# Skiddish New Hedgi Owner



## cthom (Nov 15, 2011)

Hello there, im chantell and im new to hedgehog central.

So i just got my hedgie in october, he was born in august. 
I'm so nervous about him, i dont have a heating lamp for him because the house heater is right above his cage and he has some hand knitted blankets and a igloo cover to keep him warm (is that enough? he is up off the floor on top of my dresser ) i feed him sunseed hedgehog food, with 5 mealies everyday, and cucumber and bananas during the week (banana gets all over him though!) he self annoits everytime i give him carrots :shock: and he sort of bites. he used to bite ALOT when i first got him and really really hard. now he just opens his mouth to go for my fingers and i tell him NO! and he normally stops, but im still nervous he will try to bite me agian. he has a carloina bucket wheel for his little feet, and a water DISH i couldent get him on a bottle. i give him an oatmeal bath once a week. and he went to the vet and he just stopped quilling, and the vet said he was an EXTREMLY active hedgie. but my biggest problem is that EVERY time i take him out of the cage, HE POOPS EVERYWHERE! OR PEE'S! its getting me in trouble with my fiancee and his family, they dont like me takeing him out of the cage because HE POOPS EVERYTIME! what can i do about this? i mean i dont mind it but i wish there was something i could do, i love Bear so much, and i just want the best for him. i want him to live a happy long fufilled life.  im worried i wont be a good hedgie mom.


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

You should have a thermometer in the cage. And I would recommend getting a CHE set up. It gives most of us peace of mind. You want to be careful not to over heat him. 
Also careful with the knitted blankets you don't want his feet to get caught in them. It could end up with an amputated foot. :/
You should check out our diet section. Most hedgehog food is CRAP. I use chicken soup for the cat lovers soul light and blue buffalo. No matter what food you go with make sure it has a protein fat ratio of about 30/12. No corn. And make sure you change over SLOWLY. Hedgies have sensitive tummies. 
Water dishes are the best. Bottles can hurt their backs and they can chip their teeth. Don't try and switch. 
If he's not dirty you don't have to give him a bath. Especially in the winter you want to limit how much they get wet. Don't want to catch a chill.
The pooping will slow up as he gets older. He's a baby he's going to poop a lot. Just like a human baby. 
Do you wash your hands before you hold him? Wear any perfumes? Make sure he's not smelling something on you. That could be why he bites he just wants to taste. But don't shout at him. He doesn't understand what he's doing is wrong. Just don't give him the opportunity. Shouting will just lead to him being afraid of you. 
What do you use as bedding? We usually recommend fleece. You can check the product review section on why its better then anything else. 
Also what kind of cage do you have? Just making sure it's not a tank. ^-^


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## cthom (Nov 15, 2011)

ok thermomoter, no problem. what is a CHE setup? i have never heard of that? ok no knitted blankys. chicken soup for the cat lovers soul light i dont think we have that in canada  ( im from alberta ) ok no bath unless he has poopie feet :? well i do smell like coffee alot when i come home because i work at starbucks, but i always wash my hands with unsecnted soap. ok no shouting ethier. i use old towels as bedding, and i have a hedgie bag from quills and things, would that be better for his bed? oh and i got him a big wire cage, like one for guinne pigs and rabbits. it has a second floor to it but he is to little to climb the slope up to the floor so i took it out.


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

cthom said:


> ok thermomoter, no problem. what is a CHE setup? i have never heard of that? ok no knitted blankys. chicken soup for the cat lovers soul light i dont think we have that in canada  ( im from alberta ) ok no bath unless he has poopie feet :? well i do smell like coffee alot when i come home because i work at starbucks, but i always wash my hands with unsecnted soap. ok no shouting ethier. i use old towels as bedding, and i have a hedgie bag from quills and things, would that be better for his bed? oh and i got him a big wire cage, like one for guinne pigs and rabbits. it has a second floor to it but he is to little to climb the slope up to the floor so i took it out.


