# New hedgie - scared but warming up a lot! a few questions?



## ChelseaGrace (Dec 6, 2013)

Hi all -- I'm Chelsea! First time hedgie owner and brand new to this site. Let me give you some background info. I got Ralphie a week ago. He is 1 1/2 years old. As he's warmed up to me a lot, and I've been working with him every day to bring him out of his shell - he's still very timid. I know this is normal, but does anyone have some tips to ease the process a little bit? 

When I go to pick him up, I say "Ralphie Ralph, I'm going to pick you up now." And I do. He balls up a little (doesn't pop and hiss like he did at first but still balls up) and then calms down when he's in my arms, burrows in my armpit, and takes a nap. Lol. Usually anyway, sometimes he fights to get down and just wants to explore.

Today though, he's been asleep/balled up a lot. I don't like it.  Should I be worried or is this normal?

Also, a cute little story really quick. Ralphie stays in the spare bedroom (in his cage and we let him roam a few hours every evening) -- the bedroom leads into the bathroom. He was roaming, and I left the room for a few minutes to love on my doggies (they're jealous, hehe) and came back... couldn't find him anywhere! Well.. I searched and searched. 
I thought "maybe he's in the bathroom.. there's no way, though.. how would he get in there?"

He did! Lol. I don't know how he did it, but he did. He was curled up in a ball on my bathroom floor.. pretty much scared half to death. I said "Ralphie, what in the world are you doing?" and as soon as he heard my voice, he uncurled and ran onto my feet, sprawled out to take a nap.  Of course I had to pick him up because I didn't really want to stand there all night. :lol: I put him back in his cage and he slept awhile -- now he's running on his wheel.

So, that being said, I know he loves me! But I'm just curious if there are any ways to calm him down? Like, when I go to pick him up, for him to not roll up into a ball?

Thanks in advance and hello to you all!

-Chelsea Grace


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## Brittany (Sep 15, 2013)

First of, HE IS ADORABLE! His face is so cute, looks like my guy only lighter colored. 

Secondly, he might always ball up a little when you go to pick him up, but he might not. Each hedgie is different. My guy knows me by scent, so when I stick my hand in there he puffs up a little and then when i let him sniff me he un-grumps and lets me pick him up LOL. 

It really seems like you are doing everything quite well as far as getting him to know you and get comfortable. The best you can do is pick him up each day so he gets to know your scent and get used to being handled. You can also put a worn t-shirt or something in his cage to get your scent. 

As far as him being sleepy today, I wouldnt worry too much as he is in a new environment and sometimes they act weird and with all the new stimulation may have gotten tired out. Do you have a heating system for him? Make sure its not too hot or cold in his cage. You can also check on him occasionally to make sure everything is okay, if he comes out to run on his wheel at night, hes likely fine. Hedgies are nocturnal, so sleeping a lot during the day is normal. My guy literally sleeps all day. 

Have fun being a new hedgie mom!


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## ChelseaGrace (Dec 6, 2013)

Thank you so much for your response. :smile:
Yes, he has a space heater by his cage. It kicks off when it gets the right temperature, so I know he's not too cold. Haha.

I love him so much! We've bonded pretty well given the circumstances and I'm so happy I got him. I gave him a bath yesterday evening and he LOVED it. I'll post a picture here. :smile:
As far as him being nocturnal, I am nocturnal as well so he has been the perfect pet for me.

I appreciate your response & thanks for your advice!! Your hedgie is absolutely adorable as well. :smile:


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## Brittany (Sep 15, 2013)

Lucky!!! I gave Quilliam a bath today as well and he was SUPER grumpy as usual. He is hardly ever grumpy, but after the bath I call him a "Grumpasaurus-Rex" because he becomes super angry and hisses at every movement. Glad Ralphie likes it though, makes things so much easier!


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## ChelseaGrace (Dec 6, 2013)

Aww! Haha. I was afraid he wouldn't like the bath, but I had to give him one, then cleaned out his cage. I picked him up and put him in there -- he loved it!  Just wondered around and splashed. It was pretty cute. Hehe.

What do you feed Quilliam? (I LOVE that name by the way)
The girl who I got Ralphie from had him on hedgehog food but he seemed to really hate it... so I switched him to the catfood my cats eat. He likes it much better!

I'm looking into getting him a friend soon.


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## Brittany (Sep 15, 2013)

My guy is on the Wellness cat food with still a little of the old food that came with him from the breeder (which i'm not sure exactly what it was - and im in the process of removing it completely from his diet). He doesn't like the old food, however, and picks out the wellness to eat first. Some people had problems with loose stool on wellness, but he is fine. My cat eats it too, the primary reason I chose that one. 

I'm not an expert, but if you want to get another hedgie, do not get a girl or they will mate. They are relatively solitary animals and some males will fight. If you decide to get another, they would probably have to be kept in seperate cages, and maybe let them play together under supervision to make sure no fights. You can probably find more info on here if you do end up wanting another, since I'm not super informed on the subject.


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## ChelseaGrace (Dec 6, 2013)

Oh yeah -- they'll definitely have separate cages! 
I'm going to get a female, so I cannot have them mating all the time. Hehe.
That being said, though, I did hear that they want to mate at least once in their lifetime or will become depressed when they're older which can make them mean. That's why I'm thinking about a new addition.


