# Normal quilling behavior? a few questions...



## lentil (Sep 24, 2012)

Hi! I have a few questions about hedgehog behavior. A week ago I adopted a 6 week old female named Lentil. When I purchased her, she was at the very beginning of quilling. Between the quilling and the move to a new home, she is very stressed out, and won't let me touch her without getting scared/grumpy with me. Usually i have to sit for about a half an hour for her to even poke her nose out, and then it takes some more time for her to come out and (cautiously) walk around my bed. any movement makes her roll up and huff at me. I haven't been able to get anywhere near her when she is unrolled, and I'm worried that she won't ever let me hold her without me being poked. Is this normal behavior for a young hedgie? 
My second concern is that Lentil isn't drinking any water. For the past few days I've had both a bowl and a bottle in her cage, and I can't see a significant change in the water levels. How much do hedgehogs usually drink?
Lastly, I noticed late last night that she wasn't coming out (she usually comes out around 10:00 and runs on her wheel all night) and I was worried that she was cold, so I put a space heater in my room and snuggled with her (rolled up and huffing) for hours until I too exhausted to stay up any longer. This morning she seems totally lethargic despite the warm room, and on top of that she is walking slightly funny, like she is too tired to move correctly. should I be worried? Did I just tire her out with all of my paranoid panicking? I'm a nervous new hedgie owner, I just want to make her comfortable and happy!  Thanks for any advice.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yup, the behavior sounds pretty normal for a quilling baby.  She sounds like she's just a more cautious/defensive hedgie, but I'm sure she'll come around with time. Just keep handling her every night and stick it out. Quilling doesn't last forever and hopefully she'll calm down some after it's done. It can help to keep a strict schedule when they're new to you too - they'll catch on after awhile that say, 8:00 is cuddle time and it may help her come to expect you. You can hold her even if she's staying in a ball - a blanket can work great for this. Just sit quietly with her in the blanket. Covering her with it may help her feel more secure as well. You probably still won't be able to touch her directly right away, but in time she'll start to learn that your scent is a good thing and that you're nothing scary. Keep in mind though, that while she's quilling, it's probably not a good idea to try petting her back - it'll be sore from quills coming in and often they don't want it to be touched since it hurts.

The amount of water they drink depends a lot on the hedgehog. My Lily didn't drink a ton of water, really, especially compared to some of the other hedgies I've read about on here. I couldn't tell you an exact amount of water drank though, I never tried measuring it. Is the bowl large or small? If it's large, she might be drinking a small enough amount that it's hard to notice if it's gone down at all. You can test for dehydrating by pinching her skin and seeing if it returns to normal right away. If it stays in a tent for longer than second, it'd be a good idea to syringe her water. Also take a look at her urine - dark urine usually means they're not drinking enough. What kind of water are you giving her? Maybe she's upset about a water change from what she was getting at the breeder's? Or if you're using water from the faucet and it's heavy in minerals, that might make her refuse it too. You could try filtered or bottled water and see if she drinks more of either of those. 

Babies can be pretty varied in their activity - they tend to sleep a lot, so they might not run some nights and run a lot others. They're pretty weird which is a bit alarming for new owners! :lol: Do you know what the temperature is in her cage though? It might feel warm to you, but still not be warm enough for her. Was her belly cool at all either time you got her out? Do you have a light schedule for her? Lack of enough light can cause hibernation attempts too. It's best to keep a schedule of 12-14 hours of light each day, around the same times. A lot of people will use a timer to set a lamp on or near their hedgie's cage on a regular schedule.


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## lentil (Sep 24, 2012)

Thanks for responding!!  She is back to normal, she's eating and drinking quite a bit, I think it just took time for her to get used to the bottle. She also became very active at night. I just had a paranoid new mom moment :lol: Thanks again!


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