# First Hedgehog - I want to do this right!



## esolson (Oct 23, 2013)

Hey everyone, I got my first hedgehog, Hercules, yesterday from a local breeder and am attempting to finalize everything he needs. Upon recommendation from the breeder, I have been using a organic high quality cat food that Herc seems to love (or he was just very hungry!) and gave him some mealworms last night (which he was a little wary of, I didn't see him eat any). On her recommendation I have also foregone the woodshavings and have used the paper bedding instead because she said the wood can scratch their eyes when they burrow, which seemed to make sense.

She also did recommend a saucer-style wheel, which I have and he still hasn't touched, although he ran for a couple seconds last night and promptly got off. I also have a water bottle rather than a bowl. I am a little concerned about the bottle because I have read on there about hedgies chipping their teeth and getting their tongue caught in the ball. He's about 7 weeks old and he seemed to be getting a hang of the bottle by the end of the evening last night - what your thoughts on trying to keep him on the bottle?

The room that we are keeping him in is fairly cold during the winter as well. I have a ceramic heat bulb with a thermostat and cover half his cage with a heavy blanket at night as well. I set the thermostat to 75F. I am thinking I'm going to go get some sort of bath mat or something to elevate his cage off the cold wood floor as well. 

He has a sleeping house but the breeder also suggested getting some sort of fleece-lined sleeping area as well. I also don't really have any toys for him to play with, and I would love to get some input on something for him to use.

In short, I am very new to the hedgehog "game" but I am determined to give Hercules the best possible life with me and love him very much already. I would welcome any recommendations you have for me to alter what I'm already doing and any tips on bonding with him. 

My main concerns are these:
1. I know he's a baby and they tend to sleep more, but I'm concerned that his size and age and the low temp of the room are going to make him attempt to hibernate. Please tell me I'm just being paranoid.

2. I'm concerned about his lack of wheeling (I know I sound crazy, since it's only been a night, but I'm a worry wart). I have read about the book method for more conventional wheels, but I don't see a workable similar solution for the saucer wheels.

3. What dietary additions should I be thinking about as far as fresh fruits and veggies? And should I be concerned that he hasn't touched his meal worms?

4. How should I gauge whether he's drinking enough water/manipulating the bottle well enough to get what he needs? It's hard to tell when he's urinating based on the bedding and I want to make sure he's not getting dehydrated because he can't figure out the bottle (if you think it's safe, I would love to keep him on the bottle, just so that he doesn't splash everywhere). 

5. He has been huffing and popping a lot when I've been holding him. He will eventually stop and retract his visor and then get friendly and crawl all over me. I think that he is probably just still getting used to me and used to his new space, but I fear that I'm pushing him too hard by handling him when he get's huffy and it's really just pushing him away. Should I be concerned.

6. He has kept his spines raised pretty much since I got him. I'm not sure whether it's due to his age or whether he's just not comfortable yet or what. I was wondering if it's normal for baby hedgies to have their spines raised more and, if so, when they would start to lie down.

Thank you so much! I know I've only had him a day and I'm sure I'm jumping the gun re: being so worried about all of these things, but I just want to make sure he stays happy and healthy! 

- E

P.S. The breeder did recommend a couple vets that take can treat hedgies, so I know I'm all set there.


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## SiouxzieKinz (Oct 10, 2013)

http://westcoasthedgehogs.com/files/hedgehogbook/download.html

This book should get you well on your way to caring for your new family member. You are doing the right thing in consulting the forum as I've found so much information on here that eases my mind in caring for Dakarai. I just picked up my boy this past weekend and he is really a love bug. Don't get me wrong, he still huffs, and raises his quills and pops like popcorn but if you don't let that scare you away and continue with picking him up, talking gently and reassuring him that he is safe then I would think your hedgie too will come around.

Again, please read the book. It is free to download. It is extensive but I feel, necessary reading.

I'm a new mommy myself so I keep returning to the forum to get most of my questions answered. So far, everyone here has been really fantastic with quick replies and experiences that unparallel what a mere article online could tell you about hedgehog behaviour.

One word of advice - find a vet NOW! You don't want to be frantically calling around to emergency vets at 2am if your hedgie needs medical attention. Get yourself established with this new vet so that they know you and your animal. Dakarai goes in for his "well-baby" visit this Friday.

Good luck with your new quilled friend.


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## ceopet (Sep 20, 2013)

Also save up a vet fund or have an emergency credit card handy in case something happens. 

What is the cage at? If the room is very cold i would advise gettng a space heater for the room to make sure he stays warm. 75 is a good temp you just have to make sure it stays steady. Do you have a steady light cylce for him? THis is also very very important. The easiest way to do it is with a regular desk lamp set on a timer for 12-14 hours. My Petra has a thirteen hour cycle. I am glad I finally got a timer that works setting an alarm for early morning was getting annoying LOL I am not an early riser by any means. Also now I don't have to worry about being home in the pm to turn it off  

It's pretty common for hedgies not to wheel the first night or two. I know my Petra did not come out AT ALL on her first day and on the second she only came out to briefly to eat drink and poop. 

