# 6 months & smashed under the pillow! What is this?



## gracci99 (Jun 24, 2009)

Hello to all:

I'm posting this note to verify with all you hedgie experts out there; what is the most usual day to day behavior of hedgehogs? I read the posts mentioning how you guys see your hedgies run in their wheels, play with their toys and it seems to me they are somewhat active. Well I'm confused with Pokey, in general he is not a total grump but he spends the whole day sleeping! In the mornings I take him out of his cage & put him with his blankie close by my working area. I don't know why he loves to be smashed under a very light pillow, meaning that when I take the pillow off of him, that's what he looks like, it's too funny (from what I've read it's because he's comfy). But that is mainly ALL he does when I take him to his cage during the night I put him near his food, I have to turn off the light because if not he runs to hide & from there on he gobbles up runs on his wheel & I find a mess in the morning. I mention the light because I have heard him but as soon as I turn on the light he stops whatever he's doing freezes and has the robber "I got caught" look and doesn't move or runs & hide until i leave! I haven't been able to enjoy him and see him do things. So I don't know what toys to get him, he does have a ball & a roll of toilet paper but I don't think he plays with it. This behavior is a day to day thing. Is it normal to be under the pillow 12 hours if I let him?

Okay, I try to take him outside to the yard and check this out, he's just like a trained puppy, he poops & pees and as soon as he finishes flashes directly inside the house to go under the sofa or runs near me to try to climb on me like "hurry take me inside" obviously to hide. If I let him loose inside the usual thing is to go to a corner like a if he were on "time-out" looking towards the wall. Just like 4 times in these 6 months I've seen him sniff or look around. 

One of the things that worries me is that he just eats & drinks at night unless I give him a couple of mealworms during the day (which he goes crazy for). Are they supposed to eat once a day?

I do try to be with him or have him close by the whole day but being smashed under the pillow is his thing! What am I doing wrong? Is he super shy? What can I do in order to enjoy seeing him do other things? Ginseng??!! Just kidding! 

Would greatly appreciate comments on this matter for some enlightenment!


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Hedgehogs are nocturnal. They sleep through the entire day, and will only come out when the lights are off. Those of us who take our hedgies out to bond and play with, do this during the evenings, when our hedgies have woken up.

Waking them up during the day only causes them more harm than good, as it can disrupt their natural internal "clock" system, and you can end up with one depressed and sick hedgie. 

My boy usually wakes up at around 9-10pm and will roam around in his cage, eat and run on his wheel until about 5am. Then he will sleep for the day.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Immortalia is right. Hedgies are nocturnal and most aren't really up for being awake all day. Think of it this way: would you like to be woken up at midnight, after you've slept only a little bit and then kept up all night in conditions that are less than comfortable? He obviously isn't comfortable with the light on and if you keep him up all day, he's not getting much sleep when he needs it.

Forcing him to be up all day is very dangerous, since it lowers his immune system, and makes hibernation more likely. 

Usually we don't "see" our hedgies on their wheels/eating/drinking/playing because they are shy and will freeze or run and hide when we are nearby. The only reason we know they are actually using things is seeing food gone in the morning, a dirty wheel, and general havoc. :lol: Hedgehogs are not a good pet for someone who wants to be able to watch their pet doing everything, because usually all you see is whatever they do when you take them out in the evening.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

He sounds normal to me. How long have you had him? Some hedgehogs will get used to being watched on their wheel some will just freeze. Young hedgehogs sleep more than adults 

At night I cover the top of Quigley's cage with a thick dark towel so that any light from the room or outside doesn't bother him. If I stay up late enough he will sometimes come out to run on his wheel while I'm still in the room. If I come over while he is running though he gets annoyed and stops. 

Sometime Quigley will play in his playpen (which is either set up by my coffee table or in the hallway) He likes the hallway better because it is quieter and he likes the shoes (apparently sweaty feet smell good). Playing really just means he will snuffle around for a bit and poke some of his toys with his nose. If I let him he will find the shoes in the hallway and sleep on/in one. 

Mostly when he is out though he is on my lap sleeping or huffing depending on what I am doing (he doesn't like pages turning in books, keyboards clicking or certain people's voices on TV)

If you don't have a play pen or a hedgehog safe room I really recommend getting one and staying up late with him one night. It sounds like your hedgehog is really tame if he is running to you when he wants to go inside. He might just enjoy some snuggle time with his favourite human.


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## Snickers Mom (Aug 31, 2009)

My snickers likes to hide under pillows too. In fact I just posted a pic of her when I lifted up the pillow. and SHE LOVES TO SUCK ON HER BLANKIE!!!! Its the CUTEST thing ever. Its like her safety blankie lol. But yeah, we take her out and she sometimes stays there for hours. We just put a fleece down on the bed and then have a light feather pillow that we lay on top and she nestles around under there and flattens herself out under there. If you lift it up and take her out when the light is still on she will just run back and burrow herself back under it. We like to sneak peak under to see what she looks like. The pic I just posted is one of her under the pillow. 

