# Still not sure if im doing this right



## Diggersmom (Dec 26, 2013)

My problems...digger always seems to smell like his pee, so does his blankets and liners (I use flees for both and change them about every other day) 
He still has a problem with pooping and I cant seem to identify a certain corner he likes to use and when there is a litter box in his cage he just turns it over and makes tons of noice with it. 
I cant leave his wheel in the cage over night because he will poop on it and get it all over his self (so the wheel is only there during the day and I never see him get on it) 
He doesnt seem to want any thing to do with me and im not sure if its because he might be quilling (hes about 3 months old and quills are every where in his chage, and I always hear him skratching at night while im trying to sleep) or if its because when I got him I was preagnet and now im not (but im not sure if that would have any thing to do with it) 
At night i will hear him make noises like hes hissing but its totalky dark and nothing is bothering him I habe no idea whats up with that and the second I turn the light on to check on him he stops
Also for some strange reason he seems to always want to sleep under his flee liner (between the flees and plastic) right under the heater (the cage stays between 75-80 degrees) even when I wrap him up in blankets and put him in his house he will crawl out and get in under his liner under the heater. 
I know this is a lot of issues but its getting to where im not really sure what to do with him (as far as keeping him goes) PLEASE HELP! Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from yall.


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

1. Leave his wheel in overnight. He's nocturnal, and that's when he'll use it. The wheel will get poopy, and you will need to clean it every day. He'll get poopy feet, and will need foot-baths (maybe even every night) to keep clean.

2. When washing his liners, if you add a bit of vinegar (white vinegar is cheapest, 1/4 c is more than enough for an entire load), it will deoderize the liners. That way, the clean ones won't smell like pee.

3. Some hedgehogs don't potty-train. Sometimes, the best you can do is put a litterbox/paper towel/smaller chunk of fleece under the wheel to catch any runoff from when he goes on the wheel, and for him to wipe his feet a bit before wandering around the cage.

4. Hedgehogs sleep in strange places. Sometimes I think they do this just to drive us crazy. if it doesn't bother you for him to sleep under the liner (it doesn't cause more of a mess0, then it's fine. If it does bother you, we can come up with ideas on how to help prevent it. Liner-diving is a popular hedgehog activity, especially for the ones who like to dig.

5. When do you handle him? Sticking to his schedule (morning or evenings) and letting him sleep the day solid can help. Giving him something to hide under can help (like a blanket or shirt on your lap he can duck under). Being in a dim room can help. Having background noise (like music or a tv show) instead of total silence can mask small noises so he doesn't startle at every tiny noise.

6. Giving him something that smells like you (fleece that you sleep with) to cuddle with can help him associate your smell with a safe, warm place to sleep.

7. Taking him out every day for at least a half-hour can help. Skipping a day will set you back. Skipping a whole week will absolutely set you back!


----------



## Diggersmom (Dec 26, 2013)

I handle him twice a day once in the morning and then before I go to bed. Right now hes curred up with me in some blankets. Hes still always huffy and quilled up, but I think it might be quilling. 
For his wheel I have a flying sauser so thats still ok to leave the wheel in there. 
And he does love to dig (hens the name digger) so that explains why he gets under his linner and how his litter box would always get turrned over. 
Hes extreamly difficult when it comes to water and baths. I would like to brake him of this early on so do you have any tips on bathing him and how to make it easier. Also what kind of soap is ok. I have been using warter down dawn. When bathing him I have a tupper wear contaner that I place in my bath room sink, fill up with warm water. He constently tries to clime out or up my arm then he falls into the water and splashes water in his face lol then hes done and doesnt want any thing to dk with that water. This last time I gave him a bath I tried rewarding him with some apple after. But im not sure if he associates the two thing. HELP PLEASE lol also thank you for your responce. I recognize that the week I wasnt able to handle him (beacause of being in the hospital and recovering from the csection) has put our bonding back but im hoping I can make up for lost time with him. Again thank you for your reply andnmore info is greatly welcome.


----------



## bobandelisabeth (Dec 23, 2013)

Aveeno baby wash with oatmeal is good for a hedgie bath! Also, a soft toothbrush to wash the quills. We use a bathroom sink and give dexter some mealies as a treat after the bath. There are how-to videos on YouTube for hedgie bathing. I watched several and with help from my husband and an experienced hedgie owner, successfully gave him his first bath. It seems to be recommended not to bathe too much or it can dry out true skin.


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Yes, you can leave a Flying Saucer wheel in all the time.

Many hedgehogs are not fond of baths. Sometimes it can help to try a few different things to see which is least panic-inducing. Try using a sink, or a flat-bottomed container, or a bathtub. My little guy freaks out in the sink, constantly trying to climb out, slips, and hits his chin, but is fine in the bathtub. (He still wants out of the water and will climb my arms to freedom, but doesn't panic.)

Agreed with Bobandelisabeth: using a baby shampoo like Aveeno baby wash is more gentle, and a toohtbrush can help scrub quills.

I give a footbath (shallow, water only) between every day, and every few days, but only give full baths (shallow water, but toothbrush-with-soap scrubbing quills, and pour water over his back to rinse him) every 2 weeks (or more often if he's made a mess). Using soap too often can dry out his skin. During quilling, you can make him a bit more comfortable by soaking some oatmeal in the water until it is milky-white, then using that water to bathe your hedgehog.


----------



## Diggersmom (Dec 26, 2013)

How can I tell if he is freaking out or just not liking it


----------



## Diggersmom (Dec 26, 2013)

Also he wont eat mealworms. What should I do. I know they need them in there diet


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

They're pretty obvious when they're outright freaking out. They look like they're panicking and they try desperately to find any way out of the water, whether they get hurt or not. If they just dislike it, they'll try to get out, but it doesn't seem as frantic and not to the point of "don't care if I get hurt, get out get out get out". Try some of Annie's suggestions and see if something works better for him. Make sure you also have some kind of fabric or something in the bottom of water you bathe him in, so he has some firm footing. Slippery bottoms make them more nervous.

Mealworms aren't necessary - it's very nice to include them because insects are a large part of their diet in the wild and because they're usually favorite treats. But he's not going to suffer nutritionally if he doesn't like them. You could try crickets instead & see if he likes those better.


----------



## Diggersmom (Dec 26, 2013)

Alright! THANK YALL SOOO MUCH! every one has given me some really great advice.


----------