Even when he's huffy and balled up you want to handle them. It's really just a big show to make them selves look tougher. You want him to get used to being handled though and the more you do it the confidant he'll feel when he's in your hands. If your hands are sensitive you can use a piece of fleece to help you out. I still have to sometimes with my hedgie. Though I've noticed my hands are getting more used to the quills. You also want to get him used to you touching his feet because they need regual feet cleaning and nail trimming. 

His quills will stick out till he relaxes and it can take a while when they are still adjusting to you. 

Also second reading the book I found it really helpful! I am also a new owner, I've had my girl for about a month now  

Oh also which food is it? There is a very helpfull list in the diet second here wtih reccomended foods. It's usually recommended to mix three kinds of cat kibble together. 

Good veg/ fruits to introduce are also in the diet section. So far i find my girl really loves canned pumpkin and apple sauce, she will eat spinich but doesn't go for it like the pumpkin. She also did eat a tiny bit of brocoli and a bit of carrot as well as cooked sweat potato. She also has had turkey and veg dinner baby food and gobbles that up. Gerber meat sticks are a favoirte of hers too.


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## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

> She also did recommend a saucer-style wheel, which I have and he still hasn't touched, although he ran for a couple seconds last night and promptly got off.


Some people like the saucer-style, but I think most folks prefer the bucket style. A good wheel is essential. I prefer the largest wheel possible. The CSW (Carolina Storm Wheel) is the largest that I am aware of (?), first-rate quality, and a great price.

Breeders tend to prefer bottles. Owners tend to prefer bowls. I use a 1" tall by 5" diameter crème brûlée dish. It is flat bottomed and straight sided, so basically can't be tipped over.

Do not trust the thermostat by itself. I keep a digital thermometer right next to the thermostat probe. The one that I use has a feature that displays the highest and lowest recorded temperature since last resetting the function. It is very nice to be able to see the absolute lowest temperature recorded during the night. If you have a cold floor, yes, get the cage up off the floor.



> He has a sleeping house but the breeder also suggested getting some sort of fleece-lined sleeping area as well. I also don't really have any toys for him to play with, and I would love to get some input on something for him to use.


Hedgies like to hide/ sleep in tight, protected spaces. Sophie's house is lightly stuffed with fleece pieces (strips and squares). One of her tunnels (where she sleeps these days) is stuffed from end to end with fleece pieces. She somehow squirms her way into the middle of the tunnel without displacing much fleece.

Some hedgehogs will play with TP tubes or little balls - some won't. Sophie has never been interested in toys. Loves her wheel, though.

Your numbered list:

1a. Age and size: You need data in order to know anything. I weigh Sophie every Monday afternoon and have 92 weeks of data now. I use a scale with 2 gram sensitivity. Without medical necessity, I don't see value in daily weigh-ins. Weekly data provides a good trend line. Daily fluctuations do not interest me.

1b. You should be paranoid about temperature. Low temperatures are dangerous. You MUST know the temperature of the room and you MUST know the temperature inside the cage. I keep her room at 65 degrees with an oil-filled, radiator-type room heater. I bump her cage temperature to 75 degrees with CHEs. The thermostat probe is located in the coolest possible spot of the cage. There is a digital thermometer right next to it. I have another thermometer for the room itself.

2. Some hedgehogs need a little 'training' to take to the wheel. Sophie put three hours on her on her first night home. I strongly recommend putting an odometer on the wheel and logging data for total time and average speed. The CSW will be the best money you ever spent. Sophie has 1,346 hours on hers and it is still like brand new.

3. Most hedgehogs love mealies, but some don't. I would continue to offer them. Some hedghies take to fresh fruit and veggies. Some don't. Sophie has always refused all fruit and vegetables. For health reasons, I have had to 'force' veggies on her in the form of Beechnut mixed vegetable baby foods and she has responded well. Fruits can be overly sweet for the nutrition that they add and should probably be considered more of a treat.

4. They drink so little - yes, that data was tricky for me. I wound up buying plastic graduated cylinders from a laboratory supply house. One measures in 2 ml increments and the other in 1 ml. They were a great investment. Sophie drank a lot more as a baby. At 22 months, she is only drinking ~15 ml per night, 1 american tablespoon. Without the graduated cylinder, her water would be unmeasurable. Sophie requires special attention with regard to hydration. She tends not to drink enough (vet found data point out of norm for hydration) and gets extra hydration with her wet-food diet.

I'm not a fan of bottles, but I can't quite say that they are 'bad'. It depends on your situation. One issue with bottles is that owners may not be giving the hedgehog fresh water every day, which they should be. Bottles should be well rinsed every day.

