# Baby!!!! Baby is coming home!



## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

AHHH I am picking up the little potato this weekend! This is 2 whole weeks ahead of schedule! I have pretty much everything I need except a base for her wheel, if anyone has a tutorial on how to make a pvc stand for a carolina storm bucket wheel I would greatly greatly Appreciate it! I have her cage set up, snuggle sack, liners, igloo, big cage with holes drilled, carrier and matching pouch set for picking her up in, heating elements, thermometers, thermostat, food, bowls, emergency first aid kit, water bottle for her (the breeder uses water bottles so I got one for her to use, I am going to offer both bowl and bottle to see if she prefers one to the other), blankies, worms, Olive's favorite baby food, and Aveno baby oatmeal eczema bath and vitamin e oil for baths.... Is there anything else that I would need specifically for a baby? I have only had grown up rescues and never a wee one! Anything extra you would recommend? I have everything a grown hedgehog could ever possibly need AND THEN SOME! Also, the breeder uses a carefresh like substrate and I use fleece liners so I bought some substrate, should I change her right away and bring her home to the fleece or should I slowly transition, I would really prefer to do fleece because I monitor bathroom habits and like to be able to see where they are going, what their urine color looks like, and easily spot poops and food messes that need to be cleaned up. OMG happy happy happy danceee!!! Can't wait to meet her, the names I will be choosing from are Violet because Olive, Saffron (mom), and Onyx (dad) are all colors, Willow/Willa, Evie, Lily (short for Lilith which means of night because she is black), Leila or Layla(meaning dark as well), or Delphina which means little flower!


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

Congrats on the little one! You must be so excited. It sounds like you pretty much have everything you need. 

Are you getting some food from the breeder? Do you have some kitten food for her to transition to?

I would go ahead and switch to fleece liners now, might as well do all the changes at once. What are you going to put in the litter box?

She sounds like a lucky little girl going to a great home.


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

Sometimes it can help to take a handful that the bedding that she is currently in and bring it home with you to put in the cage so she has something familiar to smell.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

The blanket the mom had in her cage she is cutting up and sending a part home with every baby, so I don't think I will need the bedding for smell. I am going to transition her from the breeders food to Blue Buffalo Basics limited ingredient Kitten formula. And yes she is sending food home with me. Don't they all send the food home?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Not all breeders do, unfortunately. Good ones do though, or make sure the owner plans to get the same food. I like the idea of cutting mom's blanket up so each baby can have a piece too. Congrats on getting the new arrival even sooner than you thought!


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## lilsurfergrlsp (Dec 13, 2013)

My breeder didn't send me home with food  but I figured it out. Also, it could help to get some water from your breeder's home to give your baby for the first few days, just to help minimize any tummy issues from bringing your new baby home. Just bring a water bottle and fill it up with the water your breeder gives the babies


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

Okay thanks for the water thing! That's a good idea. And I like the blanket idea as well! When I switched Olive from her old cage the blanket inside was covered in feces and just was horrible! I still cut a small corner that was the most clean to put in her new cage to make her feel better because everything that was in her cage was either dangerous or dirty beyond salvage. Olive had a full exam with her hibernation attempt a week ago and I had fecal smear, blood panel, and pretty much EVERY test done, all came out clean and she is in good health, we think she must have hibernated before I got her which is why she tried to hibernate again at 73 and must be kept at 80 for the rest of her life, and the babies are completely clean, the breeder only has a couple pairs of hedgehogs and they are all her own personal pets and have completely clean bills of health and momma and daddy had all the tests done before they were bred (all actually did because all 3 females had babies in the same week!) so do you think I still need to quarantine? She said that she didn't think it was necessary? It would just be a WHOLE lot easier to keep them both in the same room because the Room Olive is in has no open vents to cause drafts, is kept exactly at 80 degrees all of the time, and has lots of natural sunlight during the day and black out drapes at night which keep it DARK! Do you think I should keep a chart on her eating, pooing, and weight?


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

The quarantine is up to you really. You can see how it goes for the first week and then decide. When I got Winter, he had a full quarantine because I had no idea where he had been. With the girls they only had a two week quarantine and that was mainly because they had vet check up before they left and seemed perfectly healthy. I have had no problems. 

I keep track of everyone's food intake on a daily basis, I weigh the fatty Rose and the one who won't eat River on a daily basis and do weekly weigh ins for the other two. I also have a section on my records to notice anything unusual. Normally this is where I notice green poopy or less poopy etc. It's up to you how much you want to track. With a baby, keeping track of weight and food is especially good with the transition, after that you can always reduce how often you track certain things. 

Congrats again. I can't wait to see picture of her!


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## Charlie's mommy (May 16, 2014)

I would keep a chart of her habits just to be safe. I was hoping you'd post soon, little sad how excited I am considering we don't even live in the same country  get ready for the quilling girl, first day home I got one though the foot.


