How to Best Heat a Wire Hedgehog Cage

How to Best Heat a Wire Hedgehog Cage. Hedgehogs have special heat requirements that must be met in order to keep them healthy and happy. Attaching a ceramic heat emitter bulb and clamp lamp is the best way to heat wire hedgehog cages. Other heat sources can cause serious problems for your hedgehog's living conditions. Heaters placed under the tank can melt plastic bottom pans or unsafely warm any metal. Heat lamps provide too much light, and space heaters can be difficult to control. However, ceramic heat emitters provide warmth without extra light and can be controlled with a thermostat to create an optimal environment for your pet.

Things Needed

• 100-watt ceramic heat emitter bulb
• Ceramic heat clamp lamp
• Thermostat device

Step 1

Attach the ceramic heat emitter bulb to the ceramic clamp lamp. Do not use a metal lamp, as the heat from the bulb can warm the lamp to a dangerous temperature.

Step 2

Affix the clamp lamp to the outside of your wire hedgehog cage using the included clamping parts. Position the lamp directly above the cage or near the top of one of the sides.

Step 3

Attach the thermostat device to the heat lamp following its package directions. Position the thermostat inside the cage so that you can accurately read the cage's temperature.

Step 4

Set the thermostat according to your hedgehog's needs. Hedgehogs require a constant heat setting between 73 and 78 degrees F, with an optimal average of 75 degrees.

References

• Millermeade Farm's Critter Connection: Hedgehogs: Bedding & Accessories
• Hedgie Care: Climate & Lighting Requirements
• Millermeade Farm's Hedgehog Headquarters: Cage Options