# Quilling with new owner



## Beanie (Jun 9, 2010)

Hey all, 

I got my hedgie, Watson, four days ago. He's only 7 weeks old, but he's already pretty into his quilling. I know they're supposed to be between 8 weeks and 12 weeks when they start, but I guess he's just early? Anywho, I've noticed a big difference just in a couple days of him getting huffy and grouchy as I'm starting to see more quills come in. 

I gave him an oatmeal bath and put a little olive oil in the final rinse, and that seemed to help, and I also gave him a tissue box full of felt strips for him to curl up in, hoping that would be softer for him than the shavings that keep getting stuck and might be drying him out. I've been handling him for about half an hour twice a day (once around 7 am, and once around 9pm), and he appears to be running on his wheel every night for at least a little bit. 

He seems to be gaining my trust a little bit, but I really want to be able to feed him some treats or something so that we can still bond some while he's going through his quilling. I've tried yogurt drops and soft cat treats, but he didn't seem interested in either. He hasn't been eating or drinking a whole lot to begin with (I'm still using the food the breeder gave to me, and I'm giving it to him freely, so it's a little hard to guage), and he won't touch water or food while I'm watching, but he's still pooping and peeing, so I assume he's eating or drinking at least something. 

Do you all have any suggestions on how I can still bond with him even when he's quilling, or other ideas for treats? I've heard feeding him mealworms and crickets might not be the best thing for him while he's so young because of the exoskeletons, and I don't want to miss out on this time especially since I haven't even had him for a full week yet.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

He is a handsome little hog  Love them pintos!
Mealies and crickets are fine to give as treats just don't over do it. Yogurt drops are mostly sugar and should be avoided.
Lots of people put a old worn shirt in the cage/sleeping area so the hedgie can get accustomed to your smell.
Count the kibble before putting it in the bowl that way you know what he has eaten everynite.


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## Beanie (Jun 9, 2010)

I've put my shirt in the cage and I definitely think that has helped some. Good to know mealworms are okay, I'll try counting the kibble next time too. How often is it okay to give him an Aveeno bath? He really seemed to like the water and became instantly relaxed when I was pouring it over him. He played for a little while after that too (longer than he has the past couple days)...is every other day too much while he's quilling?


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## Beanie (Jun 9, 2010)

Also, what is the average amount of time quilling lasts? I've heard everywhere from a few days to a month - just trying to guage when I should expect him to be back to normal


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

They go through quilling more than once,can't find the thread right now i'm going be late for work again lol.
If you give to many baths it will dry the skin worse.


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

He's a cutie, for sure. <3 Kiss the baby for me, okay?

Treatwise, you might try a bit of well-cooked, unseasoned chicken or some fruit, like a piece of banana or strawberry. If he likes the strawberry a lot, though, you may end up with a partially pink piglet. (How's THAT for alliteration? ;D)


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

I got mine when he was 3 months but he did end up going through his last quilling once I got him. What I did to bond with him was to take him out of the cage and let him lay in my lap on a blanket or hedgie bag and then I would put treats out as well. He still like to sleep on me if Im playing a computer game as long as there isn't too much noise going on through the headphones. I can't say for a 7 week old but with mine I gave him live mealies as soon as he settled into his new home and after I made sure he had no adverse reaction to the food I was incorporating in. I think I remembered hearing somewhere that the exoskeletons didn't really pose a problem if you are giving live mealies but you'd definately want to make sure some others say the same cause I wouldn't want to give out incorrect info or something I possibly misinterpreted.

Congrats on the new hedgie and Welcome to HHC, probably should have put that first lol


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