# Adopted Hedgie, Need advice.



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

Posted this on another forum & haven't had much luck getting a response...

Okay, So I adopted Sonic, 3 days ago from a woman who could no longer care for him. So I adopted him, He is my first hedgie. I honestly looked up a lot of care but I didn't know how long they live, etc. So I am assuming he's about a middle aged hedgie. The first night home he ran on his wheel, etc. After that I decided to get him some new things, a new wheel, a new blanket because the stuff he had in his cage was either, not appropriate for a hedgie.. or so dirty it smelled horrible.

My concern lies in that I haven't really seen him in his wheel recently. I know it moved two nights ago because it has a design on the back that was moved. It's a completely solid wheel, identical to his old wheel minus the color. He loves his new fleece blankety. I haven't really seen him eat his hard food either, though there is bedding in the food bowl which tells me he is eating it, I just never see it. I go to bed around 9pm at night and check on him before I got to bed, He's sleeping. I get up at 8-9am and he's sleeping. I did get him out this morning because he was poking his nose out and let him run around on my bed, which he seemed to enjoy but he is still very hissy and upset.

This all being said I am his THIRD home which hurts my heart a lot







I will be his last home too, He is staying with me always. I just want to do the best by him.

He does enjoy wet food, What is the best cat wet food I can give him as a treat? I gave him a very small amount wet food this morning I had for my cat and he ate it but I want to give him the best possible kind.

Any advice is much needed. Thank you.


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Welcome to the forum, and thank you for taking in this little guy. I'm so glad that he's found a loving forever home with you. 

A few questions for you that might help us figure out why he's not running on his wheel...
Do you have a light schedule of 12-14 hours during the day for him? This is usually best provided with a lamp or light in the room rather than relying on daylight (which can end too early right now, or be too dark on stormy days). What is the temperature in his cage? Do you have a thermometer in his cage? Do you have a heating set up?

And about the wheel...what kind of wheel is it? It sounds like you went from a loose bedding to just a blanket on the floor of the cage, is that right? Is it possible that the wheel is kind of wobbly or unstable now, especially if he tries to climb up on it? Comfort Wheels are a common store-bought wheel, and they can be unsteady on a flat surface with nothing over the wire to hold them down, especially for heavier hedgehogs.

With his food, it'd be a good idea to count, measure, or weigh it at night, and in the morning, so you can keep track of how much he's eating. Hedgehogs are good at hiding illness, and often changes in food intake are an early sign of something going on. For wet food, if it's just a treat, any good quality brand should be fine.  Some brands that have wet food are Wellness (Lily loved the Wellness Healthy Indulgence packets), Blue Buffalo, Merrick, Taste of the Wild, Innova, and Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul.

Also, since you're a new owner, here's a great care book that's up-to-date (written by an old moderator on the forums here) and free to download - http://www.westcoasthedgehogs.com/files/hedgehogbook/download.html It has a ton of information and is very well organized. The forum has a lot of information as well if you need to search for more details on something, or if you have trouble finding what you're looking for, feel free to ask!  We're happy to have you and Sonic here.


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Welcome!

Lilysmommy covered all the beginning info (and I love linking people to that care guide; seriously, go download it now!). If security a wobbly wheel doesn't help, other ideas...

How long are his toenails? My little guy boycotts running when his nails get too long.

Or, what's the heating & lighting setup? Hedgehogs can demonstrate reduced activity when they are too cold (they want steady, non-fluctuating heat at 74-80F; older hedgehogs seem to like the top of the range better) or have irregular lighting (they want 12-14 hours light, 10-12 hours real dark). Other signs of attempting hibernation are a cool belly, reduced appetite, or being unsteady or wobbly on their feet. Domesticated hedgehogs should not hibernate -- attempting it can even kill them -- so if you ever feel a cool belly, use your own body heat to warm him up! (Do NOT use warm water; the temperature shock can make the problem worse.)