Water dishes can be a problem for some people - liner diving, walking in water, tipping the dish, debris in water if not using fleece liners - but these things can all be dealt with.

5.


> but I fear that I'm pushing him too hard by handling him when he get's huffy and it's really just pushing him away. Should I be concerned.


You are right to be aware that you can push too hard. That you demonstrate this awareness leads me to think that you should not be overly concerned. Go with the flow.

6. Sophie's breeder has all of her babies handled a lot, so Sophie was pretty good from the start - but yes, she had her quills up a lot more than she does now. She is the bestest hedgehog ever - but still a complete scaredy-cat. The slightest motion and she'll pop her quills up. She isn't real serious about it and they come right down, but the instinct is super-strong. Handle him every day, and in consistent fashion, and he will get better week by week and month by month. You have to think long-term and understand that behavior shifts will be so incremental they are impossible to recognize in real time. You see them only by looking back; kind of a 'then and now'.

You will probably get more and better answers by asking questions in more targeted posts, i.e., numerous singe-question posts. This post requires a book to properly answer.

I have tons of pictures and loads of videos. I haven't linked to anything here because I'm already at about 1,000 words. Here's her YouTube channel, though:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SophieBorquelle


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## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

> It's hard to tell when he's urinating based on the bedding


I meant to add something on this. I made a litter pan to fit under Sophie's wheel and extend out about 10". She only poops and pees on her wheel and in her litter pan. I have fleece litter pan liners for the pan and they work great. All of the liners have a light brown fleece outer layer.

They work great, but I have since taken to adding a layer of white fleece over top of the pan liner. Sophie first showed her illness by peeing blood in her bath water. By adding the white fleece layer, I am able to monitor pee coloration and get a feel for quantity also. Though her health has been restored, I now consider this white pee-monitoring layer to be essential. I also like that it is a separate layer from the litter pad itself. For Sophie, pee should be a very light yellow. A strong yellow indicates that she is not hydrated well enough.


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## ceopet (Sep 20, 2013)

I second Carolina storm wheels as well! They are exactly the right size and very very easy to clean on a daily basis.They have a litter pan that fits under it as well and works great. I just line mine with a paper towel nightly. I am also lucky that my hedgie only pees and poops on her wheel and in the pan, some hedgies aren't as good about it as others. 

I Also second getting a routine going and not to expect anything on a daily basis.


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Bottle vs. bowl:
When I picked up my tiny friend, the breeder described hedgehogs as marathon runners, then asked me if at the end of a long run, would I want to drink water from a sippy-cup limiting me to a few drops at a time, or gulp down from an open cup? I went for the open cup -- a bowl. As a total paranoid-observer, I also appreciate that bowls are easy to monitor water-intake from.

Fleece vs. bedding:
You will spend more time worrying about waste products than you thought possible now you have your own tiny diva. A fleece liner makes it much easier to monitor since little hedgehog can't hide poop as well, and if you use a light-coloured liner (or have one to swap in during times of concern) you can monitor urine frequency and colouration (dehydration, blood, etc).

It's also cheaper in the long run. The startup costs of buying some fleece, then the ongoing cost of washing with unscented detergent & a bit of vinegar (even at a coin-op laundromat) is cheaper than the constant bags o' bedding.

Treats:
Hedgehogs can be picky, and a lot like small children when it comes to treats. Try offering the same treat several times weeks apart before deciding it's well and truly rejected. A lot of hedgehogs like mealworms, but not all do, and it's totally fine if yours doesn't.

Wheel:
Flying Saucer is the only horizontal wheel that is hedgehog-safe. Some loves it, some hate it. I don't have one so can't really comment on it.

Comfort Wheel is the other commercially-available wheel that is hedgehog-safe. The ridges drive some people nuts, the dark colour can make it hard to spot pee-problems, and it can get squeaky, but this can all be modified to work just fine. My small friend refuses to run on anything else. Go for the largest size (12" diameter)

Bucket wheels are a DIY option, or can be purchased from countless breeders. The Carolina Storm Wheel is one of those, made by forum-member (and photo-contest-host) Larry. He has a lot of practice and a lot of fans if you'd prefer to buy ready-made.

Common reasons for not running on it: new to home (first few days with you), unstable base (weigh or attach it to cage somehow), long nails, dislikes the wheel, reduced activity (from sickness, cold, insufficient light), injury (including hair wrapped around toes). Tiny divas don't tell us what's wrong, so it's a lot of guess-change-and-check.

Bonding:
Sleep with some fleece scraps or a tshirt, and give it to him for snuggles so he starts associating your smell with a safe place to sleep. Keep plopping him on your lap for bonding -- sooner or later he'll learn that you aren't going to eat him. This will probably be right about when quilling starts, just to set you back and make you crazy!


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