# Light Schedule Question



## margolia.wind (Oct 4, 2010)

Happy Halloween!
I'm not sure where the best place to post this is, but I hope it's okay here.

I'm just wondering how the schedule for a hedgehog works.
Like, okay. Say that I have a light schedule going so that the lights go ON at 7am and OFF at 8pm. 
At which point am I supposed to take her out of her cage for exercise/snuggles/bath etc? I have seen on other threads about schedules that people say you can take them out at 6 or 7, but is that that you take them out while the lights are still on? Or do you wait and take them out in the dark (which seems like it must be dangerous for them if they get, like, lost?)

If anyone can let me know, I'd be so grateful. I''m trying to work out a regular schedule for my girl that can work well with mine...


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

The lights can be on during playtime / bonding time / bath time, there's nothing negative about having them on. I think most owners aim to take their hedgehogs out at 7/8pm at night mainly because its after work/school, after dinner and when most people are settling down to relax for the evening. But if you per say had the free time to bond with your hedgehog at 5pm, that's also fine. People just stick to a general time of night to wake their hogs up mainly because they'll get use to it, rather than waking them up one day at 4pm and then the next at 8pm and then at 6pm, just to keep them on a regular schedule.

And I think most aim to have the lights go off roughly at the same time, just because its the start of the hedgehog's day. I can't say for sure because I'm somewhat a freak who dislikes waking up creatures from their sleep, be it human, cat or hedgehog, so I usually bond, bath and work with my hedgehogs on their own time, but I'm a night owl so I'm always up until about 2am.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

You can leave lights on until 10ish pm and sometimes even later depending on what you are doing. Whatever you get hedgie used to is what will work. Some hedgehogs are fussy about timing but if you get her used to something from the start, she will learn to be okay with it.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I turn the lights on at 5 am (that's when I get up) & off at 6pm. I get Zoey from 7pm-8pm for cuddle time & Cholla from 8pm to 9pm. Durring cuddle time, we have dim lights on & the TV is on. Sometimes they will still be asleep when I get them for cuddle time. Sometimes they will be up. 
That's what works for us. So, as Nancy & Puffers said, whatever works for you - just be consistent.


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## margolia.wind (Oct 4, 2010)

Okay. That makes sense.
So, um, sorry - but to be clear. It would be okay to have her out then before the lights went out for the night and then put the lights back on after she goes back in her house? As long as I do the same thing every night?
Thanks for the help!


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## RalphsMum (Oct 14, 2010)

From what i can tell, as long as you have a regular schedule with your hedgie you should be fine.
With Ralph we have his light on a timer, on at 7am, off at 9am - natural daylight until 4pm then the light comes on again until 8pm when the light goes off and we get him up and sometimes he continues to sleep on a lap...well actually, mostly he continues to sleep on a lap  
We are pretty north and recently we have had some really grey days were there's not much natural light coming in, but the last few days have been sunny and it's been really light while the lght has been on, but we've just left it on the same timings


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

The light schedule being consistent is what's important because it gives your hedgehog a day night schedule. Ours lights go on between 9am and 10am and lights go off between 11pm and midnight. (they are not on a timer because the cage is in the bedroom so we put them on when we wake up and off when we go to sleep. 

It is good to have a consistent handling schedule too but don't be worried if one day you want to get him out earlier or later than normal. Sometimes if I can't sleep I get Quigley out for a special play time with me. Other times if I'm home during the day and napping on the couch I'll get him out to nap with me. When I first got him I tried really hard not to get him out of his cage before 5pm. After a few weeks gave up on that and if I was home he was just out with me snuggling while I did homework and watched TV. As long as your hedgehog is still getting all the sleep needed to be happy and healthy then it doesn't matter if you're snuggling in the middle of the day.


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