And yes, she sleeps a lot. But yours sounds pretty normal from what I can tell. Mine wont come out when the light is on at all.


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## cutietexan (Sep 22, 2009)

wait so you arent supposed to take them out during the day?? my bad... or is it okay to take them out and just let them sleep on your lap a little while? because it seems kind of lame to only see him right when im going to sleep.

thanks!

sarah


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

I hope you don't think hedgies are lame. :? Yes, it's alright to take them out during the day, but usually they just want to sleep, and you should let them. That's why most people handle in the evenings when they are more active.


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

I aim for two times a day: morning before I go to work and evening before I go to bed.


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## Pipkin (Aug 26, 2009)

I wake Turbo up every morning when im tidying his cage up to make sure his little feet and legs are ok and he hasnt hurt himself in the night, but i literally wake him up and check him over then put him back to bed so hes awake a few minutes maximum. 
Then at about 9-10pm i get him out for a cuddle/play. And i keep him out for as long as i want then. He definately does not like his morning wake up call but im always going to do it to put my mind at rest that he's ok when i'm at work in the day. So that will be why yours does not like being woken in the day. Its all part of being a hedgie owner only having proper play time of an evening. 

Also some hedgies are players, they like to just cuddle. So yours may never be a runner/player when you wake him in the evening, he may just prefer to curl up on your lap under a blanket whilst you watch tv etc


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

I check on mine before work about 6 a.m. but just to ensure they're alive, wheels were used, food and water are clean and filled. I don't take them out unless Riley chirps for me, then I'll hold him while warming up his Snuggle Disk. (spoiled, yup) 

My personal rule is not before 4 p.m. unless Riley chirps for me. (and even then its just to hold him while he goes back to sleep in his pouch, he's not set down for playtime) About 9 p.m is when both hedgies are wanting back in their houses for their food and wheels. Weekends I can be up as late as 11 p.m. and still wont see them playing because the lights are on. I do want to get a small dim lamp in hopes of being able to sit quietly and watch them play but hasn't happened yet.


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## cutietexan (Sep 22, 2009)

no, i dont think hedgies are lame at all! i love theo so much i just wish i could squeeze him without getting a face of quills  i meant that it just kind of stinks that you shouldnt take them out during the day, because its unhealthy for them. but i will love him all the same!


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

It's only unhealthy unless you force them to be awake. If you take him out for a snuggle that's ok. If he chooses to be awake and play with you that's great if he just sleeps that's ok too. As long as there is always the option to sleep. For instance keeping a hedgehog in a playpen with no hiding places or blankets to sleep might be forcing him to stay awake to certain extent. Same with keeping him on your lap with no option to snuggle under something and sleep. It's giving them the option that makes all the difference. 

I love taking Quigley out during the day because it is the only time he will sit still on me. At night he's a squirmy werm. It's adorable to have a warm hedgehog snuggled on you isn't it?


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## cutietexan (Sep 22, 2009)

hedgielover said:


> It's only unhealthy unless you force them to be awake. If you take him out for a snuggle that's ok. If he chooses to be awake and play with you that's great if he just sleeps that's ok too. As long as there is always the option to sleep. For instance keeping a hedgehog in a playpen with no hiding places or blankets to sleep might be forcing him to stay awake to certain extent. Same with keeping him on your lap with no option to snuggle under something and sleep. It's giving them the option that makes all the difference.
> 
> I love taking Quigley out during the day because it is the only time he will sit still on me. At night he's a squirmy werm. It's adorable to have a warm hedgehog snuggled on you isn't it?


yeah its adorable!! i love how theo fits right in the palm of my hands and hes so warm so hes like a little handwarmer!! sometime he actually makes my hands sweat :lol:


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## paulwall31 (Oct 6, 2009)

i was somewhat able to train coco abit to be up during day and sleep at night, worked


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## spastic_jedi (Nov 11, 2009)

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
this thread helped a bunch. My hedgie Moose is new to me and when he is sleeping during the day he has this habit of taking a good chunk of his bedding into his igloo and completely burying himself underneath all of it. I first thought it was because he was cold (which is impossible because my room is nice and warm all year round) But now it all makes sense that he just doesn't like the light during the day.  I think I will put something over his cage to keep the light out and let him sleep easier.


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

I wouldn't put something over his cage to block out the light during the day. Hedgies need to know when it's daytime. Even if they hide from it, they need the light to figure these things out... My understanding is that without it, you risk hibernation even if the cage is warm enough.


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## spastic_jedi (Nov 11, 2009)

alrighty. I'll leave him to his nutty burrowing behaviour and not interrupt his light cycle.


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