# I think I've done it all wrong.....



## beautsbelle (Jul 19, 2011)

Hi, 

I found this site today, and have read most of the day, found so much information I don't know where to start. So I'll just blurt out my sad hedgie story and maybe some of you might offer some advice? 

We got our hedgie about a year and a half ago. I will not mention the breeder by name, but I've seen several postings about this particular breeder today that were not pleasant....

We were talked into a "complete set up", cage, wheel, tent, snuggie sack and Spikes Delight. That is all we've fed our little girl. We did everything by the book, according to what we were told. Did not handle her for the first week we had her, to lessen her stress, fed her nothing but Spikes, as that is the best food.... use corn cob bedding to lessen the chances of inhaled particles from wood shavings and the list goes on and on. Now I find your site and see how different things can be. 

I feel so bad for Roxie. She is adorable, and I think we've brought her up all wrong. It was stressed to us that too much handling would stress her out, and now we seem to have a stressed out hedgie. 

Her cage is made of wire, has a little alcove area on the top that she rarely goes up to, and filled with corn cob that can't be comfortable. 

I see talk of using fleece as flooring. I am sorry for the dumb questions, but do you just cut fabric to fit the floor of the cage? How do you wash it? Do you change it several times a day, once a day? Rox spends most of her time UNDER her wheel, and nights she is up running in it. We got a tent with her cage set up, and she has never gone in it. She did not litter train, and poops more times in a day then I can count. Mostly in her wheel which is messy. 

Could it be the food that is making her poop SO much? When you take her out of her cage, she usually goes about 7 or 8 times. My son (14) loved to hold and play with her in the beginning, but with all the pooping, it got to be a chore. So he rarely takes her out anymore.

So.... I've decided to take the bull by the horns and see if I can get her to warm up to me. I just feel like we were misled and I feel like we've done everything wrong and I feel SO bad for her. Seeing all the neat pictures on here of hedgies I can only hope to have Rox spend the next few years having more fun. Now I don't know where to start. I'd like to find her a new cage, and maybe get her food changed to something that might lessen the poop. Any thoughts or suggestions? Otherwise I might have to see if I can rehome her to someone who knows what they are doing. 

Thanks in advance for any advice and criticism......


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## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

Awe, don't worry you didn't know you were doing it wrong. But I think I have an idea of whom you are talking about.

*Fleece:*
Yes, for fleece (which is the best bedding), just cut it to the size of the bottom of your cage. You can either sew it together to make it thicker or just cut piece double the length and fold it for extra cushioning. I change mine once a week. Each day, just pick up the poop (if there is any). You wash them in the washing machine with scent free laundry detergent or a water/vinegar solution, or you can just wash them in water. BUT before you cut your fabric, WASH it first. Sorry for the caps, but some people don't know this. It will shrink when you first wash it, so this is why you want to wash it before cutting it.

*Poop:*
It's 110% normal for there wheels to be covered in poop. What wheel do you have? You need to have a solid wheel that is 12". The only wheels that are completely safe are the Carolina Storm Wheel, Carolina Storm Bucket Wheel and a homemade bucket wheel.

She probably is pooping more because of the food. Crappier quality food = more poop. High quality food = less poop. This goes for all animals.

It is normal for them to poop while being held though.

*Cages:*
The best cage, in my opinion are C&C cages. You can make them as big as you want and whatever size you want. A cage needs to have a MINIMUM of 2 square feet once everything is in the cage. This is usually works out to be a cage with 14 square feet (minimum). My C&C cage has 16.2 square feet. The ferret nations are always really good, but expensive. You can make a bigger C&C for less. But they are nice. And the "My First Pet Home, Giant" (I believe that's what it's called), is also good. It's a bit small with everything in, but a great cage none the less and a really good value.

*Temperature/Light:*
What temperature is the cage at? It needs to be between around 75 F at all times.
What is the light cycle? Hedgies need 12-14 hours of light everyday, the same time everyday. For example, turn the light on at 8AM and off at 8PM.

*Food:*
For food, you want:
Protein: 29-33% (no higher then 34%)
Fat (under 6 months): 20% or so
Fat (over 6 months): 9-15%
Fiber: As much as possible, most foods are around 3-4% Blue Buffalo Weight Control has 8% or 8.5%
First ingredient: Real meat (chicken, turkey, duck, lamb, etc.) 
Second ingredient: Real meat or meat meal (chicken meal, turkey meal, duck meal, etc)
No corn, no wheat, no animal by-products, no nuts, no raisins. Pork and Beef are harder to digest.

