# Too much playing?



## Piglesnout (Oct 16, 2011)

Hello! I got my first hedgehog, Mr. Pricklesworth, two days ago. I've been reading up on hedgehogs since June of this year, and I wanted to be thoroughly prepared. He's an incredible animal, though I did buy him from a pet store. (I know, its bad!) So, I've been taking him out of his cage and playing with him around every two hours, for 20-ish minute periods of time. Is that too much? What is a reasonable amount of play time? Sometimes, during these little "periods", he's just curled up in a ball (maybe asleep, I'm too new to this to be able to tell!). Really, all I'm wondering is: is there such thing as too much play? Should I be letting him get more sleep?

Anything at all is greatly appreciated! Thanks


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## connorshogs (Mar 24, 2011)

You don't want to keep him up all day ether they are nocturnal. I would def let him sleep some like hold em when he's up unless he's just guna sleep on you. Good luck


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

think about it like this....how would you like to be kept awake all day and night every single day? yes they are way cute and we want to be with them all the time, but they do need their quite, alone time to get their deep sleep too otherwise they can turn into grumpy hedgies really quickly and may or may not change back. that's not saying that plenty of play and bonding time is not good because it absolutely is you just have to get to know your hedgie and the you will learn quickly when too much is too much for them. i personally don't keep them out for more than an hour or two at the most during the day because as previously mentioned they are nocturnal animals and sleep during the day naturally. and the jumping back and forth waking them up then letting them go back to sleep then waking them again so soon doesn't even really give them much of a chance to get into a deep sleep before waking them back up again i know it would make me mad and it certainly is with my little man who is sick and is having to be woke up 4 times a day for meds and that's not even nearly as often.  finally having them on your lap to sleep is also fine, but once again during the day i'd limit it as well just because every time you move and with the noises going on (tv, computer, animals, kids, your movements, etc) keeps waking them up as well. all personal choices and as i said you will get to know your little one and can judge more what they can tolerate, but put yourself in their shoes and try to think what would you like.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I'd say to take him out for a longer session in the evening... that way he can rest better during the day 

Usually I take Kashi out between 9 and 10 PM, and I keep him with me until 11 or midnight. Then I turn the lights off in his cage and put him back in so that he can start his nightly routine ^_^


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## Piglesnout (Oct 16, 2011)

Awesome! Thanks a ton for all of the great responses, everyone  I learned all that I needed to know! I'll probably be back with more amateur questions later  until then, thanks!!


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## connorshogs (Mar 24, 2011)

Don't worry we were all new at one time.  t their are a lot of people willing to help. What food did the petstore tell you to get?


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## Piglesnout (Oct 16, 2011)

They were currently feeding it Pretty Pets hedgehog food. I looked it up on these forums, and apparently it's practically junk food. I bought a bag for his first week or so, so he isn't too stressed, but what do you suggest I switch to? Thanks!


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## connorshogs (Mar 24, 2011)

Me personally love royal canin baby cat then at about 5 or 6 months I switch to kitten same brand. Im a breeder and was told about this food and sence I switched. It has been very impressive. My babys are biger and its amazing. But their are other good foods but this has been the best. My mentor has been breeding like 16 years and loves it also. Pretty pets is junk food but your right for not switching rite away. When switching make sure you mix it in to start


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## Piglesnout (Oct 16, 2011)

Thanks! I'll go pick some up later this week. How much do you suggest I feed my hedgehog? Should I just keep food in his bowl all the time, or should I give him less than that?


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## Nebular (Dec 28, 2010)

Most people here just free feed which means to just keep the bowl full. Hedgehogs seem to be pretty good about regulating themselves and only eating as much as they need to. If they start getting unusually plump, that's typically when you need to step in and start limiting the food.


