# Won't sit still, won't explore!



## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

I have had Rose for about 7 months now. She is 1 year and 4 months old. Her cage temp is at 78. She is healthy, finally down to a good weight, eats and drinks regularly and poos and pees fine. 

She has always been an oddball. She doesn't like anyone when she is on the ground but pick her up and she barely balls up. For the past 6 and half months, we have been bonding by snuggle bags. I put her in and she goes to sleep. However, she always uses the potty on me so I let her roam around an empty kiddie pool before snuggling so she can go potty. 

Recently she just won't sit still in the snuggle bag. She wants out desperately. The problem is I have tried putting her in her a play pen with toys and her wheel but she just sleeps. She will just curl on in the middle and fall asleep so it's not like she wants to explore. She won't still on my lap. I am running out of options to bond with her. I can't even get her to sit still long enough to dry her off after a bath. I have resolved to putting a space heater near the kiddie pool and letting her sleep till she is dry. 

So what do I do? She doesn't want to sleep in a cuddle bag and she doesn't want to explore. Any other options for me and Rose.


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

You don't perhaps smell different for some reason? I know it sounds silly, but maybe something changed and she just doesn't like it. So like, change in daily activities or locations you visit each day that may be leaving unfamiliar smells on you?

Of course it could be that she sits and plots in her cage all day on ways to make your life difficult.


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## rodanthi (Feb 7, 2014)

Along the lines of smells, does the bag smell different?
Have you started doing anything differently at bathtime that might be frightening her?
I would add that the refusing to sit still after a bath thing isn't unusual, it is always difficult to get Hector in a blanket after a bath cos he just runs away.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Nothing has changed, still the same laundry soap, same bath soap, same job, same school. The only thing that has changed since bringing her home is getting the ferrets but she was fine for the first three months I had them, this is very recent behavior. 

She used to be great about sitting in my lap after bath time, she used to snuggle all the time. Nothing has changed about bathtime, in fact, her stress levels have gone down since she started wheeling again and I don't have to force her to swim anymore.


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## Buttons (Dec 21, 2014)

Do you think she would sleep in the snuggle bag if you put it in her home? I'd start this on a day when you're home so you can watch to make sure she's not going to get tangled in the strap. If she settles down into the bag, give her a minute to get comfortable and sleepy. Then try picking up the bag with her in it disturbing her as little as possible.


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

Can you try pieces of fleece on top and underneath her instead of the snuggle bag?

My Nara HATED the snuggle bags, maybe she had hedgie claustrophobia?? :roll:

Maybe Rose just feels too threatened by being enclosed in the bag?

As a warning, be careful with the ferrets. They are predators and need to be kept away from your hedgehogs. I remember a few cases where they have attacked and injured hedgehogs.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

I will give that a try, Buttons. Thank you!

MomLady, I have tried with just the blanket and she just runs off my lap to find another place to sleep.  If she isn't covered she runs to find a covered place. It's most confusing.

And thank you. My ferrets are in a completely separate part of the house and have no interactions with my hedgehogs. I keep constant vigilance on this since the ferrets eat whole prey and I wouldn't never want them thinking the hedgehogs are dinner. I have ferret nations now for the hedgehogs and there is no way a ferret could get in the cages, not that they would get close enough to try anyway. :grin: I do appreciate the concern though.


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

Oh little Rose, stop giving your mom such a hard time! How's her skin? I wonder if she's just feeling a little puny and doesn't want to be bothered until she feels better.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Skin is fantastic!! I switched her off a natural balance which was making her smell horrible and she has been so much better. 

I'll double check her again tonight.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Well last night gave me some breakthrough. I tried the sleeping in the bonding bag thing before but she just wouldn't do it. She was not into in her cage or playpen. My sister suggested the holes maybe made her want to escape. My snuggle sacks are no-sew ones that I tied together. So we put her in a pillowcase, that was inside out so no loose threads, and she kind of was okay with. She anointed with it for a good while and then maybe got a few minutes of shut eye before she was up again. It was about an hour of trying different things and I didn't want to stress her too much so I put her back and gave her some crickets for a good job. I am going to start sewing some actual snuggle bags that are closed. I'm thinking reversible ones with fleece on the inside flannel on the outside so we can switch between summer and winter easily. Maybe she will like these better.


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

LOL, she just wanted you to do more work! They are complex little creatures. Somehow it all makes sense to them, darned if we have a clue. :lol:


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