Mealworms are good, but high in fat.
Crickets are good, and low in fat.
Superworms are good, but cut off the head.
Roaches are good.


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2011)

You will find no harsh criticism here, it is not your fault your were fooled by "Vickie's" (It didn't take much to figure it out). Spikes is decent but not enough for a stand alone there is a lot of filler junk food in it. Yes crappy food will mean more poop because most of the contents the hedgehogs body doesn't need and just shoots out as poop.

I've seen those cages they are dangerous looking in my opinion and the upstairs has no safety block to prevent hedgehogs from falling. Here we use Critter Nations and C 7 C Cages which ofer much more space to a hedgehog. A wonderful wheel choice is the Carolina Storm Wheel or Storm Bucket Wheel for Hedgehogs they are 100% Hedgie safe a sound.

If you've gone through a lot of the forum I am not going to over do it, Read into the better diet ideas and switch according to the four week weening plan.

You should handle you hedgehog every single day there is no given time but most find at least an hour to set them with you even if only to sleep on your lap (have a hedgehog bag for them to snuggle into for security).

I've seen those tents and their cute, but not roomy and some hedgehogs like space to stretch out and be comfortable I load my igloo up with fleece strips so she can dig and burrow under them nice and comfy like.

Litter training doesn't always take but placing the poop in a designated litter pan (placed where the most poop is, the best way to help them get the picture. If you catch them in the act place them in their litter tray and ensure they go there, usually they catch on but not always.

In addition having some kind of litter tray around/under your wheel is a must cause no matter what most hedgehogs that run will poop and pee on their wheel 

Fleece can be bought from many people here as liners or you can get anti-pill and have it cut to size. Washing it depends on how messy your hedgehog is. It may be an everyday thing use unscented detergent and wash like any other clothes. Have multiple fleeces cut too size of the cage so you can switch them out with comfort.

How is her temperament? Its possible also her personality is a loner and she'd rather be grumpy and left alone mostly, but the key is to not give in to her and her huffs and puffs like a child you must always be firm. If she huffs, hisses, or puffs and you react or put her back she will assume that thats all she has to do, her defenses worked. Trust can be a hard thing to build with a hedgehog but even at her age its possible, just keep in mind as I said not all hedgehogs end up cuddle buddies 

Others will be more in-depth then I, like i said I trust you read a lot and you should know a lot of what is being said.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger Hedgehogs by Vicki has mislead LOTS of people.


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## JLF1995 (Jun 22, 2011)

I have a suggestion, my hedgies had the wheel problem were they would sleep under it. When you see them in the moring and if they are not in there place that they should be sleeping like under the wheel. Remove the wheel and show them their sleeping area. Wait about an hour or if he/she has fallen asleep. Put the wheel back. You need to show them where they are going to sleep. My newest hedgehog that I got saturday is sarting to understand what the iglo is for now!


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## elise5211 (Jun 2, 2011)

wow, this Vickie is infamous. I looked at her website, and she's an authorized distributor of spike's delite, so that's probably why she highly recomends it. :roll:


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## beautsbelle (Jul 19, 2011)

I guess I made it too obvious who I got my baby from huh? I just feel SO bad for her! Tomorrow I will head off to the fabric store for some fleece. I think I need to order a new wheel, because her's comes in two pieces and it is plastic. I've always worried about her little feet getting stuck. (Plus it is hard to get poop out of the tabs!). 

As for food.... I looked at the food list, and I am wondering if they are listed in any specific "order" like top ones are best..... or just random. I have fed my dogs Nutro for years. (my dogs coat is so smooth she is like a seal.... and less poop with that as well).... so I know I can find the Nutro cat food, and the Fromm as well. Just wondering if the top on the list (Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul Light) is best. 

I am going to see where I can find a C&C cage. I just feel HORRIBLE. We have a little pin cushion on our hands, and it is my own fault for not researching more. Sigh. I should have known better. When I figure out how to post a picture, I will put a picture of Roxie up. I hope we can turn things around for her. 

Also... I've seen pictures of Dogs around the hedgies. Is this safe? My wiener/chihuahua mix has always been interested in Roxie, but I've never let her close. I was scared she might hurt Roxie. My dog, Josie weighs all of about 12 pounds. I just thought she might hurt or scare Rox. 

