# New Hedgie Advice



## moey (Dec 21, 2013)

Hey guys. I just got my little albino African Pygmy Hedgehog yesterday. I named her Demon, and I'm so in love with her.

Firstly, I want to let you know that I'm from South Africa, so if anyone else is also from here, it would be great to hear from you because you'd probably know the places I can get the best stuff for my little hedgie. That said, I'd really appreciate advice from anyone! 

As much as I love little Demon, I am slightly overwhelmed, as I want to give her the best life possible. So, obviously, I have many questions, which I hope the people on this forum could help me with.

While I have done extensive research, the breeders here in South Africa seem to have slightly different answers to what I read online. So, any advice will be really helpful.

So, I am sorry for my lengthy post, but I want my baby to have a long, healthy life...

Yesterday, while bringing Demon home, she was really active and she pooped twice. One time was neon green. When she came home around evening time, she slept quite a bit... then I took her out to handle for about fifteen minutes... and she was scared but not unhandleable... She hisses or huffs a little before i carry her, and when she's in my hand tries to run away or jump off... Any suggestions on how I could win her over?

Secondly, I've been told that temperature does not needed to be regulated down here in SA, except in the Winter months. Is that true? Also, I do have a heating pad. I just need to set it up (It's just got some really weird wires I need to figure out) and put it on if I need to keep the temperature up.

I have a wooden vivarium, (made for bearded dragons), and I'm wondering does she need a bedding at all? because my vivarium does not soak up urine. If she does, What would be the best I can get regularly in SA? Right now, I'm using what the pet shop told me - Magic Earth Eucalyptus Munch.

She is also in need of a wheel. None of the pet shops seem to have one that won't hurt her, so I haven't bought one yet. I have ordered one, but if the pet store can't get it, will my little Demon be able to live without one? None of the hedgehogs at my pet store had one...

Right now, I am feeding her Montague Classic cat food, which my pet store gave me... However, is there an alternative I can purchase at Woolworths or Pik n Pay that may be of higher quality? The best I can seem to find is Purina One - Apparently, it's not that great.

I have superworms to feed her, but I have heard that insects can be removed from their diet. Would anyone recommend this? If not, how many should I feed her a week?

Wwith regard to fruit and veggies... Any favorites? I'd love to handfeed her...

I also want to add a mini water fountain (the ones usually used for bearded dragons). It's pretty shallow, would anyone recommend I put it in her tank? I think the sound of flowing water would be nice for us both...

I want to get her some toys... Any recommendations?

Also, need to get her blankets and snuggly things to cuddle into? Any ideas

My cage does have two lights. Should I keep them on all day?

The heating pad has a wire, and I am afraid she will nibble on it, and get hurt... Any idea how I could prevent this from happen? Also, I really don't want her to burn... How do I prevent that from happening?

Right now, little Demon is sleeping in her grass hut. She seems to enjoy spending time in it or on top of it! =D

She did come out to eat last night and drink quite a bit of water. So that made me happy.

She's also pooped twice. and I put a tray filled with cat litter in her vivarium. I put her poo in there, hoping she will learn to use it... However, it's okay if she doesn't.

She has my t-shirt, which seems to be snuggling up into sometimes.

Overall she seems to be doing well and that makes me really happy.

Is there anything I should be looking out for?

Also, tips on bathing and nail clipping would be awesome... Ore any tips at all

I'm sorry this was so lengthy, but I really wanna make little Demon a happy little Hedgie, and even though I've researched a lot, there's nothing like first hand experience... Which most people on this forum have. Thank you SO MUCH for reading this...

And if you can help in any way, I really appreciate it!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Welcome to the forum!  I'm not sure if we have anyone else here from South Africa or not, but hopefully if we do, they show up!

For bonding, the things that work for most people are putting a shirt (or blanket or a piece of fleece - just make sure shirt or blanket don't have loose threads) you've slept with or worn for a couple nights in the cage for her to snuggle in. This will help familiarize her with your scent. Giving her treats while she's out of the cage & with you will help as well, just make sure to avoid hand-feeding so she doesn't get nippy. Mealworms are probably the most popular hedgie treat & often used for bonding.

I'm not sure how true that is...What are the usual temperatures there for the different seasons? Most hedgehogs are most comfortable somewhere between 73-78*F, kept within a 2-3 degree range. A heating pad isn't usually recommended for the only source of heat because it doesn't do a great job of heating the air as well, which is necessary to avoid hibernation attempts. Most people use either a space heater (heats whole room) or a CHE set up (just the cage). There's more info on both here - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...-heating-your-hedgehog-s-cage-simplified.html

For bedding, most people on here prefer & recommend fleece or fabric liners. You can order them online, but I'm guessing shipping would make that more expensive than it's worth. If you can sew, you can use a variety of fabrics like corduroy, flannel, cotton, fleece, etc. and make the liners multiple layers - a lot of people include some kind of absorbant material in between as a third layer. You just want to make sure that seams are hidden on the inside to avoid loose strings catching hedgie legs. If you can't sew or don't have a sewing machine, you can make simple one-layer liners by just cutting a fleece blanket to fit the cage. I did this for Lily's cage and it always worked fine for me. Then you can wash & re-use the liners - it's usually recommended to use a scent- & dye-free detergent since their noses are so sensitive to scents.

It's really pretty important for her health & happiness to have a wheel. If you can't find a safe one, there's the option of ordering one online...but again, shipping would make that pretty pricy. There's tutorials for making bucket wheels online, if you have the tools. I'm not sure which are the best as I haven't made one, maybe another member can post a tutorial that they used. If you check on Youtube for "bucket wheel tutorial", I'm sure you'll find several how-to videos.

