# T-Shirt Chewing



## _gatecrasher_ (May 8, 2009)

I just brought my baby home!!  

I had been sleeping in a cotton T-shirt all week and placed it inside of her hidey-hole as instructed. However, is it normal for hedgie to CHEW on the T-shirt? Should I be concerned about her choking or is this normal?


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## AAdict (May 2, 2009)

awww congrats on your baby - look forward to seeing some piccies once she's settled :mrgreen: I would say the t-shirt chewing is normal - all of mine regularly chew on the edges of my clothing when they are out - I think its a way of 'tasting' your scent and getting acquired to you - as long as she isnt actually eating the fabric itself (that would be a problem) and just check that she isnt pulling any threads or stitching loose that she could possibly get tangled up in then she should be fine and she's getting used to you


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## _gatecrasher_ (May 8, 2009)

Whew! Thank you!  

I don't think she was actually -eating- it, just chewing on it and ripping it. This lasted for about 10 minutes and then she just curled up and fell asleep. I'm taking this as a good sign! 

I will post pics!


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## hedgieluver (Feb 18, 2009)

congrats, post some adorable pics as soon as you can!!! cant wait to see her, have any names yet? if you need help i have some, lol


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## _gatecrasher_ (May 8, 2009)

Thanks!  I named her Olive.  

She was sleeping for awhile and I went to check on her. Is it normal for them to be all groggy and shaky when they first wake up? I turned the thermostat in my house to 74 and have a ceramic heater on on top of her cage (16" high). Do you think she could be too cold? Or just sleepy? Once she uncurled she looked around and then ran right back to bed again. Haha


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

_gatecrasher_ said:


> Thanks!  I named her Olive.
> 
> She was sleeping for awhile and I went to check on her. Is it normal for them to be all groggy and shaky when they first wake up? I turned the thermostat in my house to 74 and have a ceramic heater on on top of her cage (16" high). Do you think she could be too cold? Or just sleepy? Once she uncurled she looked around and then ran right back to bed again. Haha


Sounds like she might not be quite warm enough. Is she like that every time she wakes up?


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## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

getting a thermometer in her cage to make sure the temperature where she sleeps is high enough (72+) is prolly the best idea. She should not be wobbly upon getting up.


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## AlesanaHedgie (May 1, 2009)

My hedgie seems to be shakey and hussy when she wakes up too. Is that not normal? It's only like that when I wake her up.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

AlesanaHedgie said:


> My hedgie seems to be shakey and hussy when she wakes up too. Is that not normal? It's only like that when I wake her up.


If she's "shaking" because she's huffing puffing and hissing, then it's fine :lol: She's just telling you how annoyed she is at being woken up.

Every time I've gone to wake up my boy, I get grumpy faces and some hissing. I don't think I've actually seen him "groggy" When I go check on him, his eye are wide and he's looking at me, and he slowly does his grumpy face if I don't cover him back up :lol: Then he comes out for his dinner/breakfast, does his business and tries to go back to bed, where I then kidnap him :lol:


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

I would get some fleece to stuff in the sleeping area it will help hold the heat in.
U can even make some napsacks out of it if u can sew,I can't :lol: 
Fleece is inexpensive at around $10 a yard at most fabric stores


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## _gatecrasher_ (May 8, 2009)

Now that I've got my thermometer up and running, I keep the cage between 73 and 77 degrees. It's usually ~73-75 in the cage and 75-77 in her hidey hole (I have two thermometer probes), so I *know* it's not the temperature...but my Olive still is groggy when she wakes up. Not so much grumpy as in hissing/huffing, but just puts her quills up, puts them down once I hold her and usually isn't full of energy and ready to GO until she's been awake for about 15-20 minutes. 

...Although yesterday I woke her up and held her and her eyes were half closed and she was letting me pet her for about 20 minutes. I thought she was going back to sleep, but then my boyfriend tried to hold her, she instantly huffed and quilled up and did her whole squirming routine. Maybe she's just more comfortable with me?


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