Thanks for all the wonderful advice. Can't wait to get this situation corrected!


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## beautsbelle (Jul 19, 2011)

JLF1995 said:


> I have a suggestion, my hedgies had the wheel problem were they would sleep under it. When you see them in the moring and if they are not in there place that they should be sleeping like under the wheel. Remove the wheel and show them their sleeping area. Wait about an hour or if he/she has fallen asleep. Put the wheel back. You need to show them where they are going to sleep. My newest hedgehog that I got saturday is sarting to understand what the iglo is for now!


...

I will try that as soon as I get the new cage set up. Good idea. when we move the cage to clean the wheel she goes elsewhere to sleep, so it stands to reason she might just need a little coaxing.


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## beautsbelle (Jul 19, 2011)

JLF1995 said:


> I have a suggestion, my hedgies had the wheel problem were they would sleep under it. When you see them in the moring and if they are not in there place that they should be sleeping like under the wheel. Remove the wheel and show them their sleeping area. Wait about an hour or if he/she has fallen asleep. Put the wheel back. You need to show them where they are going to sleep. My newest hedgehog that I got saturday is sarting to understand what the iglo is for now!


...

I will try that as soon as I get the new cage set up. Good idea. when we move the cage to clean the wheel she goes elsewhere to sleep, so it stands to reason she might just need a little coaxing.


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## JLF1995 (Jun 22, 2011)

My hedgehogs love dogs and would love the sniff them and explore around them, I had a older dog and my hedgehogs love to climb all over him. Our neighbors have a 3 year old dog and we think that the dog is too hiper. It really depends how the dog is. Is it hyper? Is it calm?


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## Ava99 (Jul 6, 2011)

no judgement here, you came on here and posted wanting to help fix things, and that's all that matters!!  

(I got my hedgie from a different breeder, but I had a few of the same problems- though not nearly as bad and I found this site before I got my Westley, so that helped out a lot in planning)

I use a Marchioro cage that I got from my breeder. It's basically the same as the Super pets XL one previously discussed. It has a plastic tub like bottom that's about 8 inches high (Westley can't reach the top-yet) and wire from there up (about two feet tall total) it's 4 ft x 2 ft, which is about the recommended cage size (though I agree, C&C's are better).
I also use fleece liners that I made. Mine are double layered just to add some extra cushioning, and I wash mine every 2-4 days (depending how messy he is) the one in there now was put in yesterday and I'll take it out tomorrow. same goes for his sleeping bag (10x10 or so, though, since you have a full grown hedgie I'd go 12x12, I had the HARDEST time finding dimensions when I wanted to make some). Definitely have a lot of extra liners if you don't want to do laundry all the time (I have 16 sleeping bags and 11 liners, but I''m a sucker for sales and Joanne fabric had a 50% off anti-pill fleece-which is what you would want because these get washed ALL the time- so I bought like 5 different patterns) My first liners are already starting to feel a bit rougher than they should because of the washing and I've only had them a month!

I was also given spike's delite, my vet went nuts when he heard that's what he was on and had me change it, but I still don't like what he's on, so I'm working on (said: waiting for the $$ to) change it yet again. Just browse through the Diet and nutrition section for good food ideas. also: crickets are a must. the big ones, not the teeny ones that look like ants.

Poop happens...ALOT. that's normal as long as it's the right...consistency... (medium brown, not runny, not green or black or tarry)
The wheel needs to be solid and sturdy. I have a flying saucer myself, which is the cheap alternative to the CSW and CSBW that is debatable in safety. Again, working on (said: $$) to get the carolina storm wheel (free litter pan!!)

The temperature is a MUST. somewhere between 73-78, too far either way and it could be deadly

Also: constant handling is a MUST. As I type this, Westley is sleeping in my lap, underneath his sleeping bag (I tried to get a picture, but my camera just died  )

Your best bet is going to be to just keep doing what you're doing (looking up all this info and wanting to change) just don't change too much too quickly or it could stress them out.

This thread should be retitled: 10 minute Crash course in hedgie raising 


Edit: darn it...my long post allowed too many people to post ahead of me :x


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2011)

Bonding will be difficult but you got to make the steps and your doing that.

I would refrain from any animal interaction until you can get her feeling more comfortable.