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## gracefulchaos01 (Mar 19, 2014)

I'm glad to see you posting again too, Alex. I vote Delphina! Also, when I tried the switch from carefresh to fleece, I tried to do both. But honestly the kids all just went right for the fleece and ignored the carefresh. 
In the early postings of the pet journal are a lot of my recollections of the babes when they were still teeny. Maybe they will give some ideas. I wasn't nearly as knowledgeable as you, but my whole array came through pretty ok


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

AHHH quilling! I am nervous about that as Olive was already through all of her quilling when I got her, she lost a single quill since I have gotten her, I saved it too lol. I weigh Olive bi-weekly because for the 1st month I got her she RAPIDLY gained weight, she gained 100 grams total, she hasn't gained anymore in 2 months, so I think this is just a good weight for her and she was too malnourished when I first brought her home. I keep a mental note of what she is eating and what not but I might write it all down for BB. I also think I might just go straight to fleece, I hate substrate, it's messy, it's hard to find poos, its harder to see urine colors if they don't use their litter box which I am guessing from reading she will not use right away so I would rather just use fleece. And thanks guys I missed you too!


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## Charlie's mommy (May 16, 2014)

3 out of my 4 hedgehogs I switched right to fleece and they were fine, if she ends up being a digger, like howie, you'll get a lot of use out of a dig box  quilling isn't too bad but holly gets moody, she's not cuddley anyway, she runs from me lol. I got lucky with her, she only poops on or around her wheel. Howie gained about 60 grams when I got him, but the girl fed him dollar store food so not surprising


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

Oh lord have mercy the quilling! I think Nico has finally slowed down. She's basically been quilling since we got her in April. Those little suckers hurt when you step on them in the middle of the night. 

Anyway, I don't think babies are all the difficult. It really sounds like you've got everything you need and then some. I think the hardest part is leaving them alone for the first night so they can settle in. I actually went out to dinner the night Nico came home so I would leave her alone. Well, that and I was hungry and it was my friends that live in the same city as the breeder that delivered her to us. After a four hour drive you feed people.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

LOL Luckily my breeder lives 30 minutes away from me in the mountains!


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

Tomorrow at noon I will be getting the sweet little potato! I hope I will be able to sleep tonight! YAY Posting pictures tomorrow. I read though to let her get adjusted before getting her out to bond? Should I let her settle or not?


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Let her tell you. I picked up Penny at two and she slept the whole way home. We put her back and then cuddled with her that night around 9. She was pretty calm about the whole thing.


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

I would. I wish I had done a better job of leaving Nico alone. Couldn't stand it and finally got her out for a brief visit the night she came home. I think she would have felt better had I left her completely alone for the first night. But it depends on her. She might be one of those babies that doesn't care about where she is or who she's with. Go pick her up, and when you take her out of her carrier to go into her new home, see how she is. If she's super stressed, leave her alone until Sunday. If she's chill, get her out whenever it is you usually do bonding.


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## gracefulchaos01 (Mar 19, 2014)

AlexLovesOlive said:


> Tomorrow at noon I will be getting the sweet little potato! I hope I will be able to sleep tonight! YAY Posting pictures tomorrow. I read though to let her get adjusted before getting her out to bond? Should I let her settle or not?


I would let her settle down and relax for an evening. It's a big move, her whole world is changing. Let her get used to the new space, the new smells, the new sounds, the general change in environment. If your breeder lives in the mountains, she may even need a small adjustment period to get used to the change in air pressure. I recall when I was driving through your lovely state I was consistently bothered by the change in pressure on my ears the whole time I was there. 
I'm not saying don't say hi and make her feel welcome. but hold off on the big acts of bonding. Let her get her bearings first and settle in.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

Yeah I think I will get all my loving out with her while she is at the breeders and the drive home. Then let her get settled tonight and tomorrow. She isn't in the mountains so I don't think we will have that problem. I have had to help my dogs pop their ears before when we went up to Estes Park to go camping, I could tell when they started to get uncomfortable and whiny.. I had to stop and give them a snack and water because the swallowing makes your ears pop. I am going to put a shirt I got ready for her of mine in her cage (one I just slept in) so that will be her bonding for now.


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## Echo of November (Aug 16, 2014)

Can't wait to see pictures!!


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

yes omg you have to see her she is the cutest baby I have ever seen besides my main baby Loki poo (who is currently sitting ON me in a recliner... even though he is a 50 lbs pitbull he is positive he is still a lap dog! He is the biggest baby you have ever seen he is terrified of Olive and will not be in the same room as her) She is SOOOO sweet compared to my Olive. Already in love more than anything. Still haven't settled on a name I am however leaning twords Violet. I won't be able to name her until she comes out and plays so I can see what her personality is like. She did very well on the long drive even though I had to stop 3 times to change her stuff inside because she pottied. I was VERY glad I brought a lot of extra blankies and snuggle sacks. She doesn't raise a quill at any noise, voice, or being handled. Such a sweet little potato so far... It is KILLING me to leave her alone I just want to snuggle her SOOO BAD!!! I can't even hold Olive and this girl is a cuddle bug so I am like CUDDLES!!!!! I guess my stinky puppy will have to do for tonight lol. I went and got her new food because the breeder feeds her Royal Canin, Purina kitten, and some grown up foods like Wellness, Natural Balance, and Fromms bird food?!?! .... ick. I strongly dislike royal canin and purina FULL of junk, fillers, by products. Not good. And wellness is not my favorite either Got her Blue Buffalo Freedom in kitten food and put some in with her mix as well as mixing in some of Olives Blue Buffalo Basics... I think I will wait a while to start mixing in The blue buffalo Wilderness weight formula. Got the CUTEST toys today, I found two tiny hedgehog cat toys that I had to have. As well as 2 balls and I got an xtra small puppy kong for enrichment times to hide snacks in to help foraging and development!


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Congrats! can't wait to see some pictures of her.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

I will post some tomorrow when I can actually get her out to hold her!


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