You want to handle your hedgehog every day to establish a bond. Many hedgehogs are creatures of habit, so it can help to set up a regular pattern. Based on your schedule, I'd suggest either you spend a half-hour with him at night before you go to bed (waking him up to plop him on your lap and visit), or when you first wake up.

Sleeping with a chunk of fleece so it smells like you, then giving it to him to sleep with, will help him learn that your smell is a warm, safe place to sleep (and that you aren't a monster going to eat him).


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

Okay, I am going to get him a heating system, The lady I got him from had nothing of the sort so I had NO idea. She had him since May.. Okay, Do reptile lights work for the lighting/dark system? Where can I get ideas or photos of heating/lighting set-ups?


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

What you want for heating are called CHEs, ceramic heat emitters. They'll be in the reptile section, but they're not typical reptile lights. They don't emit light, which is best for hedgehogs since you need them day and night - and many hedgehogs are bothered even by the red & black reptile lights. For lighting, you don't need to bother with the (expensive) reptile lights, you can just use a normal light bulb.  You can either leave the room light on, move a lamp near his cage, or buy a reptile lamp specifically for his cage if you really want. It's easiest to have a lamp of some kind on a timer, so you don't have to worry about remembering to turn it on/off.

Here's a thread that has pictures of a CHE set up - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...-heating-your-hedgehog-s-cage-simplified.html You'll need a thermometer (digital, with a probe, are best), thermostat (controls the lamp & turns on/off to keep temperature steady), lamp rated for use with CHEs (Fluker's is a popular brand), and a CHE bulb. It's sometimes recommended that it's easiest to get a CHE bulb in person at a store because you can check it over before buying for defects & it's easier to return, but they're about half the price on Amazon, and many people have had good luck buying them on there. If you have a Petco near you, or a reptile supply store, those would be your best bet for a thermostat, which are probably the hardest part to find in-store.


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

I do have a petco.. I am going to have to go on Thursday though when my husband gets paid, Any advice for keeping him warm til than?


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

> Any advice for keeping him warm til than?


Move his cage to a warm part of the house. Internal walls are warmer than external walls. Keep him away from drafts. Wrap his cage with a towel or blanket to insulate it a bit (but careful that he still gets light; this can be tricky!).

One of the ideas from the power outage heating thread is to give him a wrapped hot water bottle (if you already have one).


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

Thank you for tips!

Are these a good set-up. Not buying online just trying to get a rough pricing idea:

Lamp: Amazon.com: Zilla 11596 8-1/2-Inch Premium Reflector Dome For Up to 150-Watt Bulbs, Black: Pet Supplies

Bulb: Amazon.com: Zoo Med ReptiCare Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter 100 Watts: Pet Supplies


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Yup!

For lamps, either 8.5" or 10" diameter are most popular as they spread the heat well. For bulbs, either 100W or 150W (depending on cage size, structure, and ambient temperature).

Don't forget the thermostat! Zilla or ZooMed 500W are generally popular.


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

The Thermostat will turn the light off when it gets hot enough in the cage correct?


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Yes, the thermostat will turn the CHE on and off as the temperature fluctuates, so the cage maintains a constant temperature.


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

Annie&Tibbers said:


> Yes, the thermostat will turn the CHE on and off as the temperature fluctuates, so the cage maintains a constant temperature.


This is exactly what we need, My husband is really scared about having a heating system going constantly.

If I post a photo of my cage can someone tell me where the best positioning of the thermostat is going to be?


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Sure!  Usually just somewhere in the middle works just fine. I taped Lily's to the front wall, right in the middle, but down near the floor. I never had any issues with her bothering it.


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

This is his set-up minus the face in the wheel because it started falling off. Everything in there he came with minus the wheel, that I replaced his own one with. Everything is the same as of right now too


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Hm...I think personally I'd tape it to the back wall, above his food & water dish. He may pay no attention to it whatsoever since he has his food/water right there, and he'd have to get over the dish to get to it. You also shouldn't have to worry about him laying against it (I believe someone had an issue like that happen once).