C & C equipment can be found on target.com, walmart.com, they're actual purpose is for storage. add chloroplast from home depot and voila you have a wonderful new home for hedgie!

or search C & C Cages and have a all of the materials shipped to you in bulk a bit more pricey then finding the parts but easier then searching for deals

The food list is a bit out dated theres no completely right one you will want to get a scale and weight you hedgehog everyday to monitor her health (weight around the same time every day).

Canadian posted the min/max contents for food I'd review that. If your hedgehog seems unable to fully ball or has fat around her legs she is obese and you'll want the lowest fat diet possible and lots of exercise, if she's active running all the time more fat may be needed.

Remember to slowly ween the new food in and a best practice is count the amount of kibble place there should be a few kibble left in the morning (This allows you to know if her eating habits change or drop or increase a quick tell towards health issues)


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## lehaley (Jun 25, 2011)

Beautsbelle, you shouldn't beat yourself up over any of this. There have been plenty of other cases of people getting incorrect information from breeders. I live in the northwest suburbs and when I initially looked into getting a hedgehog, Hedgehogs by Vickie came up in my searches. I found this website shortly after and read some negative reviews about her. If I hadn't, I may have considered buying one of her hedgies. 

I think the important thing is that you have the correct information now and you care enough to make the changes needed to make sure Roxie is happy and healthy. Judging from all of the hedgies out there in need of rescue, a lot of hedgie owners out there obviously wouldn't take the time to make any changes.

The good news is, you've come to the right place for help. Everyone on this website is ready and willing to answer all of your questions. I've learned a lot here.


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## moothecow (Jun 4, 2011)

Don't feel too terrible! I think most of us here would be lost without this site. I know I, for one, would probably be making ridiculous mistakes left, right and centre (and probably still am), was it not for the info I found on HHC. 

Here are the cat foods I bought, which are all on the list and well reviewed:

Innova; Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck; Blue Buffalo (many hedgies seem to like that one); Now!; and Wellness (but I stopped feeding that one as it was a bit too rich and giving Misha weird poops). Just make sure the protein/fat/fibre balances are like the ones listed, and that the first five ingredients, at least, are really good ones. Maybe go on a scouting trip to a local pet store and see what cat food they have, and if in doubt, post the ones you find here and we can recommend?

C&C cage, I got my cubes at Walmart (in the storage section), and the coroplast at an art store (a lot of art stores carry it in Toronto... they call it plasticore, or corrugated plastic). 

Do you feed her any crickets or mealworms? They're a yummy treat and actually, could help with the bonding process (I give Misha a few mealworms in a plastic spoon when we cuddle. He knows now cuddle time = treat time). 

Again, don't beat yourself up over this! It's so so wonderful that you came here looking for advice and want to make Roxie's life wonderful. You're not a bad owner at all - Roxie is fine, but doing some of the things suggested here you can just make her EXTRA fine


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## beautsbelle (Jul 19, 2011)

Thanks to all for the warm welcome and making me feel better. I've left her alone today, and tomorrow I will try to make some housing/food changes. We've been free feeding her, so I have no idea how much she eats. We just add to her bowl each night. She is a messy girl though... she gets IN her bowl and throws the food everywhere, so with the corncob bedding and her poop, ya never know what is food or what is poop, unless ya inspect closely. Guess time for a change is good. 

We buy freeze dried meal worms, and she LOVES those. Every few days we put about 10 of them in a dish and she eats them fairly quick. I'd say in a day they are gone. She can ball up with no problems, and no extra weight is on her legs that I can see. I don't think she is overweight at this point. 

How often do you do their nails? Hers grow like weeds and seems we are cutting them at least once a week, otherwise they are super long and I am scared she will snag one. 

My dog is calm, so I might try letting them "meet" one day. Not too much change at once for her though. Hopefully they will get a long. 

I am going to get to Wal Mart tomorrow and the fabric store, the home store, and the pet food store. I will keep reading here and asking questions if you all don't mind. I am SO glad I've found you all!


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2011)

beautsbelle said:


> Thanks to all for the warm welcome and making me feel better. I've left her alone today, and tomorrow I will try to make some housing/food changes. We've been free feeding her, so I have no idea how much she eats. We just add to her bowl each night. She is a messy girl though... she gets IN her bowl and throws the food everywhere, so with the corncob bedding and her poop, ya never know what is food or what is poop, unless ya inspect closely. Guess time for a change is good.
> 
> We buy freeze dried meal worms, and she LOVES those. Every few days we put about 10 of them in a dish and she eats them fairly quick. I'd say in a day they are gone. She can ball up with no problems, and no extra weight is on her legs that I can see. I don't think she is overweight at this point.
> 
> ...


