# Hello, Kelis and I are new here!



## Kelis (Aug 15, 2013)

I just got a 6 week old female hedgehog about 4 days ago, named Kelis. She is an adorable lil dude! I have been trying to get her used to me and the new digs since day 1, but she is still skiddish and shy and biting me! Her bites dont hurt. She begins with smelling me, then licking me, then she nibbles! I have been washing my hands with none scented soap before handling her. I put one of my shirts in her igloo, a website I was reading said to do so, this way they get used to your smell. I have been devoting a half an hour a day to get her and I used to each other. I have been waking her up at about 7pm or 8pm to play, I dont know if this is a problem or not! After our half an hour playtime, she goes back to sleep for about an hour before she wakes up and plays on her wheel, eat, drinks, poops! I guess I just need some pointers to gain her trust! Also, I know it has been less then a week so I need patience!!! Thanks


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Welcome!  Putting your shirt in her igloo is good, and 7-8 pm is just fine. The best thing for gaining her trust is patience. It may take a couple weeks, but from what you describe it sounds like she's settling it pretty well. She might keep doing the sniff-lick-nibble thing until she gets used to your scent and taste, but that's totally normal. Do you have pictures of her?


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## Kelis (Aug 15, 2013)

Play time was way better today! She is biting less, and she is being gentler about it! When and how should I give her a bath?

Sorry, I dont know how to upload a pic on here!!!


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## Kelis (Aug 15, 2013)

Kelis hanging out!


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## alexvdl (Dec 19, 2012)

One thing you may want to deal with is a new wheel. The Silent Spinner has been none to cause injury to hedgehog due to the split down the middle. IT also doesn't give feces and urine a runoff path so your hog will be running through it


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## Kelis (Aug 15, 2013)

Yeah, I am cleaning it twice a day and looking it over for defects... Any suggestions on what wheel to get her?


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## bugster (Aug 18, 2012)

Whatever you think works best for you, but is still hedgie safe of course. You could try the comfort wheel, but only in the giant size 12 in. There are a few ajustments you might want to make with it that are in the wheel reviews section. There is also the flying saucer, and you can look in the wheel reviews section for that, too. It is believed to give some hedgies hip problems, and not others. You can get homemade bucket wheels from Larry T. and other breeders, which are very reccomended. Those are in the wheel classified section.The one you have, the silent spinner, is not a reccomended wheel at all. Take a look, and choose which one is best for you.  (Sorry if that was confusing)


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## Kelis (Aug 15, 2013)

Thanks guys! Well it has been a week so far since me and Kelis have been together! I think we are making good progress! I am thinking of getting treats for her to give her during our playtime! What can I get for her? I figure if I give her treats during playtime, she will be more excited about it! The nibbling has not stopped yet and she is still pretty skittish when I am handling her, FYI!


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## zamxonk (Mar 6, 2013)

Mealworms are popular - give in moderation. Also recommended to keep the mealworms without food for 24hrs and then give them something healthy (veggies or fruit) and full of moisture to eat. If the petstore hasn't been giving them good food, the grody food in their digestive systems can make hedgehogs feel sick, so not feeding them for a day clears the old food out.

My hedgehog really likes carrots, some love chicken, apples, etc. Look at the safe treats list under the nutrition category and see what makes your hedgehog happy!


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## Kelis (Aug 15, 2013)

Well she didnt nibble on me today, but she is still hissing and puffing when I go to pick her up or to pet her. She did try to eat my flip-flop! Maybe she got her nibbling out on that! I try to hold her for a bit but let her explore the living room. Should I try to hold her more during our playtime?


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## zamxonk (Mar 6, 2013)

Hmmm...I'm pretty new to hedgehog ownership too, but I'd say - find a comfortable balance for you and her between her roaming freely and you interacting with her. Bonus would be if she chose to explore you (lying down can help, but watch your earlobes just in case she goes for a nibble!). Ambrose gets pretty huffy if I try to interrupt his exploring, and he never seems to get tired enough (within the ~2 hours I usually have to play with him between his Highness getting up and my bed time) to come snuggle with me, so I just pet him a bit and get him to crawl on me some, or put him in places that smell a lot like me (like my bed, beware excrement!). We also have a daily cuddle just about when his light comes on in the morning, when he's pretty sleepy. I give him a quick footbath, dry him off, and he crawls into my shirt to sleep for 45 minutes before I go to work.

That's just what's worked for us - I'm sure you'll figure out something that works for you and your girl! Trust her and your instincts.


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## Kelis (Aug 15, 2013)

Alright, starting to mini freak out! Kelis has been itching herself a lot a last few days. She is 8 weeks old, is this her starting to Quill? Is there anything I can apply on her to help sooth the itching?


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