# New hedgie not eating



## Ishar (Sep 22, 2009)

Hi there. Been creeping the forums for a while and I just got myself a new little guy.

From reading posts here on this forum I knew to switch his wood shaving bedding to fleece, to give him a home he can hide in (got one of those plastic igloos with some fleece cuttings inside.... not sure if he can fit in though ), and that the wire bottomed wheel he came with is bad for him (to be replaced today).

My concern lies not in the fact that he is standoffish so far as he does not know to trust me quite yet. What does concern me is the fact that the little bit of food I put in his dish on his first night he arrived (Sunday night, it is now Tuesday afternoon) has barely been touched, and neither has the water from the water bottle dispenser that he came with. He is 7 months old I was told and I basically bought his old setup- hedgie, home, toys, dishes etc. 

Is it normal for a new hedgehog to not eat when he arrives at a new home? He runs on his wheel all bloody night (this one has a loud squeek and it keeps me awake, so I know he is running lots ) and yet he is not eating. Anything wrong do you think? or is he just getting used to the place?

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## Pipkin (Aug 26, 2009)

Hi  

Count how much kibble you put in his bowl and then check it the following morning and you'll be able to see how many hes eaten.

I know my lil one didnt eat alot for the first few days, it took him about a week before he was eating a great deal more than a few mouthfuls, i assume this was him adjusting to his new area. 

Also with his water bottle, he may need a water bowl, they are safer as many people have said on here, easier for the hedgie to drink out of, and he may be used to drinking from a bowl not a bottle. Bottles can cause chipped teeth. 

Hope this helps a bit


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Just curious what kind of food you are feeding him?


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## Ishar (Sep 22, 2009)

Pipkin said:


> Hi
> 
> Count how much kibble you put in his bowl and then check it the following morning and you'll be able to see how many hes eaten.
> 
> ...


Ok- I will count it tonight and see what turns up. I kept the water bottle because it was what he was housed with by a breeder, so I figured it was ok and what he was used to. I will try a water bowl when I can get my hands on a little dish and see how that goes. Thanks for the ideas 



LarryT said:


> Just curious what kind of food you are feeding him?


For food it is a mix of Whiskas and Purina cat kibble- this is the mix that the breeder was feeding him and has always fed him. I will be buying some cat food this afternoon along with his wheel and will mix in the new food with what he is eating now to ease his digestive system into it.

I mean, I will wait until he starts eating a decent amount and then start to mix it in.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

You might want to think about adding a small bowl of water beneath the water bottle as well. 
Sometimes, even though the hedgie is used to a water bottle, the move to a new home can make them not want to use one. So just to cover your bases, it would be wise to put out a bowl of water as well, just as a precaution.


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