# New Hegie (he's kinda special)



## hcweichbrodt (Dec 22, 2009)

Hello all I brought home my new hegie today we named him Pickles lol I've been reading how the big rollie hampster type balls aren't good for hegies and that fleece is the best bedding because of nails getting caught in the slits and the loops on the towels but my baby has no toes or nails he was born without the digits so would they be safe for him? I will go pick up some fleece once i get a few extra mins in one of my days but that just seems to be close to impossible these days lol...does anyone else have a hegie without digits or is Pickles just special? I'll be honest its kind of a relief that he doesn't have nails for me to trim from everything i read before i went to go pick him up i was almost scared to even attempt a nail trim on him! just wondering any insight would be helpful


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## harasblas (Sep 20, 2009)

I think the towels can also be bad incase they try to eat them, but I could be wrong. Fleece is just really easy! If you have a JoAnn Fabrics around you fleece is 50% off right now.


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## hcweichbrodt (Dec 22, 2009)

i didn't think about him trying to eat the fabric...i don't think that i've ever heard of Joann fabrics  

I'll just have to make sure to pick up some fleece before we run out of the bedding the breeder sent home with us, it should last us a few weeks i'm sure i can manage to find some time by then lol...


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## Hedgiepets (Aug 21, 2008)

Sounds like Pickles is very special. Where did you get him?


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## hcweichbrodt (Dec 22, 2009)

he came from a breeder here in NC close to Charlotte Hedgehog Ranch I'm pretty sure is there name (i've seen so many hedgehog websites all the names are starting to run together) they were all really nice and very helpful if i were to ever get another one i would definately go through them again...i didn't think about the ball and towel thing until i got home and started reading some and thought "hmmm...he doesn't have nails i wonder" lol


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

Another fabric purchase option is Han**** Fabrics (I think JoAnns ships too, but Han**** has some good prices). I use their website to buy fabric to make things for my hedgie. All you would do is order, and it comes right to your door. I know how being busy is so I thought I would suggest it. ^_^

~Katie


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Did your hedgie come with a pedigree? If so how many generations does it include?


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## Pickles (May 6, 2009)

Congrats!! My hedgie is named Pickles too!!! :lol:


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## ILOVElily (Dec 5, 2009)

Wow, I've never heard of a hedgie born with no nails! :lol: he is adorable, and i love his coloring (i see your new signature ) congratulations and welcame to HHC! :mrgreen:


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## hcweichbrodt (Dec 22, 2009)

He does come with a pedigree but I completely forgot it yesterday I have the breeder sending it over to me so I'm not really sure how many generations that it has but I will definately let you know how many it has once I know.




Pickles said:


> Congrats!! My hedgie is named Pickles too!!! :lol:


 :lol: my husband named him that before I even got pictures of him and it fit when I went to go pick him up from the breeder :lol:

I'll see if he'll let me get a picture of his feet its really kind of funny looking with no digits but its cute all at the same time!

does anyone here have any thoughts on what color he is? the breeder told me salt and pepper but he looks brown to me (of course I am shade blind so it could just be me :lol: )


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

hcweichbrodt said:


> does anyone here have any thoughts on what color he is? the breeder told me salt and pepper but he looks brown to me (of course I am shade blind so it could just be me :lol: )


Salt n pepper is a very very rare color. Alot of breeders will say the hedgie is salt n pepper because they don't know any better. I'd guess your hedgie is grey.

P.S. Did the breeder tell you that the digits were missing?


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## hcweichbrodt (Dec 22, 2009)

I've been reading that salt and pepper is rare so I figured I would ask its kind of hard for me to tell what color he is most of the hegies look the same color to me (it doesn't really matter what color he is to me I'll still love him!)

Yes she did tell me that the digits were missing and even when I got there to pick him up she offered to let me choose from a future litter instead if I wasn't interested in him since his digits were missing (he was priced with digits missing as well) but his missing digits don't bother me it just makes him more unique to me and hey I don't have to deal with the nail clippings lol


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

One of the breeders near me had a line that frequently produced babies with missing toes. They seemed completely normal otherwise. Personally, I would have retired that line. As pets though, it's no big deal to have missing toes.


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## hcweichbrodt (Dec 22, 2009)

Pickles seems to be completely normal except that he has no toes...I was just wondering if he could use a ball now since he has nothing to get caught in the slits...I don't even know if he'd like it or not but it would be a way he could get out of his cage while I'm cooking dinner or cleaning up


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## ILOVElily (Dec 5, 2009)

toes getting caught isn't the only thing to worry about, there is poor ventilation and as you know hedgies poop and pee when they run and he wound be running in his own business, he'd also be inhaling all of that strong urine smell.


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## cutietexan (Sep 22, 2009)

yeah hedgies 'do their business' while they run, and because there are holes in the ball, they would basically leave a trail of the said 'business' all over your house. play pens are a better option.


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## hcweichbrodt (Dec 22, 2009)

LarryT said:


> Did your hedgie come with a pedigree? If so how many generations does it include?


his pedigree only has parents and grandparents on it. I don't know if that is good or bad though lol



cutietexan said:


> play pens are a better option


I thought about that but it seems like it would be the same as just bringing his cage out into the living room/kitchen with me...idk I was just looking for another idea on how he could be out and about for a while each day instead of just in a cage or playing with us i don't like the idea of anything being in a cage all the time I know I wouldn't want to be in there with no real change of scenery thats ok I'll just have to figure out something else for him


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

You can get one of the folding ferret fences & section off an area for him to run in


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