Note from the author:
When I decided to get a hedgehog as a pet, I did not feel that a 20 gal.
tank would be enough. I wanted my hedgehog to have plenty of room to sleep,
eat, and play. After searching for some time for plans for a suitable cage
and finding none, I decided to make one myself out of 2 clear plastic
containers.
Materials List:
2 Sterlite 54 qt. clear plastic containers
1' section of 4" wide PVC pipe
Insect screening (for screen doors, I bought a 24" x 84" section)
6' of 1/4" plastic tubing (the kind used in fish tanks)
Hot glue gun
Wire cutters
Drill with various sized bits
Saw (to cut the PVC pipe)
First, measure 2" from each end and 1" from each side, an used a pencil to mark the lines to be cut. Then, use a drill with a 1/4" bit to cut holes in the corners of the lines so that wire cutters can be inserted. Then use the wire cutters to cut out the middle of the lid. After that, cut insect screening to the correct size to fit the hole. Hot glue each corner down for stability, then come back and glue down the sides with one continous bead of glue. Repeat for the other lid. (The insect screening is not necessary for the lid if you instead drill holes in the lid so that air can get through, but I decided to use the screening, both to assure that plenty of air was circulated, and so that I could watch the hedgehog during his activities.)
Next, cut the PVC pipe into 6" sections. Measure 3" up from the bottom of the box on one end and trace an outline of the pipe onto both containers, making sure that the traces line up. Repeat for the other end. Drill a hole with a 1/2" bit in the circle so that the wire cutters can be inserted and cut out the circular section. Repeat for the other three holes. Then, insert the 2 PVC pipes into the holes, checking to make sure that they are a snug fit. If they are too loose, line the outside with duct tape or hot glue until they fit well. Then, take the 1/4" plastic tubing, cut a slit that runs the length of the tube, and fit the tubing around the ends of the PVC pipe, so there are no sharp edges to cut the hedgie's feet.
I also used a flat water bottle and drilled a hole in the container so that only the metal part stuck through the cage, and the bottle could not be tipped. For that I used a 1/4" inch bit to attach the bottle to the cage, and a 1/2" bit for the metal part itself.
Notes: This cage could also be modified to stack the containers two high.
You would instead drill holes around the top of the bottom container, add
some sort of traction to the inside of the PVC pipe, and cut holes at the
proper angle so that the PVC pipe starts at one end of the bottom, and ends
at the other end of the top. Feel free to distribute this so long as this
notice appears: please send any comments or improvements to zug@techie.com.
Happy building!
Webmaster additional note: The owner who wrote this page planned to create a sandbox for digging. Sand may not be appropriate for use in hedgehog cages, it can get stuck in sensitive areas and become a health problem. This area could become a litter box or some other substrate suitable for a hedgehog to dig.