# new here



## Catters (Jul 25, 2012)

Hey guys,

I'm new here, and proud owner of Pancake since last Friday night. Thank you for providing me with ample information before I bought her! With reading websites and forums for 4 days, I knew more about hedgies than the owners of the pet store where she's from.
I don't know how old she is, how can I tell?
She seems to be enjoying her time here and her wounds are healing quickly (they had her in one enclosure with two males, who repeatedly bit her just above her hind legs; not a pretty sight). Because she's been in one place with two males and she might well be over 8 weeks, I wonder if she might be pregnant! Can't see any nipples popping out of the fur though.
Your knowledge and advice is greatly appreciated!

thanks, Catters


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Welcome to the site! Glad to have you and Pancake here - and I love her name!! 

Age is pretty difficult to tell unless the hedgehog is still around quilling age, which happens around 6, 9, and 12 weeks. Some hedgehogs go through another one around 6 months or 1 year as well. Could you ask the pet store how long they had her there? That might help give you a guesstimate of her age, since most stores would get babies from breeders, around 6-8 weeks old. 

If she was kept with males, there's definitely a chance she could be pregnant. She should be on pregnancy watch for 50 days since the last time she was with the males to be 100% certain she's not. What kind of cage set up do you have for her, and what kind of bedding? Do you have her cage in a room where you could keep the activity and noise to an absolute minimum if she gives birth? I would suggest reading through the breeding & babies forum for information, just in case you find yourself with surprise babies. You can always ask any questions you have too, if you can't find the answer through searching. We have several very experienced breeders on here that can help.

I'm very glad you brought her home - babies wouldn't stand a single chance in a pet store, especially with the males in the same cage. Pancake sounds like she'll be so much better off with you.


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## Catters (Jul 25, 2012)

Hey, thanks for your reply!
I think the name really suits her; she's got floppy ears and the cutest nose. She's the most adorable, adventurous and intelligent little hedgehog; I potty trained her in 2 days!

here she is on her first night at my place!









she's got recycled paper pellets for bedding with torn up yellow pages; completely dust free!
She's also got a t-shirt and wash cloths to sleep under, a hollow tree with holes on two side, a willow stem bridge to climb on top of her ' castle', a water bowl that can't be tipped over, and a flying saucer.
I feed her worms as treats and high protein low fat dry kitten food as a regular.
She's got a fenced habitat with another dark house for during the day, with old towels and yellow pages as bedding.
She doesn't really seem to like the beach balls I bought her, though! But she's in love with the toilet roll tunnel I made her and with the flying saucer.

Her wounds are healing quickly, however she seems to be itching a lot. she scratches for about a minute or two after waking up. Could well be mites, but I think it could also be her healing wounds that she luckily cannot reach when scratching with her hind legs. Advice on this? Should I give her an oat bath?

She's not quilling at the moment, so I would not know as of yet how old she is, but I'll contact the pet store for info on the breeder. If she's pregnant, I do want to know her pedigree!

Her 'cage' is a glass one, which keeps out a lot of noise. I'm in another room myself, and when she's active I'm mostly asleep, so that should be alright. Otherwise I could always move her to a quieter room.

Will read the babies forum, thanks for the tip!


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## PinkHedgehog (Oct 16, 2012)

I read "New here" and thought, join the club.


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