# Cranky Hedgehog - your opinon



## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

Sylvie is having, shall we say, a bad day, a bad cranky day to be precise.

Last night I had 2 friends over (who she's met before & is fine with), she was out exploring the floor & a paper bag for a while. I washed up her cage & all the fabric went into the wash while she was out. Put her in her cage for some food & washroom break. She eats a bit & hides in the back corner under her wheel. Later I take her out again for some cuddle time while watching tv.

This morning I get up to find her again in the back corner under her wheel. The makes for difficulty in cleaning her wheel as I need to move the cranky, huffing puffing ball of quills from under the wheel. Anyways, I get her out, clean the wheel & put her back in her cage, expecting her to run into her hidey hut but no she goes back behind the wheel again.

Well she's been back there from what I can tell all day. She's woken up, turned around & gone back to sleep (so not stuck). I just came home now (8:30 pm) & gentle went to touch her but oh no Ms. Huffy Puffy is cranky. 

So I'm stuck with the dilemma of should I try to take the ball off expanding quills out from under the wheel (very difficult & very cranky) or just give her space for the night. Unfortunately tonight was going to be bath night, but that's out of the question now (maybe she knew this & that's where all this is coming from?) I think I'm going to give her some space, she knows that back corner is hard for me to get to, so I think she's telling me something. Thoughts?

(Should note when I had her out to clean her wheel this morning I did a once over on her since there was something different but didn't see any injuries & she was moving fine)


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## anna m (Dec 19, 2008)

Some hedgehogs just love their wheel and they do chose to sleep under it


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

Yeah this is new for her. In the year & a half she's been with me, she only ever goes under her wheel to explore (coming back out) or to get away from me


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

That is a hard one. If mine goes off in the corner of the wheel I go after him quills or not cause I don't want him thinking he can ball up to get his way. I just move the wheel out and talk to him and carefully move my hand under him, once he starts getting lifted he comes out of the ball. I am very gentle with him but I still move him. He doesn't do this often but I don't want him thinking thats the corner to go to if he doesn't want a bath or if he's not wanting out of the cage so I can scrub it lol If yours is just doing it because she enjoys sleeping there though then that should be ok cause she can come out to get her food and everything if she wants


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

Oh I think it's entirely because she's trying to get away. It's a brand new thing. Started Saturday morning & is there again this morning. I think she doesn't like her clean igloo (which has never been a problem before). I took her out this morning to clean the cage & trim her nails, so she knows it's not an escape spot.


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

I would keep handling her regardless of where she's hiding. Gently and consistently. Don't read too much into it, just keep consistently and gently handling her.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

Yeah I'm gonna go with that. I think she's not liking the clean hut. Any ideas on how to hedgie stink an igloo that the hedgie won't go in? haha


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## Hazesti (Jan 19, 2010)

What did you wash her igloo with? If you use dishwater soap and changed scent, or something like that, it might explain why she doesn't like it all of a sudden.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

her igloo was dry wiped down. cage floor was done with 50/50 vinegar & water. fabric in the igloo went in the laundry with unscented laundry detergent. the fabric is a shirt, fleece strips & her touque. same stuff as always. i think it's the everything being clean. the tuque & fleece only gets washed every couple weeks (spot cleaned otherwise) when all the liners are dirty. i think she's just being picky about everything being clean (though i've done the full cleans all at once before, but not for a while).


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

She's back in her hidey hut!!!  I know it's silly but does make me feel a lot better.

She got a bath last night, so it may have been that she didn't want to stink up her clean hut? haha

or that after the bath she was playing on/under her cat pillow







& i put her clean touque under there with her, so she got used to the clean smell

or it could just be that she's a hedgehog full or personality and has decided she liks the hidey hut again

either way she's back in it & that makes me feel good 

edit to add: or it could be as I just discovered her wheel tilt had fallen and was sitting on the litter pan, so not turning. Possibly she got mad at the wheel last night for not working & went into the hidey hut


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## eyesack (Oct 30, 2009)

Hahaha I can imagine her gettin all huffy at her wheel for not workin! "Grrrr otay, fien! im bored anywai! k bai mister wheel!" :lol: My baby seems very selectively angry too, only at things she sees fit, and when she wants to be, of course.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

Oh yeah. I think Sunday night she had an argument with the touque she normally sleeps with as it was out of her hut & in the middle of the floor. She also holds a grudge as I cleaned her cage & put the touque back in her hut. When I came back 20 min later it was back in the middle of her cage.


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## rainbowcookie (Dec 21, 2009)

What's a touque?


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

You just have to love these types of personalities. Your little girl's antics made me laugh and reminds me a lot of some of the evenings I have been awakened by Cooper.

I've awakened many times now to him throwing a proper mad hedgehog fit (think huffing, puffing, popping and clicking). Each time has been a different "problem." A problem at least in his mind. The first time it was his sleeping bed. The blanket over his bed had mostly fallen off, he was trying to get it to stay over him and it just wasn't working out.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

rainbowcookie said:


> What's a touque?


 A winter hat, in Canada we call them toques.











Kalandra said:


> I've awakened many times now to him throwing a proper mad hedgehog fit (think huffing, puffing, popping and clicking).


 I'm always amused when Sylvie wakes herself up and then gives me a dirty look like I did something. It's totally reminiscent of the dog farting & then glaring at the owner & walking away (my folks have an older dog). Or when she decides to suddenly huff for absolutely no reason.

Edit: Changed to a smaller jpg


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