# Going away for a week... With no hedgie



## talibali (Aug 15, 2009)

I am going to flordia next yearin agust for a week and I can"T take my hedie and i have a friend and her mom that said that they would watch her... Her mom know what ot doo but she has three cats and two dogs... and that is kind of troble to what it sould like to me. any way her mom know what to do because she works at an animal shelter and they had one therre before. But i dont know if i come back and she doesn"t remeber me. would that happen at all? Please help. I am a little scared of that.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

A couple weeks ago I went away for 4 nights & had my cousin watching Sylvie. She was a little cranky when I came home with me but after a little bit of bonding time we were all good again (I did give her some treats that night). My cousin was handling Sylvie during the nights so she stayed comfortable with that.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Earlier this summer I went away for almost two weeks. My two friends who have a cat took care of Quigley. They didn't know anything about hedgehogs and they did just fine. Quigley got used to me and "hedgie dad" again very quickly. The cat ignored Quigley the whole time until like the second last day when she tried to tap his back and, upon discovering how sharp he is, ran off. 

The main things you have to watch for with keeping a hedgehog with other animals is not giving the animals any opportunity to hurt each other especially when the caregivers are unfamiliar with how a hedgehog and their pets will react to each other. If possible the hedgehog should be in a room with a closed door that the cats and dog do not have access to. If this is not possible his cage should be on a sturdy table where it cannot be knocked off and should be secure so that the cats and the dog cannot get into it. If you normally have a cage with bars you might want to consider making a bin cage for his visit that would have a lid so the cats cannot get their paws into the cage through any bars. (my cats do this not to attack the hedgehog but to steal his food)


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

Awww, I know the feeling. I had to leave my babies recently for four days, I hated it. My mom took care of their basic needs but did not handle them. No worries, though, I was able to pick up where I left off. 

Just handle her regularly when you return, do everything you did before and she'll bond with you again. Have faith in that they obviously know and love animals to be working for a shelter, your hedgie should be in good hands. If possible, I agree it should be kept in an off-limits room from the other pets. Ours are kept in a spare bedroom with the door shut even though the dogs are baby-gated away from it we shut the bedroom door in case for some reason the gate fell while we are gone. You can't be too safe in my opinion.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Just a random idea...

Start ziplocking/sealing some worn shirts before you leave. Wear them a few days, then seal them up. So that while you're away, they can interchange a shirt with your fresh scent on it every day, or every other day. So in a way, it's like you never left. The only difference would be the fewer handling.


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## talibali (Aug 15, 2009)

Thank you so mauch.. I have not got her yet but i am going a way for a week next year and by the time i know i will have her by then..... I will problay get her around X mas.... Or should i wait till it gets a little warm so she does not go into hibernation?


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

You don't have to wait to get her because it's winter. You just have to keep her warm in transit, and make sure your home is warm enough for her (which can be done by raising the house temperature with central air, using a space heater in the room, or getting a ceramic heat emitter for the cage--you should decide which you will be using before you bring her home and have everything set up).

Follow these tips for travel in cooler weather: http://hedgehogcentral.com/winter.shtml


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