The freeze dried don't digest well for hedgehogs and can cause problems though its not common it can happen, I would recommend live insects and I know its gross, but freeze them to kill/preserve them and defrost them for the night I would stop giving them in her dish and start offering them as treats. Pick her up when she unballs give her one, when she poops in her litter box give her one, repeat this to give her the idea that cuddle time will mean treats making her more calm and receptive (It will still take time and this doesn't always work). If she poops or pees get the litter box out of the cage and place her in it, don't put her back in her cage or she'll associate that if she poops or pees she is free of you 

Make small changes and let her explore her new environment slowly and I am certain no matter if her temperament changes or not you will have a much happier hedgehog.

I would recommend counting the kibbles as a start especially as you start to devise a nice verity mix (Verity of good food make them happy) and ensure you monitor it this way say she eats 55 kibble and you always place 65 in, if one day you find 35 kibble left when normally there are 10 or less you know there might be a health problem, one thing hedgehogs are great at is hiding signs of health issues.

The counting issue will be resolved with the liner change  Its been noted that sometimes certain colors will make a hedgehog react bad brighter ones normally but there is no trend to it.

Plus as you switch to cat food high grade you won't have trouble telling what is food and what is poop.

If you haven't tried crickets I would recommend them as they are lower in fat for your hedgehog to enjoy if they like them and can help as rewards in the bonding process


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2011)

Also you have no reason to feel ashamed, in your mind you thought you were doing the right thing by your hedgehog just like a decade ago when cat and dog owners were feeding by product food they thought they were doing what was right.

The important thing is you have seen the error in the information you had and are willing to change it for your hedgehog. The most important factor is your obvious devotion and love for you hedgehog and that no matter what anyone says is the most powerful thing you can give to any person and/or creature


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

I really agree with everyone who has posted in that you need to do your best to not feel guilty, you have from day one tried your best to care for your hedgie, it is clear as day that you really do care for your pets or you wouldnt have bothered looking for help.  
I have an XL My First Home cage and it works just as well also if you decide the C&C arent for you. 
Keep handling and trying to bond, it really just takes time, I am sure that you two will become well bonded... I have found that giving mealies only while out with you can help with the process as well. Keep reading things on this forum too! Without this website I dont know how I would have ever been able to care for my hedgie properly! So do not think you are alone.. I am just glad that like the rest of us you found this site to help you. For me its been all about research, research & research! 
I personally have made all my own fleece pieces including liners, bags, blankets.. if you need any help or have questions on how to I'd be glad to tell you how I have made mine, I did all of mine with no sewing so they were very easy and fun to make. It also saves you quite a bit of money to do it yourself.. although there are plenty of places to go online and purchase some great liners and bags and blankets if you want to go that route as well.


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## ReginasMommy (Apr 13, 2011)

Welcome! And please, PLEASE don't feel bad! It can be difficult to find information about caring for hedgies, because they're a somewhat uncommon pet. And I will say, this forum has taught me a lot and helped me so much. It's so great to hear that you are concerned about your little quilled one, and that you want to make changes. Especially because lately, we've seen a lot of Kijiji and Craigslist ads from people who don't seem to care... finding someone who DOES care is encouraging! It's not your fault that you were misled by someone who seems to only be interested in making money... It's awesome that you came here and asked for advice, everyone here is always happy to welcome a new hedgie lover to the community!!! I am sure that Roxie will warm up to you.

P.S. Can't wait for pics!!!


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## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

Trust me, don't feel bad! Before I found this forum, I was SOOO wrong about hedgehog care. I planned on using a water bottle, using shavings, feeding hedgehog food, not having a heat or light source, not knowing they are nocturnal, not knowing they don't chew, not knowing they proper wheel, not knowing to buy from a breeder, not knowing about WHS, not knowing about dangerous toys, etc. But now, I like to think I'm doing really good, and can help people like yourself with the basic care needs.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Welcome to HHC!! I'm so excited for you! All the changes and time you spend together are going to make you both much happier. 

The food's not really in any order. I printed off a copy & took it to the pet store & just highlighted what they had. Then I just picked a couple. But since it's best to introduce new food gradually, you can just start off with 1 new kind & go from there.

