Hedgehogs love staying physically active at night when most of us are snoring loudly and it is not uncommon for them to spend 3 hours on their running wheels. All hedgehog wheels break at some point and getting your hedgehog mentally and physically occupied until a new one arrives can be daunting.

This article answers the question “Broken Hedgehog Wheel – How Do I Keep My Hedgehog Occupied In The Meantime?” by revealing a few ways to stimulate their minds to minimize boredom until the new wheel arrives. Let’s get started.

Broken Hedgehog Wheel – How Do I Keep My Hedgehog Occupied In The Meantime?

Offering DIY toys like used toilet roll tubes and cardboard hideouts can keep hedgehogs with broken wheels occupied for a few days until the replacement arrives. Providing dust baths and a dig box filled with strips of fleece and mealworms are additional ways to offer mental stimulation for hedgehogs with broken running wheels.

Healthy hedgehogs require regular physical activity at night to minimize boredom and help expend energy from their diets. Running wheels serve as their favorite toy and it is not uncommon for the average hedgehog to run over 10km each night.

Trouble starts brewing when the wheel breaks unexpectedly with no spare to help them continue running. Affected hedgehogs may literally lose their minds from boredom and the probability of waking up to a completely trashed cage could be high.

Sometimes, a new running wheel can take up to a week to arrive when ordered online, and finding ways to keep your hedgehogs mentally engaged in the meantime may be priceless.

What Happens When A Hedgehog Doesn’t Have A Wheel?

Running wheels offer stress relief and their absence could expose pet hedgehogs to psychological torture due to boredom. Although alternative toys may come in handy, the level of mental stimulation offered could be minimal compared to wheels.

Unfortunately, even the best running wheels break at some point resulting in boredom until the next wheel arrives in the mail but it doesn’t have to be.

How To Prevent Boredom When Your Hedgehog’s Running Wheel Breaks

Here are a few tried and tested ways to keep pet hedgehogs mentally engaged when their running wheels break unexpectedly.

Dust Baths

Dust baths are a great way for hedgehogs to expend some energy in the absence of running wheels. While they’re primarily meant to maximize self-cleaning, hedgehogs could enjoy wallowing in the dust so much that they neglect other areas of their cages.

Placing shallow pans of dust in the hedgehog’s cage by the time it wakes up at night can keep it occupied and eliminate the risks of the cage getting trashed due to boredom or stress. Treats like Dubya roaches or crickets could even be hidden in the dust baths for the hedgehog to scavenge.

DIY Toys

DIY toys like used toilet roll tubes and homemade cardboard hideouts can be a welcome addition to the hedgehog’s cage in the absence of running wheels. These toys may have a short life but they could keep the hedgehog engaged for a couple of days until the new wheel arrives.

You can also come up with other DIY toy ideas to provide on a day-by-day basis to minimize boredom and keep the hedgehog happy.

Dig Box

A dig box could be another smart way to keep hedgehogs entertained at night when their running wheel is broken. Dig boxes may be created by cutting strips of fleece into a shallow cardboard box with treats like mealworms mixed in.

Since hedgehogs love the taste of mealworms, they won’t mind spending several hours tucking into their favorite delicacy. This can serve as a welcome distraction in the absence of a running wheel in their cages.

Hide n Seek Treats

Hedgehogs love their treats and are thrilled with the ability to play hide n seek if it ends in the discovery of tasty treats. You can stuff their favorite fruits and vegetables in several areas of their enclosures and set them on the path toward finding these foods.

The exceptional sense of smell hedgehogs are endowed with naturally means they should face minimal problems flushing out the hidden treats. (Source)

Spend More Time Together

The lack of a running wheel could be a big blow to your hedgehog’s entertainment and health but spending some time together could be appreciated. Tweaking your sleep schedule to get half an hour of petting time with the hedgehog and engaging in other forms of play may come in handy.

Avoid wearing gloves during bonding time with pet hedgehogs for easy identification and relaxation because they get spooked quickly.

Are Mesh Wheels Safe For Hedgehogs?

Hedgehogs should never be allowed to run on mesh and wire wheels because they can be prone to suffering foot injuries. Bucket wheels are a better alternative although mesh wheels may be easier to clean due to the engineered holes for the hedgehog’s poop to fall through.

Look out for a minimum of 12-inch bucket wheels to offer a sizable running surface for hedgehogs of all ages and sizes.

Can Hedgehogs Use Flying Saucers?

Hedgehogs can use flying saucers but they may not be the most comfortable especially for larger adults. Flying saucer wheels are often a major source of noise since the parts suffer friction regularly and may need constant greasing for quiet functionality.

Flying saucers also expose hedgehogs to leg fractures and other accidents while flinging poop across the whole cage area during operations. Unfortunately, they also break easily which could expose hedgehogs to boredom more frequently.

Conclusion: How to Keep Hedgehogs Occupied When Wheels Break

Hedgehogs struggle throughout their wake periods at night when their wheels break because running serves as the main outlet for expending the excess energy from eating. DIY toys could offer some form of stress relief by keeping hedgehogs awake but they may not be enough, especially for the long term.

Making dig boxes with strips of cut fleece and mealworms can keep bored hedgehogs entertained throughout the night. Alternatively, playing hide and seek with their favorite treats by hiding in different areas of their cages could also come in handy.