# Nesting?



## sage123 (Apr 9, 2012)

I just got my new hedgie Lucy a week ago from a pet store near my home. I have read some articles online of people saying they brought home pregnant hedges unknowingly, since they car able to mate at 8 weeks (her age). 

Earlier today I observed her grabbing some of the shavings from her litter box and putting it in her toilet paper roll and igloo. I am wondering if this may be an indication of nesting behavior that may be signs she is expecting? Or if it is normal behavior? I could just be over analyzing her behavior (I have a tendency to do that  )


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

It does sound a bit like nesting behavior...But I know Nancy has said that not just pregnant females will make nests - even males will build nests sometimes. Either way, if you got her from the store and she was housed with other hedgies there, I would keep her on pregnancy watch, just in case. It might be a good idea to use shavings for her whole cage bedding until she's in the clear (55 days after the last day she could've been with a male). It might be a pain, but if she does end up having babies, it'll be so much easier to deal with. You can't clean the whole cage until after babies are weaned, but at least with shavings, once they're over two weeks old, you can remove/add a handful of shavings a day to help with the mess a little bit. Make sure you take a look at the stickies and threads in the breeding section as well, just in case you get a surprise!


----------



## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

Sophie is definitely not pregnant, and she will sometimes build a nest. I put a 'starter pile' of fleece strips and squares in her house, and put a bigger pile outside. She will (not always, but fairly often) bring lots more pieces into her house. Sometimes she will build a nest in her tunnel and plug up both ends also. And sometimes she will sleep in her PVC tunnel with no nest at all, which doesn't look very comfortable, but it's her choice.


----------



## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Is she digging and scratching around a lot?


----------



## sage123 (Apr 9, 2012)

Thank you, GoodAndPlenty for your idea! I am definitely going to try that for her!

LarryT, Yes, she is digging and scratching around a lot! I figured that to just be her attempting to burrow herself. Is that an indication she is nesting??


----------



## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

sage123 said:


> LarryT, Yes, she is digging and scratching around a lot! I figured that to just be her attempting to burrow herself. Is that an indication she is nesting??


She could be nesting by the sounds of it. Lilysmommy gave some great advice if she is.


----------

