# New food doesn't interest her..... now what??



## Ash88 (Nov 2, 2008)

I have had my hedgie for about 2 weeks now (she is a month and a half).... so I am very new to this. She doesn't seem to be having an issue with what she is eating now.... but whenever we try and experiment with her with new food.... she barely looks at it. 
Just for starters, we tried some banana, apple and some plain scrambled egg....... but nothing. 

And the issue with her is, that she sleeps the entire day and night - she only wakes up usually after 1am.... and we are seldom up at that time to try and feed her, and because we can't leave the other food there all day (and night) because it will go bad by the time she wakes up..... how can we introduce new foods and treats?



Thanks !!


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

I'm assuming she's doing okay on her kibble... her main source of food is stable and it's just the extras in which she appears uninterested? If so, that's okay. 

Hedgies often need to be presented something several times before they decide that it's something they might like to eat. So don't give up after just two weeks. Pick one item and try that every few days for awhile to try and get her interested. By trying just one food at a time, she'll have more exposure to it and you'll also know if it causes a tummy upset.


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## laurennicole (Oct 16, 2008)

smhufflepuff said:


> I'm assuming she's doing okay on her kibble... her main source of food is stable and it's just the extras in which she appears uninterested? If so, that's okay.
> 
> Hedgies often need to be presented something several times before they decide that it's something they might like to eat. So don't give up after just two weeks. Pick one item and try that every few days for awhile to try and get her interested. By trying just one food at a time, she'll have more exposure to it and you'll also know if it causes a tummy upset.


yeah i agree


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## sebian (Aug 29, 2008)

Keep trying! A lot of hedgies don't catch on the first try with new foods  . Try to keep giving her banana (or which ever you choose) for a few days. I wouldn't keep introducing new foods all the time, especially since she's so young, because all the smells are very new to her and a bit confusing.

You might also want to try to mix in the new foods with her current food (one at a time). If you do this right before you guys go to bed (assuming that's when you feed her) it should last long enough for her to eat it with her food. That's also assuming she doesn't catch on to your trying to trick her (slightly  ) and pick around the banana. 

I'm sure a lot of other people will have a lot more suggestions for you too! Hope something works!


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## sebian (Aug 29, 2008)

Great minds think alike.... and post at the same time :lol:


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## laurennicole (Oct 16, 2008)

:lol:


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## Ash88 (Nov 2, 2008)

Thanks for all the advice.... really appreciated! I didn't know that looking after a baby hedgie can be so challenging....!! :lol:


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## sebian (Aug 29, 2008)

OOOOoooooh yeah it can be. Just wait until the quilling begins :shock: 

Luckily, pretty much everyone on HHC is very very informed in some way or another and more than willing to share their knowledge/experiences with you, so don't ever hesitate to ask a question


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Do you wake her up to play with her? If you have her on a regular schedule of when she expects to be awakened to play with, a portion of that interaction time could be used to introduce new foods. For instance mine are on the following schedule: up by 8pm, cage cleaned & food refilled 10pm, hedgehog back in to cage shortly after. Part of the new food is a bowl of just fruits/veggies/food of the night. Mine now expect this and will seek that bowl out to see what is in the bowl.

With that said, sometimes you just get a hedgehog that likes what they like. Riley wouldn't touch most foods. Even mealworms were an item that he could do without (sometimes he wouldn't eat them). However he always ate his kibble and was happy with whatever mix of kibble I provided him. 

About all you can do is try different foods and try them several times in a row. Sometimes it takes a bit for them to realize something may actually taste good.


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## Ash88 (Nov 2, 2008)

sebian said:


> OOOOoooooh yeah it can be. Just wait until the quilling begins :shock:


Oh yes - she is in the process already! :lol:


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## Ash88 (Nov 2, 2008)

Kalandra said:


> Do you wake her up to play with her? If you have her on a regular schedule of when she expects to be awakened to play with, a portion of that interaction time could be used to introduce new foods. For instance mine are on the following schedule: up by 8pm, cage cleaned & food refilled 10pm, hedgehog back in to cage shortly after. Part of the new food is a bowl of just fruits/veggies/food of the night. Mine now expect this and will seek that bowl out to see what is in the bowl.


With our little one, whenever (and I mean, WHENEVER) you wake her up, she hisses and spikes.... so we haven't handled her yet... we have put our hands in, she sniffs and licks and she sleeps with our clothing so she should know our scent by now. And when we do try and put something new for her to eat.... she just looks over it.


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## Melissa (Sep 19, 2008)

Ash88 said:


> I have had my hedgie for about 2 weeks now (she is a month and a half


My concern is her age.. A month and a half? She is only 6 weeks.. Meanign you got her at 4 weeks old? Where did you get her from? Breeder or Pet store or somewhere else?

Most babies are weaned at 5-6 weeks.. She may not have the teeth or taste for other foods. What is she on now? Most babies dont like treats.. One of my boys I have had since he was a baby.. he didnt start eating treats until he was almost a year old.


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

Ash88 said:


> With our little one, whenever (and I mean, WHENEVER) you wake her up, she hisses and spikes.... so we haven't handled her yet... we have put our hands in, she sniffs and licks and she sleeps with our clothing so she should know our scent by now. And when we do try and put something new for her to eat.... she just looks over it.


If you don't pick her up because she hisses and spikes, you might never pick her up. Don't let that keep you from holding her, because you need to pick her up and hold her daily.


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## Ash88 (Nov 2, 2008)

Zalea said:


> If you don't pick her up because she hisses and spikes, you might never pick her up. Don't let that keep you from holding her, because you need to pick her up and hold her daily.


I thought about that.... so then what is the best way to do it? How?


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Well... there are a couple of methods you can try to see if they help you with picking up your little one. But honestly, hedgehog quills do not hurt that much once they are picked up. You need to use a scooping method to pick them up.

A couple of things you can try.

1. Place your hands, one on each side of her body kinda like ( - ) Where the () are your hands and - is the hedgehog. Gently push both hands under her body and then lift or roll her into one hand. Yes if she has her quills up you will feel some poking in your hand, but it doesn't hurt that bad if you use both hands. 

2. Use a cloth to help pick her up. Use the same method as mentioned in #1 and place a cloth over one of your hands. Use the other hand to gently roll the hedgehog onto the cloth. A piece of fleece works great for this. The cloth will help prevent some of the quills from poking through and is less scary than a pair of gloves. Plus the fleece also can be used to help the hedgehog feel a little more secure... as the hedgehog can hide in the fleece. 

Don't try to pick them up by placing the cloth over them and using a 'grabbing' type motion. I've seen people do this and it just doesn't help. It only scares them more. Plus I always worry when I see people do this that they are going to squeeze too hard and the hedgehog will be injured. 

Scoop don't grab.

Once you have your little one picked up, use a piece of fleece to sit and just talk quietly to her.


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## Ash88 (Nov 2, 2008)

Great! Thanks a lot....!


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