# My hedgehog isn't active.



## Marissa.sable (Jun 26, 2016)

I'm probably paranoid for nothing, but I've noticed that my hedgehog, Pip, doesn't do much except ball up. when he's in his cage he's roaming around, so I don't think it's a health issue. But I notice at night when I get him out of the cage for play time he just kind of sits there. Am I doing something wrong? He's not hissing or grouchy, just, still. I read about stress, and I guess he could be stressed because he recently moved homes. But he's known me forever and he's been in my home before. And his stool isn't green. I'm just worried that he's not getting exercise.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

How long have you had him? 
Has he always been like this? 
Does he have a wheel in his cage to exercise on?

If you hadn't had him for very long, this may just be normal for him. Not all hedgehogs want to run around when we get them out and that's perfectly ok. 

If he's always been like this and you have had him for a while, this is probably his normal. On the other side if all the sudden he changed with no explanation it could be a sign of something being off health wise. 

If he has a wheel that he uses, that's going to be his main source of exercise.


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## Marissa.sable (Jun 26, 2016)

He's been at my house permanently for a couple of days now. But he's been here before, like when my best fiend Jessie (former owner) goes out of town or something. So this place is not at all new to him. He doesn't have a wheel anymore because he didn't use it. And he use to have a large hamster ball he roamed around in. He's usually fairly active, so I'm wondering if there's something wrong.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

For the time being, I'd pass this off as adjusting. 
That ball he runs around in, not good. The ventilation holes can catch feet and toes. Hedgehogs use the bathroom as they run, and he's stuck in it. It also doesn't give them the same amount of exercise a wheel would, you have to put him in it. Its also very debatable if they enjoy it or not, because we don't know if they are running out of enjoyment or are they trying to get away and out of it? 
What type of wheel did he have before? Some kinds are more hedgehog friendly than others and some hedgehogs don't take to them naturally and need some teaching to use a wheel.


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## Marissa.sable (Jun 26, 2016)

twobytwopets said:


> For the time being, I'd pass this off as adjusting.
> That ball he runs around in, not good. The ventilation holes can catch feet and toes. Hedgehogs use the bathroom as they run, and he's stuck in it. It also doesn't give them the same amount of exercise a wheel would, you have to put him in it. Its also very debatable if they enjoy it or not, because we don't know if they are running out of enjoyment or are they trying to get away and out of it?
> What type of wheel did he have before? Some kinds are more hedgehog friendly than others and some hedgehogs don't take to them naturally and need some teaching to use a wheel.


I noticed he didn't seem to be enjoying the ball, so we got rid of it. and the wheel I had in his cage was a larger wheel, I'm not entirely sure but I think it was for Guinea pigs. I wanted something large enough for him to be comfortable on. But he didn't seem to enjoy that either.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

He needs to have a wheel. Like I said some are better than others. Some are downright unsafe and some are questionable on safety. 
A bucket wheel is the most common one for a few reasons. It's safe, easy to clean, adjustable and perfectly smooth running surface. 
Even then, he may need to learn how to use it. Some use their wheels and we just don't know. Some have no idea how to use it and therefore it's uncomfortable for them. Once they figure it out, they use it as they see fit. 

How many changes have you made since you got him?


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