# Panini's not warming up...



## DunpealChild (Sep 8, 2011)

*sighs*

It's been an exact month, and I'm really frustrated with how small the improvement has been since I rescued him. 

small backstory- Panini's is give or take a few months away from a year old and I got him from a rescue a month ago. He was mild mannered at first (besides the initial huffing and puffing that comes with meeting eachother.) but he seems to be only getting worse..

I pick him up from his cage and he doesnt do much- then he wriggles any way he can to get out of my hands huffing and puffing uncontrollably and when I pick him up in a ball, he wriggles violently biting at whatever he can...

I don't know what else to do. I take him out every day, I've been feeding him mealworms when he actually DOES do something well... But that's it. I also heard that we should feed them something supplementary? I've been feeding him dry cat food, but I don't know what else to feed him. Suggestions? Would it help improve his mood? 

Help me.


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

do you have a smell on your hands? (soap / cooking / anything?)


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

How is he when you aren't holding him. When you have him out, does he run around and explore. If so, he is possibly one of those hedgehogs who wants nothing to do with being held or touched.


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## DunpealChild (Sep 8, 2011)

Hissy-Fit-Hazel said:


> do you have a smell on your hands? (soap / cooking / anything?)


Sometimes, perhaps. But most of the time I do try to wash my hands- and even on those days, he's really bity and wriggly. :/



Nancy said:


> How is he when you aren't holding him. When you have him out, does he run around and explore. If so, he is possibly one of those hedgehogs who wants nothing to do with being held or touched.


When he's with me and I let him roam, he hides in pillows or cushions and blankets. He is an explorer, but once he finds somewhere large and cushiony, he just curls up in it.

Oh- and it's probably worth mentioning that he tried to hibernate a week ago. I try not to handle him until he wakes up, eats and poops, but one time I noticed that he hadn't come out to eat all night, and when I went to check him out, he was cold and his responses weren't the usual huffing and puffing and he seemed really lethargic. When I picked him up he was really cold and could barely raise his head, so I put him against my body for a good 30 minutes before he went back to being himself again- so crisis averted. Ever since then I've been making sure he's ok by rubbing the bottom of the cage to wake him up when the sun goes down just to see if he spikes. Maybe this is aggrivating him? :/ I know you're a wealth of knowledge, Nancy- what's your take?


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## Guest (Oct 10, 2011)

Try waking your hedgehog up and bonding during the day for an hour, most people do this, they are usually going to fall asleep quicker.

It might be you are interrupting your hedgehogs routine, at night its their time so that might be a factor to think about


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## DunpealChild (Sep 8, 2011)

TWCOGAR said:


> Try waking your hedgehog up and bonding during the day for an hour, most people do this, they are usually going to fall asleep quicker.
> 
> It might be you are interrupting your hedgehogs routine, at night its their time so that might be a factor to think about


I thought that waking them up was an even bigger upset? That they'd get even more frustrated that they couldn't sleep?

And does him sleeping in my lap mean that we're bonding? Does it make it easier for him to know I'm unthreatening?


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

TWCOGAR won't be able to answer this because it appears that he left the forum unfortunately. :evil: 

It's ok to take them out when you want...they will get used to a routine if this is what you normally do. I take mine out during the day sometimes and she just snoozes in her snuggle bag on my lap. It doesn't have to be anything exciting  Other times it's for a bath / nail trim. Yes they can be less tolerant during the day but hey they get over it. Mine stresses more over me changing my hair shampoo then daytime distruptions hahaha. Most people stick to an evening routine as that is when they wake and are more tolerant.


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

It is okay to let him sleep in your lap. This will help the bonding and help him get used to your scent, movements, and sounds, but I would only try to do it for an hour or so during the day (if this is when you want to do it) as it does disturb their deep alone sleep in their cage that they need. Night time is a great time for this also after they play and are tired out.


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## PetOwner (Oct 29, 2011)

Is Panini's cage warm enough? Our Fuzzy isn't very friendly, but her temperature has never been cold. We keep a heating pad, set on the lowest level, under her cage.


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