# Normal?



## melvic (May 20, 2019)

Hey! New to the hedgehog world! My little guy is white with a few brown spots on his back with a pink nose and red eyes. So ugly that he’s cute. I picked him out of the bunch because he was the only one that not once put up his quills, huffed, puffed, popped, grunted or anything else I have seen hedgehogs do. He is for real the most relaxed guy I’ve ever seen. Is this normal? I even showed him my cat and my toddler and he was all about them. Last night I found him in his litter box in a tight ball. I was so excited to see him in a ball (normally he sleeps curled up but with his quills down). I assumed he was cold so I put him in his igloo with fleece. 

How is everyone keeping their cage warm?? I have a ceramic heater but it will get as hot as 80 and if cool enough in the house (I keep it at 68 because of my child) it will only warm to 69. 

Any advice for heating options would be appreciated. Also, why doesn’t he EVER huff or puff or get scared? He’s fearless. Could he be deaf? Even so, wouldn’t seeing or smelling new things scare him?


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

You have a rare relaxed hedgehog, it happens, not very much but it can.
It could change during quilling if he's not gone through it already.
Hedgehogs arent the best at seeing things, they see movement, so if your never moving fast then its not likely he will get scared, Holly only huffs if something moves really fast.
Smell though they are very good with, it could just be that he's okay with the new smells, unlike other hedgehogs, again it happens (Holly was like this) and with noises they can adapt easily, so if the breeder has had loud noises around him, then he likely wont be bothered by them already. 

Heating I use a CHE set up (CHE=Ceramic heat emitter) so its on a thermostat that I have set to the temp Holly likes 25.5(C) so 77.9(F)
All hedgehogs like different temps though, and Holly finds 23(C) so 73.4(F) too cold where most hedgehogs really like this temp.
Having the thermostat makes it really easy to have the cage stable at the heat they like. Being in a tight ball doesnt always mean they are too cold (most cases it does though) sometimes Holly will sleep in a tighter ball if she decides she wants to sleep out in the open rather than her hide.


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## Aj.t (Jan 29, 2019)

It could also be that his house is larger than one bulb can heat. I have two che domes as Christina’s house is very long, so there’s one on each side. This has helped, especially when the house is cooler!


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## melvic (May 20, 2019)

Hello, thank you for your reply. I noticed if I place the heater right on the cage it gets to be 80+ degrees. He lays down on his belly flat at anything over 75. The breeder said she kept him at 71-72. I have it hanging above his cage but not sure if that's the best thing to do. I do have CHE as well with a lamp around it. The clamp it comes with is the absolute worst design hence the hanging above the cage.

He really is a gentle soul. My cat runs by him and he doesn't flinch. He truly is fearless and I love him for it.


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## melvic (May 20, 2019)

Thanks for the response. He really is chill. I replied to another below. Still trying to get the hang of this forum. Thanks!


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

If he's laying flat on his belly - which is called splatting - he's too hot so anything over 75 for him is too hot. If the breeder had him at 71-72 thats's where I would keep the cage.

Its honestly great that he is that fearless, and he'll likely stay that if nothing changes.


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## Mecki (Nov 4, 2017)

Do you have your heater plugged into a thermostat (different than thermometer)?


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

It may be helpful for you to describe your exact cage setup or to post images of it. Sometimes there are minor adjustments we can recommend to help improve the heating of a cage.


For example, a small CHE dome vs a large dome. Large domes help spread heat out where small ones concentrate it. Thermostats to help maintain temperature. Better placement of the CHE itself, or other ways to attach it that you may have not considered yet.


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