# I just got my first hedgehog, I have questions!



## remihich (Jun 18, 2013)

I recently brought my new hedgehog, Jeremy home. I have a house set up for him and the like, but I was wondering what a good way to bond with him is. He's getting better, he'll uncurl in my hand but it takes bit to get him out of his house at all. He also, for some reason, has been biting my boyfriend. He hasn't bitten me and my boyfriend hasn't done anything (we think) to make him bite. Do you have any suggestions? He's about 5 months old, by the way. 

Oh, and right now I'm feeding him some wet cat Friskies beef shreds, which he loves, but his stool is soft and REALLY smelly, I've read it's because his diet changed, how long before I see a change?
Thanks so much!


----------



## MaeLily (May 17, 2013)

I don't even have my first hedgie yet (waiting to hear from the breeder for pickup!), but I've done a lot of research the past six months and know a ton of ways for bonding! 

First, perhaps to get him out of his house a little easier over time, put a t-shirt you've worn to bed for a few nights into whatever he enjoys sleeping in. That way when you do go to pick him up, he's not as reluctant because he'll recognize the scent of you from the shirt he's been snuggling in. In the long run, it'll just get him to trust and bond to you in any situation. You could even just scoop him up in the t-shirt at first.

Of course playing with him for 30 minutes to an hour a day is recommended, even if he's grumpy. Whether he's just sitting in your lap sleeping while you read or watch TV (or some sort of sitting task lol) or he's more so the wandering and exploring hedgie, it's still bonding time. Some hedgie parents enjoy letting them run around in a hedgie proof room or section of room (or in a playpen) while they sit in the middle and allow the hedgie to approach them in their own time. During this time, if he's up and about and not asleep, give him some treats to show him he won't be harmed while he's out of his cage. 

Talking to him will also help; especially if you speak to him, letting him know you're going to pick him up, before you take him out of his cage. Eventually he'll realize this is a normal thing and can know what's coming, and eventually recognize your voice.

As for the biting, make sure your boyfriend doesn't smell yummy to the hedige! I have been told they normally bite because something smells tasty or they're extremely afraid. Hopefully someone else will chime in with the biting. There's also other posts around here about hedgies biting.

And for the food part, I honestly have no insight on this one. Poop changes with diet changes I have heard can last up to a week, but I have also heard that poop can change depending on what type of food is being offered. Hopefully someone else will chime in on this subject too. lol

Just don't forget to have patience. Keep up with the bonding techniques and don't give up if it takes a little while! All hedgie's warm up in their own time.


----------



## Alyybear (Nov 8, 2012)

Does he lick a lot before biting? Because, like mentioned, if you taste good (and wierd things are good to hedgies) they will get a little too excited and go from licking to biting. My Nimitz is obsessed with my hand sanitizer for some reason, and will lick, and then bite, and then annoint X_X


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

For the food, is that the only thing you're feeding him? What was he being fed before you got him, do you know or can you find out? He really shouldn't be getting Friskies - for one thing, Friskies isn't a great brand at all, and beef foods tend to be high in fat (as do wet cat food). I would put him on a dry diet, unless there's some reason he needs soft food (such as missing teeth). I'd also suggest looking for a higher quality brand. Some of the popular ones on the forum are Blue Buffalo, Innova, Natural Balance, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, and Solid Gold. There's many other good brands though - the main things you want to look for are protein percentage around 28-35%, fat content 10-15% (unless he's a runner - he may need higher fat then, but most hedgehogs don't), and for ingredients, you don't want any corn, you want a meat or meat meal for the first ingredient, and no BHA, BHT, or Ethoxyquin. 

The poop is likely from a sudden diet change, in addition to all of the other changes he's going through in his environment. You'll probably see messier poops until his diet is stable, but you can try giving him probiotics to help his system deal with the changes - either small mammal Benebac (found in petstores), or acidophilus (found in human pharmacies, near the vitamins). Just a pinch of powder on top of his food is good and may help.


----------



## remihich (Jun 18, 2013)

Thanks for the info guys! I'll switch his food, is there a brand you recommend?


----------



## Owner of luna hedgehog (Oct 8, 2016)

Green poop is the most obvious sign that your hedgehog is stressed. This result is from food going through the hedgehog too fast and you are seeing green bile.


----------



## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

This thread is three years old. Please check the date on a thread before replying to it. The OP isn't even active anymore.


----------

