# Is this normal?



## anna m (Dec 19, 2008)

My hedgehog, well I don't let him go around the house unsupervised but I have a little playpen for him in the living room. I put newspapers down and food, water and his wheel. He goes under the newspaper and wee's then he gets very exicited and tries to tug at the carpet. I ask him to stop but he pays no attention to me. I went through to get some more kitchen paper to soak up his wee and it looked like he had been sick on the carpet but again he was getting exicted about this. is this normal or is my hedgehog born to be different? Another thing he does is poo out between the bars. What exactly is he trying to say?


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## Mika (Dec 4, 2008)

He is a pet.. so it's normal that he doesn't understand when you say "NO". Hedgehog is a noctunal animal so he will try do find a place (under the new paper, the carpet or a blanket...) to sleep.

When he taste something's new he will make foam and put it on his quills. That is normal too when he eats or taste somehting that is new for him.

When he is in the playpen, you have to stay there to supervise him 'cause he will try to get out of the pen and find someplace to hide and sleep!!

It's not a kid, it's an animal!!


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## anna m (Dec 19, 2008)

Thanks Mika. I'm glad he is normal. Of course I stay with him when he is out playing. If he every got his freedom in my place I might never find him. He has a box that my other half made for him to stay in. But I was wondering about a cage as well as it would be easier to keep clean. What sort of cage should I go for?


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## anna m (Dec 19, 2008)

And I do know he is a mamal/animal and not a kid/child. I was worried by his behaviour as this is my first hedgehog


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## anna m (Dec 19, 2008)

I thought i could ask questions here? perhaps you could recomend another forum on hedgehog where I can ask my questions if I'm not welcome to here


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## hndspk (Aug 28, 2008)

Anna - You can ask questions here, it's just that some members feel that new owners should already know the basics of hedgie care. I started off in the same boat you're in, I didn't know a whole lot. It was kind-of an impulse buy for me but I did my research and now know how to care for my hedgie properly. The best way to learn is to browse the forums and read up on the topics. So i'm sorry that you've had a bad experience here so far. Hopefully I can help clear some things up for you.

What your hedgie is doing with the carpet is called annointing. It's pretty much just really thick spit that they rub on their quills.

My little guy will also poo between the bars on his cage. Instead of having it in his cage with him, it will end up on the carpet surrounding his cage.

Also, for a cage I'd recommend a C & C cage. Basically you build your own using square wire shelving. It's really easy to build and doesn't really cost a whole lot to do it. One more thing to keep in mind, a hedgehog really needs at least 2 square feet of room in his/her cage.

Good luck!


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## anna m (Dec 19, 2008)

Thank you hndspk. I did read books on hedgehogs before I got one but sometimes life is different from books. I knew that hedgehogs annointed themselves but I did not know they would annoint carpet. I just though he had got excited and been sick. It is not possible to know everything I find, no matter how many books you read and this is my first hedgehog.


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## sagesmommy (Sep 25, 2008)

i agree anna! You can do all the reading and research you want , but when you get the little bugger home its a whole different story! It's like you knew these things but you didnt KNOW them until you experience them with your hedgie. 

Also, i have never heard of a hedgehog anointing on something other than themselves.? 
(my sage has never anointed... i wanna see it what should i give her?) 
( my first time ever holding a hedgie it was a little tiny albino baby girl and she smelled me and she anointed! It was like love at first ... spit!)


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I've had a few that older ones annoint the air because they can no longer twist around well enough to annoint themselves.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

There are many books out there still being published that are old and contain incorrect information about hedgehogs. Some the information is actually harmful to hedgehogs. There are a couple that are ok for basic care.


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## hogmother (Nov 16, 2008)

Please please PLEASE feel you can ask questions here. As a newbie myself (Nov 08) I know it's intimidating because you're worried people will chastise you for having questions but this is a place to learn.


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## anna m (Dec 19, 2008)

Kalandra said:


> There are many books out there still being published that are old and contain incorrect information about hedgehogs. Some the information is actually harmful to hedgehogs. There are a couple that are ok for basic care.


Thanks Kalandra
What books do you recommend?


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

I personally would not recommend any hedgehog books at all, except for "The Hedgehog Primer". 

Every other one I've seen has so much contradictory information I feel sorry for any hedgehog that would be treated as described in them.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Dawn Wrobel's book is ok, but it is starting to get a little outdated. 
Im told Audrey Pavia's book is ok as well. I haven't actually gotten a chance to look at it though. 

I don't recommend any of the Vriends or Kelsey-Woods books. They were written ages ago and we have learned so much since then.

If you want a veterinary book to have on hand, just in case you need to use a vet who doesn't have a lot of experience, I like the following:

Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery 2nd edition 
and the 
Exotic Animal Formulary.

I've actually had need for both. Mostly the formulary. Once with an emergency vet and once with an ophthalmologist.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

sagesmommy said:


> Also, i have never heard of a hedgehog anointing on something other than themselves.?
> (my sage has never anointed... i wanna see it what should i give her?)


Hedgehogs can anoint on other things because they may miss themselves. Just yesterday I gave Quigley a bath and was holding him wrapped in a towel and he tried to anoint with one of his treats to get the bath smell off of himself. Anyway a bunch of foamy smelly beef treat pieces ended up all over the side of the towel. It was pretty gross.

What did it look like on the carpet? If it was just foam with carpet bits because then it was definitely just from anointing and not from being sick. If it had bits of old food in it (that he wasn't eating at the time) then I would worry.

And Sagesmommy, My first hedgehog loved to anoint with his carrots and Quigley loves to anoint with these natural beef liver dog treats (these are more fattening than most treats so I only give him a very small amount infrequently).


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

hedgielover said:


> And Sagesmommy, My first hedgehog loved to anoint with his carrots and Quigley loves to anoint with these natural beef liver dog treats (these are more fattening than most treats so I only give him a very small amount infrequently).


I can't give my hedgehog carrots (baby food) unless I'm going to give him a bath. He doesn't want to eat much of it, but he insists on smearing it ALL OVER himself. He's the same way with pumpkin, too.


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## anna m (Dec 19, 2008)

They are all different aren't they? My Rascal hates carrots, eats peas sometimes but loves peppers these days almost as much as he loves chicken.
I thought he had been sick on the carpet that day. It looked red but my carpet is red. It was not blood and he hasn't done it since. Perhaps he had just anointed it. Come to think of it I haven't put him on the carpet since. I'll see if he does it the next time.
I haven't had him long but he took the longest time to get to know us. He gives us cuddles now.


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## hogmother (Nov 16, 2008)

Priscilla also anointed with carrots. Any Gerber baby food she's had so far has ended up on her back and not in her tummy.


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