Purina One isn't the best, but it's not terrible either. I could only find this when I searched for the food you mentioned - http://www.montegoclassic.co.za/cat & it doesn't say much in the way of specific ingredients, so Purina One may be at the same level or better than that food...hard to tell. You may have to do your own searching through the stores to see if you can find something that may be healthier. I'm not sure what brands you guys would have available there. Here's a thread that might help you with what to look for - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...3034-beginner-s-guide-hedgehog-nutrition.html

Hedgehogs don't require insects to be healthy...but most owners feel that it's best to include them in their diet if at all possible. It's usually recommended with superworms that you crush or cut off the head because they're stronger than mealworms & there's been concerns about them biting the hedgehog's mouth or throat. But there's another user on here that feeds them & says his hedgehogs tend to chew them up so fast that they don't have an issue. So my best advice would be, be cautious & see how your hedgie manages them as to whether you should behead them before feeding. Mealworms & crickets are other good insects that can be offered.

Here's the sticky on safe fruits/veggies - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/12-diet-nutrition/17725-treat-list-safe-fruits-veggies.html Lily's favorites were peas & sometimes green beans. Many hedgehogs seem to like carrots, though Lily thought they were practically poison! :roll: For fruits, she loved any kind of melon, especially watermelon (which tends to be a popular one). Apples and berries are also more popular.

I would make sure she doesn't end up walking in it or getting wet, but otherwise a water fountain sounds nice! 

For toys, simple is usually best. If you get cat toys, avoid catnip (not sure how it affects them, but general consensus is avoid it), and make sure cat balls aren't the lattice ones that have holes - hedgie mouths can get stuck on them. Solid balls are best. A toilet paper roll cut lengthwise is a fun toy for some, and small stuffed animals or plastic cars/trucks are fun for others. Make sure no little wheels or eyes can pop off to be eaten.

Yeah, I'd keep at least one light on. Hedgehogs need a light schedule of 12-14 hours of light each day to avoid hibernation attempts & that's best provided with a light rather than depending on daylight (which can vary by season or weather).

Personally I'd avoid using the heating pad and use another heating method. That way you avoid the issue of chewing or burns completely, and you know the air is staying warm too.

It's nice to see you here & eager to learn about taking care of your new friend!  Here's a book that I highly recommend you download & read - http://www.westcoasthedgehogs.com/files/hedgehogbook/download.html It's the most up-to-date hedgehog care book & very helpful for new owners. If I've missed anything, the answer is likely in the book! And as always, if you have more questions & can't find the answer in the book or by searching on the forums, feel free to ask!


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

I feel like we have another recent new-owner from SA; hopefully they'll show up.

This book is an excellent guide.

0. Green poop

Green poop is a sign of stress. Having a few on the way home and while settling into a new home is normal, but if it keeps up for a few days, there may be an underlaying health problem.

1. Bonding
Giving her the you-scented fabric is a great start. Build a pattern with her (always get her out at the same time of night, do the same types of things) if you can. Try hanging out with her when the room is dim. Give her things to hide under (fabric, a blanket, a snuggle-sack) while in your hands. Make sure to visit with her every single night for at least 30 minutes.

...and even so, she may be a total explorer who just wants to run around and has no time for snuggles. Sometimes catching her at a different time (early morning, late night) can mean catching her in a different mood.

2. Food & Treats
Complicated topics! Here's an intro to hedgehog nutrition to give you the basic percentages to look for at the stores, and here's a list of safe treats. Be careful about adding too many new foods at once, since you want to be able to identify any problems if she has a bad reaction.

3. Temperature & Lighting
The idea is to keep her around 23-27C, with minimal variation, and to give her regular 12-14 hours light per day (and 10-12 hours dark). Going outside that range can lead to hibernation attempts, although if your small friend is a bit closer to the wild hedgehogs of central Africa, that might be less of a problem. Not sure.

Most of us hook a thermostat up to a ceramic heat emitter, or to a space heater, to automatically turn things on and off as-needed. Heating pads are generally avoided except for ill, injured, or aging hedgehogs (with arthritis). The people who do use heat pads usually put them under the cage, so the heat leaks through the floor but all the wires are hidden and protected.

4. Wheel
If you can't get one locally, here's instructions on how to build one with common materials. If you can't find some of the pieces, write back with what you can find and we'll help you figure something out.

Hedgehogs run a LOT (my little guy goes 7-9 km per night!), so a good, safe wheel is really important for long term health and happiness. It'll also keep her out of causing mischief simply because she's bored.

5. Toys & cage accessories
If you sew, lots of us use various snuggle-sacks to cuddle our small friends. Just make absolutely certain that no loose threads can tangle her legs or toes. If you don't sew, fleece is a plasticy-fabric that won't unravel, so can be cut to size without needing to do any other preparations.

You can sometimes find toys by inventing things around the house (my friend loves boxes!), or finding cat-toys (make sure they don't have holes that can trap tiny noses or toes)

Edit: You win this round, Lilysmommy! But it looks like we actually tackled somewhat different aspects without 100% overlap for once. Hmm...


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

:lol: Y'know, I think we did...We managed to include some different details & tidbits in each of our posts. Maybe we're getting better at this double-posting thing. Teamwork!


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## moey (Dec 21, 2013)

Hey guys! You are really amazing to have responded so quickly. Thanks for all the advice!  I just gave little Demon a little bath and she seems to be putting her quills down and is much less frightened of me! 

I'll keep you guys updated as soon as I get the hang of everything. 

Thanks SO much. You guys are amazing!


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