At first it is best not to try to touch too much while bonding this way.