# Pacing Hedgie



## primordial_ooze (Apr 14, 2016)

Hi there! Glenn is just over 10 weeks old now. We brought her home 2 weeks ago. She's got a healthy appetite, is starting to bond and be more comfortable with me and my husband, sleeps on my lap in her sack for an hour or 2 a day, and though she doesn't really sit still - she's okay with being handled - doesn't ball up or hiss etc. Last weekend we got a few of those multicolored playpen fences, I'm sure you've all seen them, and once she starts waking up in the evening we put her in the pen on the floor for a few hours to play. She's got quite a bit of space - about 5 ft by 3ft, tubes and blankets and to play with, and we just got her a carolina storm wheel but she doesn't exactly have the hang of that yet. She seems pretty healthy, but there's something that is concerning us - when she's in this pen she will periodically start frantically pacing. She'll choose a small section of the fence, like 2 color lengths (which is probably about 2 feet) and pace back and forth from one point on the fence to the other. back and forth. pretty quickly, turning fast the other way when she reaches the end point, like she just remembered she left her car keys on the other end. It looks kind of OCD! Should we be worried? She's got tons of space but she'll stay in this small section pacing for 5 minutes or so before she breaks away and then eventually comes back to do it again.
Any ideas about whats going on? We do know she's quilling if that's a part of it...


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## jamandbiscuits16 (Feb 5, 2015)

Hey there! So a lot of hedgehogs don't use all the space given to them, so I wouldn't worry too much about her really liking one area of the cage. She could think there is an escape route near that wall or smells something? My hedgehog will go back and forth down the hallway as many times as it takes to get out and will ignore everything else! They seem to get really determined sometimes LOL I guess just make sure she's getting enough of her energy out at night by running on her wheel (which should be placed in her cage overnight). Don't stress too much, it sounds like she's having fun and is healthy!


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## TikkiLink (Dec 4, 2013)

She may just need to get her energy out. Carolina Storm Wheels can be difficult for a hedgie to learn to use without a little help because they're very slippery. Have you tried lowering the wheel to the lowest setting and tipping it backward a bit? Then you can place her in it and block her in with your hand while gently turning the wheel. With the wheel tilted backward a bit she won't slip off of it. After she gets used to that and over time creates a texture on the surface from using it, you can tip it forward so that the poop and pee will drain off the front. She may stop pacing so much when she learns to use her wheel.


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## Hedgehog Swag (Feb 19, 2016)

Personally I think there is a significant difference in behavior between what a hedgehog does awake when we are interacting and there is light versus when it is dark and they are left alone. I ordered a D-Link camera to really get a better understanding what Scrizzie does during her alone time. Another option is to get your hedgie a saucer. Scrizzie has a wheel and a saucer in her pen but never touches the wheel. I even loaded up the saucer with little toys to see if she would use the wheel and she just moved everything off the saucer.


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