Personally, I wouldn't wait until I started spending time with her. I would just keep her in your lap at night while watching tv. It may be uncomfortable at first for both of you, but you'll get used to it - may even learn to enjoy it! Keep a tissue handy for poop. I also usually have a blanket or something in my lap- an extra fleece liner works great. Gives your lap some poop protection & gives her a place to snuggle up & hide. 

I'm eager to hear how things go!


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

You've been getting great advice and there's lots if info on the HHC threads. I just wNted to add: there is no 'right' or 'wrong' with hedgehogs - 90% of what you read here has been proven to work throughout the years with HHC members' hedgies but there just isn't a manual. :lol: We are all still trying to figure the confusing little critters out.  

Read the info here, ask advice, weigh the advice and consider your own hedgie in the equation, then go from there.


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## cylaura (Jan 13, 2011)

I know you've heard this from about 10 different people now but just in case you want another voice of encouragement: don't worry! You're doing the right thing by trying to get Roxie's care on track. You obviously care a lot about her, and everyone here at HHC is really helpful if you need advice. I know I've learned so much here. 

Like others have said, the most important thing is getting her to be less huffy and stressed is patience and persistence. Take her out for a little bit every night and just let her sit with you, getting used to your presence. Let her burrow into a blanket or t-shirt so she isn't so scared. Pet her through whatever is covering her, and if she's huffy, just keep gently petting. You can also buy (or make) a hedgie bag - basically just a fleece pouch - for her to snuggle in while she's out of her cage. My hedgie loves his, and is much more comfortable in that than anything else. I'm sure with time and attention she will become much happier. 

I know the food thing can be really confusing at first. I just did what PJM said, printed out the list of foods and went to my pet store, and bought a few different kinds that they had. A lot of stores will even give you samples, or let you return the food if you try to feed it and Roxie doesn't like it.  Just take a look at the ingredient list on the back. Whatever is listed first is the most common ingredient, second is second most common, etc., etc. You basically just want the first few ingredients to be REAL meat (no by-products) and no fillers, like corn. 

I think someone else mentioned it, but I've heard that freeze-dried mealies aren't as good for hedgies, as they can cause intestinal impaction (because of the freeze-drying process, I guess?) and aren't as healthy as live mealies. If Roxie likes them, that's fine, I would just give her them only occasionally. If she likes the freeze dried ones, I'm sure she'll like live ones too - most hedgies will gobble them up! The idea of having live bugs around grossed me out at first, but mealies are pretty much the least offensive bug ever - they're small, don't move much, and can't get out of their container. :lol: You can get a container at most pet stores for under $5. 

Dang it, I wrote a novel and I didn't even mean to. :lol: 

Anyways, I hope this helps! Don't worry, you'll get where you need to. Can't wait to see pictures of your little girl - I love her name! So cute.


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## bj1998 (Jun 10, 2011)

lol i thought the same thing about her when i got thorne!


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2011)

Keep us informed if you would about your hedgie We're always excited to see pictures and hear updates


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## beautsbelle (Jul 19, 2011)

Thanks to all for the warm welcome and the wonderful advice. Roxie had a GREAT day today. She was in her snuggie sack around my neck almost all day until we finished her new cage. I could not stand to put her back in her old cage. I just couldn't do it. So I took her to Menards with us, and worked on her cage. She got in and was scared at first, but then she started walking around and I think she likes the space. I am so glad.

She was also outside today running around the patio. She got more exercise today than she's had in a long time. We also got her a tote to have for being outside, but my husband broke it when he was drilling some vent holes in the sides. oops. Back to Menards tomorrow for another one.

Just wanted to thank everyone. Here are a few shots of her new digs

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[url=http://s1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd428/beautsbelle/Roxie/?action=view&current=DSC05390.jpg]


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

What a wonderful new space for Roxie! I'm so happy that you found HHC. 

Oh, also - when you drill holes in the tote, it can really help to use a blow dryer. Point it at the area you want the hole for about 30 seconds before you actually drill. Also, if you have a drill bit like the longest one in this picture, it might help prevent cracking. It did for me! It doesn't have to be that long... just about that width. Good luck with everything! Can't wait for more pictures


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

you could always get a small animal/kiddie pool for her play pen instead of a tote, then no holes will be required, but you will need to keep an eye out because hedgies have been known to try and climb out  I just got one for Norma for $10 at petsmart and she seems to love it.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Her new cage is beautiful!!


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