Also, if he's still not running on the wheel once you get heating/light figured out, I'd try securing the wheel in some way. Either weighting down the base, or clipping it to the wall (Nancy has posted an example before, of a dog leash kind of clip zip-tied to the wheel, then clipped to the wall so you can easily remove it for washing) so that it doesn't wobble or tip forward when he climbs up to run. Another option, if you don't mind spending more money, is a bucket or cake cover wheel. You can buy them online from multiple people, there's several sellers listed in the For Sale section. They're largely considered to be the best kind of wheels - completely flat surface so it's both safe & very easy to clean, they're pretty much silent, and they last a long time.


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

That's a 12" Comfort Wheel. My little guy has one! You can weigh the base with a chunk of tile to make it less wobbly if he is still not running on it.

You said he hasn't had a wheel before? You might need to teach him how to run on it by putting him in the wheel and blocking him on, then turning it slowly. Only do it for a few seconds (you don't want to freak him out), you just want to show him how it works. Try doing that for a few nights running.


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

Annie&Tibbers said:


> That's a 12" Comfort Wheel. My little guy has one! You can weigh the base with a chunk of tile to make it less wobbly if he is still not running on it.
> 
> You said he hasn't had a wheel before? You might need to teach him how to run on it by putting him in the wheel and blocking him on, then turning it slowly. Only do it for a few seconds (you don't want to freak him out), you just want to show him how it works. Try doing that for a few nights running.


I must of mis-spoke! He did have a wheel, it was the same one as he has now only a different color than his original. The original he came with was stinky even after cleaning & rusty at the base :/


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

I must have mis-read! It's easy for me to get confused as to which thread I'm responding in.


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

So, Last night I got Sonic out and gave him a nice little warm bath because he's been pooping on himself and he smelled. Well that was a bonding experience! He let him clip his nails & cuddle him a bit before resorting to his hissy little self again. So I am hoping the nail clipping will help with the running issue. My husband and I are trying to find a good heating set-up. Went to petsmart last night but it was a really small one and the set-ups sucked so I have to try and get something online


----------



## twelvedaysofjune (Jul 13, 2013)

He could just be stresses from the new home. When I first got my hedgie, the stress made her stop eating after a few days. 

Are you using the same food and water they used? Is he eating and drinking okay?
If so he might just be adjusting in my opinion.


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

twelvedaysofjune said:


> He could just be stresses from the new home. When I first got my hedgie, the stress made her stop eating after a few days.
> 
> Are you using the same food and water they used? Is he eating and drinking okay?
> If so he might just be adjusting in my opinion.


He is eating amazingly well, and drinking great. I think this might be an adjustment like you are saying..

I am highest bidder on a thermostat on eBay let's hope I win it as it's a great price.


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

UPDATE: He is running in his wheel again, During his bath I was able to clip his nails.. which was probably the wheel problem. 

Also, I have his thermostat on order & it's going to be shipped and should be here by the 24th.


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Perfect!


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

I can not thank you guys enough for all the amazing tips and being able to answer my posts so quickly It really is amazing and helpful, I am so happy I found this site & can give Sonic the best life possible with my new knowledge.


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

We demand payment in the form of photos and stories of your adventures with your new tiny friend.


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)

Annie&Tibbers said:


> We demand payment in the form of photos and stories of your adventures with your new tiny friend.


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

That is the cutest little nose and hedgie glare! :lol: And we're more than happy to help given how you've helped Sonic by taking him in.  It sounds like he's going to have a fantastic home!


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

I burst out laughing at that first photo. So classic! "You can take my photo, but I don't have to look at you. Ugh, humans." He's a total cutie!

I feel well-paid. Thank you.


----------



## avaheartdog (Jan 19, 2014)




----------

