# Quilling/Sleeping



## gypsypanther (Dec 23, 2010)

I got Matheson yesterday. Tonight when I took him out, I noticed some loose quills in his cage. I am pretty sure he is quilling, as he will be 8 weeks tomorrow. My question is, do hedgies sleep a lot more when they are quilling? It seems like he is sleeping an awful lot. He wakes up right away when roused. The temperature is perfect in here. I just didn't know if it is normal for him to be so tired. I don't even think he has been on his wheel yet, as all his poop has been on the floor of the cage or me, lol. Thanks.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Its very normal for babies to sleep a ton (and poop a ton too), so no worries there. It might also be the home change. Did he have a wheel before? Not all hedgehog catch onto the fun of a wheel at first, so it may take him time to figure it out, you can dash a little flour on the bottom and check the next day to see if its missing. As for quilling, its a painful process and can make some grumpy, I could see them sleeping more as it would be an escape. You can check his back and see if you can see new quills poking up through.

Just make sure he's eating and adjusting to his new home, and all will be well.


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## Nebular (Dec 28, 2010)

Yup, sounds perfectly normal. My little guy is 10 weeks old and sleeps a ton. I have no idea at roughly what age they start becoming more active, but I know that right now, this is just fine.


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## R3d foreman (Jan 1, 2011)

Nebular said:


> Yup, sounds perfectly normal. My little guy is 10 weeks old and sleeps a ton. I have no idea at roughly what age they start becoming more active, but I know that right now, this is just fine.


i've had my hedgehog since december last year, so almost 2 months, and noticed him sleeping a lot lately too - we got him as soon as you're supposed to take them away from the mother.........so you aren't alone. i have noticed new quills coming in as well


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

You mention that the temperature is perfect, but what about the lighting? Lighting is just as important.
What sort of lighting schedual do you have? 
And is it completely pitch dark at night?

Otherwise, yes, babies sleep a lot. When my boy was little, he would only come out for a few hours at night, then sleep throughout the rest of the night. But he also had a habit of waking up at around 4pm to snack, then go back to sleep. He outgrew that as he got older.


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## R3d foreman (Jan 1, 2011)

how long is a hedgehog considered a baby? (how many weeks)


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

I think hedgies go straight from baby to adult at 6 months, from what I've read. Apparently, some 'fill out' between 6 - 10 months but you wouldn't see a big difference.


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