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## Piglesnout (Oct 16, 2011)

Awesome! The community here is awesome  I'll be back later with more questions, thanks everyone


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

agree free feeding is best as mentioned they typically won't over eat and what connor means by unusually plump is that you don't want them to be so fat they have issues balling up fully. if they have a shape that looks something like () and they can't fully ball up then you know there's an issue and you can add in a reduced fat food which may help them lose some weight, but typically it isn't a problem and even then you won't want to limit their food intake unless specifically told to do so by a vet (and chances are if they are that obese there may be other health problems that a vet will be seeing them for before then and can point you in the right direction or if not you probably want to seek their advice anyway).


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## Piglesnout (Oct 16, 2011)

Great, thanks! The community here is awesome 

Now, next question! When it's bonding time for me and Mr. Pricklesworth, should I be doing it during his "awake" hours? He usually wakes up around 11, which is about half an hour after my reuglar bed time :O Should I be waking him up earlier, like during the middle of the day (1 pm or something) or later on, like 10 pm? I keep getting him up a little bit earlier, just like people suggest, so that eventually he'll wake up on his own at like 9 pm  So should bonding time be during mid-day, or after he naturally wakes up? Thanks!


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## Piglesnout (Oct 16, 2011)

For some reason my posts aren't working. I had another question, but now I seem to have forgotten it 

Well, for now - is it alright for him to be with me for like 2 hours while it's sleepy time for him (like mid-day) if he's just on my lap, asleep in a blanket? Thanks again


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## Piglesnout (Oct 16, 2011)

Woah. Suddenly the posts I was looking for showed up! How exciting


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I find Kashi is much less grumpy when I take him out closer to his awake time... so that's why I take him out around 9 or 10.

I'd suggest waking him up at least sometime in the afternoon so that he can sleep properly.

Could you maybe take him out for an hour or two before bed?

You could take him out during the day and let him sleep on you, but I think bonding will take longer with a grumpier hog.


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## Piglesnout (Oct 16, 2011)

Ok, thanks! How do I tell if he's grumpy, though? He seems to never huff. He has once, but only because he smelt/heard my dog, but never at me. I guess I'm lucky 

How do I tell if he likes getting rubbed/scratched somewhere? Is there anywhere that hedgies typically like to be pet?


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

Really depends on the hedgie. One of mine loves me rubbing up and down the nose and pretty much anywhere other than his belly and the other will only let me just now pet his back but no where else, he's my grump. Others love their belly, I personally think you are lucky if you can get one that loves this  so really you just gotta kinda try things out and get to know him/her and you will figure it out. They will relax and make certain little noises to let you know if they like it or not or move in cetain ways if they don't.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Kashi likes getting his ears and face rubbed. Kashi usually starts to close his eyes when he's enjoying pets ^_^

And you ARE a lucky hedgie owner if he hasn't huffed yet :lol:


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## Piglesnout (Oct 16, 2011)

Yay!!

He gets horrified if I go near his face though  He only lets me pet him further back, or else he gets scared and balls up. I guess it's just a trust thing 

Next question! What should I do to get his bed times a little earlier? He goes to bed later than I do every night (he goes to sleep at like 11:00) how might I get him to go to bed a little earlier?


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

it will take time to gain the trust just slowly work up to it. try just laying your hand in front of his face at first without actually touching it and keep doing this for a few nights and then slowly work your way to his nose and then work your way up. eventually hopefully you can gain that trust, but he may be one of those ones that just doesn't like his face touched and that's okay too  

i would try to wake him up around 9pm and let him potty and then take a nap on your lap until 11pm when he usually wakes up. this will start to get him used to getting up a little earlier, but hopefully will prevent him from becoming too much of a grouch from being forced to get up too early. once he gets used to it then he will hopefully start to come out on your lap to check things out and maybe play, but he may not. some hedgies will always have to be woken up if you want them to wake up before 11 pm as they are just late risers, kinda like teenagers that don't like to wake up before noon on the weekends  he probably just does all of his playing while you are asleep so he may just be more of a cuddler than a player and that too is okay that's just who he is and may or may not change as he gets older.


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## Piglesnout (Oct 16, 2011)

Thanks! That's just about all I needed to know


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