# Hibernation



## hedgiemom (Sep 23, 2009)

:| umm do hesgehogs usually hibernate?? And for how long? Also do they tend to be solitary animals or do they like to have another of thier kind? We were thinking about getting Rosie a friend.


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## g0thamknight (Nov 4, 2009)

they are capable of hibernating but its really bad for them. you should take the hedgehog out and warm it up SLOWLY. dont put it in warm water or anything, put it under your sweatshirt or something until it wakes up. the temp in the house (or cage if you use some kind of heat lamp or heater in the cage) should be no lower than 60 degrees at the lowest, no lower than 65 would be preferable. but hybernating can have ill effects on the immune system that can lead to sickness, so hybernation is bad!!!


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

NO, if allowed to hibernate our pet hedgies will die. They must be kept over 72* at all times to prevent this. Hibernation, besides being fatal, if survived greatly lowers the immune system and makes them even more prone to attempting it later on.

They are solitary, some females will get along with other females, but I don't think it's worth the risk, and also the heartbreak for the other when one dies.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

g0thamnight- hedgies have to be kept at no lower than 72*F...60 and 65 are way way to low of temps for them.

hedgiemom
Do you think your hedgie is trying to hibernate and if so for how long now? If you let her keep trying she will die, she needs to be warmed up just as LizardGirl said. This is an emergency!


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## hedgiemom (Sep 23, 2009)

> hedgiemom
> Do you think your hedgie is trying to hibernate and if so for how long now? If you let her keep trying she will die, she needs to be warmed up just as LizardGirl said. This is an emergency!


Yes I am positive she has been trying to hibernate. We have moved her cage closer to where the heater is. I have been touching her everyday and trying to wake her and have her moving around. Today when I got home from work her food dish was dumped so I know she was up today. Hopefully with being closer to the heater she will warm up and be ok. We love her and dont want to see anything happen to her. Now I am worried. She has been trying to hibernate for like a week and a half now. Are we to late?? Is she going to be ok????


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

you need to take her out now and warm her up slowly till she's active again....you can put her under your shirt for body warmth...or wrap her up and put her on a human heating pad set on low with a few blankets between her and the heating pad. The key is to warm her up SLOWLY. Then you need to put a thermometer in her cage and monitor the temperature, it needs to be at least 72-72*F at all times and may need to be a bit higher depending on your hedgie. Its not to late but you need to do this now. The longer she tries to hibernate or the more times she tries the more dangerous it is for them. Even once you have the temperature fixed you will have to keep a close eye on her as she may be more prone to illness for the next while.

Once you have her through this you should start checking her every morning and night, just to make sure she wakes up and her tummy is warm...if its cold then she isn't warm enough and needs to be warmed up.


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## hedgiemom (Sep 23, 2009)

I just went out there and got her. She was on her wheel. We have moved everything over and set it up so that she will be close to the heater. Unfortuanatly there is only one in the house. She is currently cuddled up in my robe.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

The fact that she was wheeling is a good sign, but you need to find a way to control the temperature in her cage with either a space heater or a ceramic heat emitter, depending on what kind of cage she has. A thermometer is really important as to high of temperatures can be just as bad for them as low temps.


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## jopenguin (Jun 29, 2009)

If your house gets really cold, you should definitely get both the heat emitter and a programmable space heater. My mom and I like it cool so we turn the heat way down at night. This part of SC doesn't get THAT cold, but it can get cold so I knew the heat emitter wouldn't work. I got a nice programmable space heater for $42 at Wal Mart. I love it.


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