# Weird and dangerous behavior!



## thorny (Jan 9, 2016)

I just got my hedgie a couple of days ago. She's 2 months and a week old. She is very calm and outgoing, seems to like me and my brother very much. We have napped together and she has slept on my brother's belly! We gave her a bath and she was very calm, she also likes being pet and I pet her when she's sleeping. She's sort of active, loves to explore and we let her roam the house under supervision of course. She eats and I've seen her drink mostly from her water bowl but she licked the bottle once (I'm pretty sure she hasn't figured it out though).
It's the third day we have her and we just introduced her to the wheel. She climbed on it once but doesn't climb unless I put her on it. She's really calm and lets me handle her all the time so I tried placing her multiple times but she just keeps stepping down. I tried throwing a blanket over it to make her think she can't get out and walk and she did...but when I took it off she got off again.

I wouldn't be so worried and I would give her more time to get used to it but the thing is she gets bored in the cage. She literally won't sit still inside it and even worse, she climbs on the bars and sticks her head out. I'm worried sick that she will fall off or hurt herself! I have also given her time to get used to the new cage and tried to discourage her from climbing on bars as well but she just doesn't stop and I'm literally afraid to leave her in for too long...She always looks up and sniffs around for our palms and once we put them in the cage she RUNS to us and climbs on our palms.

I keep trying to keep her busy but I can't keep watching her run around all day long! She only goes in her cage to sleep but even so I have to PLACE her in the cage while she has ALREADY fallen asleep in her snuggle pouch or in somebody's lap!

I also haven't seen her pee in a while (she may do on the bedding but I'm not sure). I have noticed that she's quilling and itching a bit. 
I have tried all the suggestions about teaching her how to use the wheel that I could find. I really don't know what to do....


*I forgot to add that she used to try and climb out of the previous cage as well (it was a tall, clear tub and she couldn't but that didn't stop her)


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## Xogabii (Dec 9, 2015)

First off hedgehogs should not have wired cages . Its very dangerous for them hedgehogs arent climbers so she could fall and hurt herself very badly with her quils. Or she could get her food or nail stuckk and break her leg or hurt herself. I suggest getting a safer cage. I use a large storage tin for my little guy milo its spacious see through and safe also easy to clean. If you dont like the idea of a bin you can always buy a fish tank. Which ever you want but for the safety of your little girl. Chane the cage.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Fish tanks are not a safe option. All cages with bars aren't bad, some are amazing cages. 
Every cage has its downside. If the cage you are using is the appropriate size of at least 4 square feet, then with a few modifications it will work just fine.


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## thorny (Jan 9, 2016)

The cage has a plastic bottom, deep enough for her to barely be able to reach the bars. I'm pretty sure it's hedgie safe since the breeder I got her from suggested it for me. However, even when I used the tub/bin cage she was still trying to climb out! She just can't stand being in the cage....

Yes, the cage does meet all minimum requirements, it is also equipped with her food bowl, a water bowl and a water bottle, her wheel, lost of comfy bedding and her snuggle pouch where she goes to sleep as well (I plan on making her a little house to hide in too). I have given her a small toy too, one of those eggs that shakes if you move them around. She rolls it around sometimes but for some reason it's just not enough to keep her occupied.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Xogabii said:


> First off hedgehogs should not have wired cages . Its very dangerous for them hedgehogs arent climbers so she could fall and hurt herself very badly with her quils. Or she could get her food or nail stuckk and break her leg or hurt herself. I suggest getting a safer cage. I use a large storage tin for my little guy milo its spacious see through and safe also easy to clean. If you dont like the idea of a bin you can always buy a fish tank. Which ever you want but for the safety of your little girl. Chane the cage.


Wired cages are a much safer and healthier option than a tank. Many many people use cages with wire sides. Fish tanks are made to keep in moisture and you don't want moisture in your hedgehog's home.


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## thorny (Jan 9, 2016)

I moved her wheel to the corner she'd been constantly trying to climb and she's simply trying to climb a different one....I keep her in my room because I'm worried sick that she will hurt herself and I had to keep getting up and just take her off the bars. Nothing you can do to stop a hedgie though...what can I do to distract her or something?


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## thorny (Jan 9, 2016)

Sorry for double posting but I just wanted to add that she HAS stepped on the wheel and wheeled just a little bit then just went back to climbing...Maybe I should put her back in the tub until she learns to wheel ?


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

You need to modify the cage. 
Attach a solid surface to the wire sides. Coroplast, plastic place mats, anything to stop her from risking getting injured. For the time being even cardboard world work.


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

Ok, let's dissect this then. Let's start with the cage. What are the exact dimensions? What sort of bedding are you using? Does she act distressed when you have her out? What is the temperature of the cage? How are you heating it? What's the light schedule like? Are there any other toys besides that one? What about your home? Are there any lights that might be on at night that could be bothering her? Strange smells? Loud (or just annoying) sounds? Is she only restless like that in her cage? 

It's a lot of questions, but there's a reason she's trying to escape. The more we know the easier it will be to narrow down.


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## thorny (Jan 9, 2016)

I'll try to get my hands on some coroplast asap but if I temporarily use cardboard (it's 8AM Sunday where I live) isn't it possible that she will try to eat through it? I've read that they do that when they're bored...


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

Largely hedgehogs aren't really chewers. They aren't rodents, so they don't feel the need to shred everything they see. The most my girl has even done was rip up the paper towel I put down under her wheel. It's possible she would chew on the cardboard, but I'm not worried about it. It's just a temporary measure anyway.


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## WanderingQuill (Oct 29, 2016)

My hedgehog's enclosure is a bin and she's two months and a week or two(?) and whenever I get her outside to bond with her, she'd go crazy trying to escape whenever I put her back. I don't see her do this during the day or before I take her outside and she doesn't really like being touched yet (I've had her for a week now). I always see her fall whenever she try to climb the sides or through her bowl.

The other thing I'm worried about is that earlier (evening), she did the same thing and it looked like she was dragging both her back legs. I was suspecting that this might be WHS or she just broke a leg or two but when I get her outside again, she'd be speeding off like nothing happened. Could it be that she's acting or she's showing early signs of WHS?

PS. This is not the first night I saw this happen.


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## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

...


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## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

WanderingQuill said:


> My hedgehog's enclosure is a bin and she's two months and a week or two(?) and whenever I get her outside to bond with her, she'd go crazy trying to escape whenever I put her back. I don't see her do this during the day or before I take her outside and she doesn't really like being touched yet (I've had her for a week now). I always see her fall whenever she try to climb the sides or through her bowl.
> 
> The other thing I'm worried about is that earlier (evening), she did the same thing and it looked like she was dragging both her back legs. I was suspecting that this might be WHS or she just broke a leg or two but when I get her outside again, she'd be speeding off like nothing happened. Could it be that she's acting or she's showing early signs of WHS?
> 
> PS. This is not the first night I saw this happen.


Please do not post your questions in someone else's threads and don't bring back old threads it gets confusing and your question might get lost.


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