# New Adult Hedgie



## Vsmodel7 (Nov 14, 2015)

Hi I've never owned a hedgehog before, this lady offered me her sons because no one ever plays with him. This is his 3rd home. He was fine when she held him in the towel but once I brought him inside he was continously hissing and puffing. I'm sure because it's a new home he's stressed but how long does it usually take for them to get used to new owners and I put my shirt in his bedding area to get used to the smell. Any and all advice please and thank you.


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

Welcome to the forums!

Here's a good thread on behaviour to start you off with: http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...lity-behaviour/10-behaviour-expectations.html

It really, truly depends on the hedgehog. Since yours has been rehomed so many times it will likely take a while to get settled in, and even then he may never completely chill out. Don't take his protests personally, and keep handling him despite his grumpiness. He likely thinks you want to eat him and is trying his hardest to dissuade you. The best thing to do is just keep bothering him. Most hogs really like to snuggle in a fleece bag, or a shirt, or a blanket on your lap while you do other things, and it's a good way to get them used to you. The shirt in the cage is an excellent trick. You can also try treats like live or canned mealworms, dumping a small handful of live crickets in an empty bathtub and letting your hedgehog go at 'em, or maybe a small piece of fruit like banana. Admittedly, I lucked out with a hog that likes fruit. Most will prefer bugs. And don't forget the little guys are nocturnal, so playing with him in the evening is your best bet.

Since you're new to hedgies, here's some extra info to get you started!
Diet: http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/12-diet-nutrition/114530-advanced-nutrition-guide.html
Safe treats: http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/12-diet-nutrition/17725-treat-list-safe-fruits-veggies.html
Heating: http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/113-heating/4048-heating-your-hedgehog-s-cage-simplified.html
And a TON of ideas for cages, if you haven't settled on one yet: http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/13-housing-accessories/1611-cage-setup-examples.html

And let me just say thank you for taking this hedgehog and trying to give him a better quality of life! _He_ may thank you for it with grumpy huffing and popping, but that's just how hedgehogs are :lol:

If you need anything else, don't hesitate to post!


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## Vsmodel7 (Nov 14, 2015)

Thank you so much for all the info. I'm about to look at all of the links. He finally unpuffed as I'll call it and looked at me. So he's starting to warm up to me. I also found out I'm the 4th owner. But he was in such a small plastic ben with holes in it and no room to run. That made me so sad.


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## Vsmodel7 (Nov 14, 2015)

I also keep reading something about a light schedule, is he only supposed to have light at certain times? Thank you sincerely for all of your help. I really want him to be comfortable and as overall happy as he can be.


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

Aww he's a real cutie!

Hedgehogs need a light cycle, even though they're not up during the day. It's best to have a lamp set on a timer so you never forget about it. 12 hours on and 12 off is the norm around here. You can also leave the light on in the room for 12 hours and then turn it off at night. Daylight isn't reliable enough to be the only light source. One cloudy day can make a big mess of a light schedule. Also, make sure it gets nice and dark in his area at night. They can't see very well to begin with, so they don't mind pitch darkness when they wake up.

That bin is so small! I'd definitely upgrade as soon as possible if you haven't already. 2'x3' is a good starter size for a hedgehog. It's also strongly recommended to have a lid of some sort. Surprisingly, the little guys are very good climbers!

They also need to be kept quite warm, at around 76-78 degrees F. Here's an example of a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/ceramic_heater.php
They don't emit any light, only heat, and it spreads fairly evenly over a decent area, which is why they're preferred by hedgehog owners. Hedgehogs can see the red light given off by reptile bulbs, and it annoys them. There's more info in that heating link I provided. You can also use a space heater with a built-in thermostat.

Seems like things are going well so far! Keep reading, keep learning, and keep playing with him!


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## Vsmodel7 (Nov 14, 2015)

Thank yall for everything so far. This is his set up for now. I wanted to give him as much space as possible. I'm getting him a really good light and thermometer tomorrow along with bedding. I've been keeping the house temp at 73. He's trusting me a bit more and walked then stoped to smell my bare foot looked at me and kept walking without hissing, balling up or biting me. I'm very hopeful that we will bond but with that knowledge I also don't expect him to be like a cat or dog.


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## Vsmodel7 (Nov 14, 2015)

I'm also getting him a wheel and when he walked across my foot his little feet tickled. He keeps dating across it and looks happy not to be cooped up


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## Vsmodel7 (Nov 14, 2015)

His house


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## DiniAndFreda (Oct 20, 2015)

He's so cute!! He will wake up to you- just keep handling him every day! I have two adult rescue girls who came from a similar situation as yours- we are their 3rd home and prior to coming to us, they were living in a fish tank outside in a garage! We've had them for nearly 6 months now and they've gone from huffy balls of spikes to being curious and (mostly) unafraid, and the one will even wake up and come to the door of their cage if they hear me come into the room. 

It is so rewarding to see them warm up to you! He's lucky you adopted him.


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## DiniAndFreda (Oct 20, 2015)

*warm up you, not wake up. Lol darn autocorrect.


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## Vsmodel7 (Nov 14, 2015)

Thank you so much


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