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## Brittany (Sep 15, 2013)

I dont think they get depressed from not mating. Ive never seen that to be a problem, and the males usually have "boy time" which seems to suffice haha. If you get a female and put them together, prepare for babies. It would be of the utmost importance to look into how to prepare for that, as it can be a lot of work. Do you have any background information on your guy? Because you wouldnt want to pass on any bad genetic traits. Just make sure to do your homework before getting a female and putting them together. Might want to look at this: http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...lp/17659-so-you-want-breed-your-hedgehog.html


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Not sure where you heard that, but in my opinion it's completely false. It sounds like people just projecting onto animals - they don't need to mate to be happy & it won't bother them at all to not mate. Mating generally seems to be pretty uncomfortable for females, and pregnancy and birth can both be dangerous for them. Males generally masturbate, so they can take care of themselves anyway. :lol: Breeding hedgehogs (or any animal) isn't something to be taken lightly, and on the forum, we do our best to encourage only responsible, thoughtful breeding which includes having pedigreed hedgehogs (so you can check lineages for genetic issues like WHS) and doing plenty of research and preparation before considering breeding.  

All of that said, it definitely doesn't hurt to get a second hedgehog, just make sure you're doing so for you, not because you think they'll need to mate or want a friend. If you do go ahead and get a female, make sure you never have them out together (even for a minute - they can mate very quickly), and make sure cages are escape-proof.


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## ChelseaGrace (Dec 6, 2013)

Thank you guys! I've definitely done my homework.
I've studied hedgehogs in the past few days more than possibly anything! Haha.

I want one for me, too. I just want another one because 1.) I love Ralphie! and 2.) I want to raise one from the time it's a baby. He was 1 1/2 years when I got him.

But yeah, he is pedigreed, up to date on shots, etc. He came from a good place. 
I may want to breed one day -- but not for awhile! And only once.

Thank you all for your responses. My little guy is doing super well today. He's not wanted to leave my side (which I did not expect to happen at all!)


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## JulieAnne (Sep 3, 2012)

For bonding... I've recently started putting my hedgehogs in the hood of my hoodie (not together, of course) and carrying them like that. I put my hoodie on backwards, so the hood is in the front, and stick them in. Some people also put them in the front pocket of their hoodie which works well too .

As for food... hedgehog food is not good for them. It has very poor ingredients. This link:http://www.volcanoviewhedgehogs.com/hedgehog-care.html has a lot of great information, including what to look for in a good quality cat food.

Hedgehogs are solitary creatures. They don't need a "buddy", and most of the time don't want one.

I would suggest reading the hedgehog bible: http://www.westcoasthedgehogs.com/files/hedgehogbook/index.html

Also... up to date on shots? Hedgehogs don't require shots so I'm not sure what you mean.


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## ChelseaGrace (Dec 6, 2013)

Thanks! I've been doing all of that as well.
I've got him on the same cat food I give my pets & he likes it infinitely better.

He did have shots, his previous owner got them for him & said he would be good for 6 months -- also gave me his vet's information and what not but I will be taking him to my vet (the one my dogs and cats visit)


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## ChelseaGrace (Dec 6, 2013)

I will read the links you provided & thank you!
He's bonded very well with me, but not my roommates.. not sure why. Lol.
That's odd if they do not require shots, as the girl who I got him from told me that he had come with them and she had been keeping him up-to-date. 

What I've been doing for bonding - getting him from his cage every evening around 6:30, and playing with him for a couple of hours. Then when he gets tired again, I put him back into his cage and get him out again around 11:00 (when he wakes up) and after I've fed him, and given him fresh water. 

Then he's ready to play. He's been liking a toilet paper roll & a little rattling ball. After about an hour of playing out of his cage or so, sometimes longer, he crawls on my arm and goes to sleep. I'll watch TV for awhile, or read or something (whatever I'm doing) while he sleeps, then put him back into his cage. The fact that he is nocturnal works out extremely well, as I am too, and he seems to enjoy my company.

Now, when my roommates come around while he and I are playing, he balls up and hisses until I pick him up. I wish he would bond with them, too, but I'm happy he loves me.


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## ChelseaGrace (Dec 6, 2013)

He has an appointment with the vet on the 14th, so I will see what she has to say. 

As for getting him a buddy, I've decided on getting another in January from a breeder upstate, but I will not keep them together (of course) and I believe I will be getting another little boy. 

Thank you all for your help & responses.


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## JulieAnne (Sep 3, 2012)

Like I said, hedgehogs don't need/get shots so I would recommend you not do that anymore. What shots did they give him?

For bonding-- you don't have to wait until he wakes up. I am about to get one of my girls out and let her sleep with me while I'm on the computer. Snuggle time during the day is a great way to bond.

Keep in my mind that hedgehogs, especially males, do not like other hedgehogs, so don't even let them "play" together. It would probably just turn into a blood bath anyway. Not saying don't get two hedgehogs... just saying keep them separate at all times. Reputable breeders won't allow you to have a different sex hedgehog than what you already have anyways.


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