Che set up is a dome light fixture with a chromatic(sp?) heat emitter. You can get both the dome and the emitter off amazon for about $20 if you look hard enough. Just make sure you get the correct watt for the dome. 
There are lots of Canadians here I'm sure one can point you in the right direction then for food. 
It may still be the coffee sent. I know my bf works at Wendys (fast food place) and he still smells like fries and such even after washing his hands. 
Towels are the same as the knitted blankets. They can get their little feet caught. You can use fleece, flannel, cotton. Just make sure that there are no lose threads. The hedgie bag is fine to use as a sleeping area. x3 
Make sure if you do put the ramp back in that both the ramp and the second floor is inclosed. They have a horrible sense of depth perception and easily fall and hurt themselves.


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## cthom (Nov 15, 2011)

oh! i have a old dome heating light from when i had a leopard gekko. will that work? i have some old flannel pillow cases will that work? and i went out a got him blue buffalo kitten food, is that good? 
i dont want him to fall! i will not put the second floor back in! no no i wont!


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

you don't want him right under the house heating system because even though it's warm air it is still a draft going through his cage making him very likely to get sick. you need to get a separate heating system just for him either the che or a space heater are probably your two best bets along with the thermometer so you always know the temp inside his cage not just the air in the room since it can be quite a bit cooler or warmer than his cage temp. house heating systems also go on and off and often the temp changes throughout the day and a hedgie's temp in their cage should not fluctuate more than a degree or two. 

blue is generally a good food, but some animals can be allergic to some of the ingredients (my cat is one that is highly allergic to blue). be sure to change his food slowly over the next couple weeks, don't just change it all out or it can upset his stomach and cause bad diarrhea. 

which dome heating light do you have? some of the ones for reptiles are not good for hedgies. if you can post a pic of it we can tell you if its safe. 

the pooping...yes babies poop A LOT!!! think of it like this...when you first wake up what is the first thing you usually do? for most people its go to the bathroom and that's the same with a hedgie. when you first wake him up he is going to have to go to the bathroom within a couple minutes if not immediately so right when you wake him up put him in a safe area to go to the bathroom (give him several minutes to go some it takes a few minutes to get it all out they may go several times before they are done). then after he's done his business keep putting him back in there to use the bathroom again several times an hour (babies can't hold their bladder so you've gotta realize this and be aware of what is going on with him and when he has to go). if he squats or raises his tail most likely he's gonna go so put him in the potty spot. sometimes you can even catch him pooping right when he starts and get him in there quick enough before it falls, but you gotta pay attention.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

It's better to have a CHE, because they don't need the light. 
The flannel pillow cases could work, just make sure your hedgie doesn't try to bury under it. 
Make sure you introduce the food slowly! Although with most hedgehogs, they'll go straight for the good food and ignore the crap food.
Do you have a wheel in his cage?
Also, hedgehogs are poop machines. You could always pick him up, have a little shoe storage box covered in paper towels and let him do his business, then pick him up. 
However, your hedgie is still a baby, so they'll poop a lot.


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## cthom (Nov 15, 2011)

well with the pooping, i though it was like the biting, if i put him in the cage when he poops on me or pees, it shows him that he can do that to get away from me by pooping on me, but ill try your potty box idea and i hope it will work, ( btw i gusse i dont have the heater, so please recomend me some sites to buy one from ) and i will start switching him over tonight, how shouldi ratio it? 1 to 3?
and yes he has a wheel, a carolina storm bucket wheel  i love it, best 50$ i ever spent.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

First week: 20% new food
Second Week: 40% new food
Third Week: 60% new food
Fourth Week: 80% new food
Fifth Week: all new food

Go with this unless your hedgie goes straight for the good food, which is what happens quite often. If he only picks out the good pellets, then just feed him the new food and be prepared for runny poos.


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## cthom (Nov 15, 2011)

ok 5 weeks, got it.

do you guys have any bonding tips? how can i tell if bear likes me?


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

Well you can put a used t-shirt in his cage so he gets use to your smell. Like sleep in in for a few nights then just put in there. :3
Just make sure you take him out every night for at least 30mins. Even if you just let him sleep on you while you watch tv it's bonding. 
You'll know if you likes you. When he doesn't huff up at you when you do something but then someone else does it and he'll becoming a hissing ball. It's the little things. Some hedgies make noises like a chirp noise. Thats basically a hedgie i love you. lol


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