# overprotective? (quilling, scratching, hissing...)



## Lucinka3251 (Jun 2, 2012)

Well first of all - sorry for my english I´m from Slovakia so.. :? 
Hi, I got my hedgie on April 13th, he was born on February 23rd, so he is now 3 months old, and he is called Bony (short for Bonifác). I got him from breeder and I must say, he is a very good one, wants to make sure, that he is in a good family etc, but he is kinda annoyed that I call him every time I think stg is wrong  so I had to find another way to ask someone and I found this!!! YAY!!!
Here is the "problem"..This is my first ever pet (mammal, I have a gold fish but..c´mon..  ) and I don´t know if I´m overprotective or if there is stg wrong with Bony..When I got him, I left him alone for a day or so with my "smelly" T-shirt and then I tried to pick him up and he was hissing which I learned later is normal..But after few weeks it hasn´t change, so I thought I give him more time, but it´s been quite long since and he still just curls up in a ball and doesn´t want to be with me at all and sometimes he even "roars"? But please don´t tel me the T-shirt trick I tried - didn´t help..  
Another problem is the quill loss..Now I got him when he was 7 weeks old, I found 2 - 3 quills now or then and then I also noticed he is scratching a lot..I went to see the vet just for regular check up if he is allright, I asked my vet about it and the problem is, that in Slovakia there is very few hedgehog owners so vets don´t have the experience and till now I didn´t even know that stg as quilling exists..  So vet just told me it is normal and he checked Bony if he doesn´t have lice, mites or any internal parasites and he is totally healthy..So I came home and after another two weeks the quilling was more intense, I found like 7 to 12 quills around when he was out of the cage so I want to ask if 14 weeks to 3 months isn´t too old for quilling? And If the grumpyness may refer to quilling?
I travel with him sometimes, because I go to collage so there I have him in a cage and at home I have a plastic box for him and it doesn´t matter where, he tries to climb and run away so I tend to be upset he doesn´t like me.. :lol: I was worried he will stuck in the cage, but I put a piece of cardboard there but he still does that and I was wondering if the fact that he can´t see outside may tempt him to want to run away?
And finally last thing is - can hedgies have nightmares? I found Bony recently hissing and roaring while sleeping and once he even "squeaked"?! Is it possible? Or can I do stg to make him more comfortable and less stressed out so he doesn´t hiss and be all grumpy while being around me or sleeping?
If you are so kind and read all of this, please, respond and help me, I´m new at this and I need to make sure I do everything right..Thanks a lot..


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

I’m from Slovakia, originally  Moved to Canada 15 years ago. 

I think a good breeder wouldn’t mind you asking when something is wrong. If I were a breeder, I would want to help and make sure the hedgehogs were being well cared for. But…

It is normal for him to be in a ball. Some hedgehogs take months or years to socialize. Sometimes they can never be socialized and remain a grump. Keep holding him! Put him on your lap, covered in fleece, during the day while you are on the computer or watching TV (quietly). This will help him get use to you. Also, hold him until he unballs. Don’t put him back in his cage if he hisses or jumps/pops. He will learn this behaviour means you will leave him alone. 

Hedgehogs are solitary animals, so he won’t crave your attention. 

Look at his skin. Is there new quills coming through his skin? Or are there no new quills poking through. If there are no new quills coming through, he probably has mites. You could use Kitten Revolution as a preventative method, just in case. Most hedgehogs have a quilling around 12 weeks. He could be going through his a little late 

Quilling does make a hedgehog grumpy. It’s like a baby getting teeth, it hurts. 

Does he have a wheel to run on? Hedgehogs need to have a wheel or they get bored. 

Make sure his cages are big enough. They need to be a minimum of 4 square feet. Do you have air holes in the plastic bin? 

Do you have a heat and light setup?
Hedgehogs need their cage to be kept at 73-78° F (23-25° C) all the time. They also need a light setup. So a light needs to be turned on by their cage 12-14 hours a day, the same time everyday. 

Hedgehogs are nocturnal. So he will sleep all day and be awake when it’s dark. Try holding him in the dark


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## abzx10r (Apr 18, 2012)

^^^Just what he said, it takes a lot of handling! If anything pick him up only when hes most active aka "at night" for the time being.

My Pebbles throws a fit during the day when I play or wake her up...She calms down over time but its night to day literally. But yes, make sure you have a light,heat source and the temp right


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## Lucinka3251 (Jun 2, 2012)

Thank you.. Well the cage is big enough but I didn´t put the wheel there yet (breeder said that he shouldn´t have it till he is 5/6 months old because his spine isn´t fully developed yet and vet confirmed it..), just for trying, 2 or 3 times, he didn´t do much with it..But I´ll put it there permanently si he gets used to it..I live in an apartment and we always have around 73 - 75 temperature so I don´t have heating set up and breeder said it´s ok..


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Honestly, your breeder is dumb/wrong...

Hedgehogs can use their wheels as soon as you get them. The wheel needs to be 12" or more in diameter. So make sure your wheel is that size. Also, make sure your wheel is completely solid. No wires, no bars, no mesh. If you can afford it, I would buy either the:
Carolina Storm Wheel: $73 USD ($30 Wheel, $43 Shipping)
OR
Carolina Storm Bucket Wheel: $68 USD ($25 Wheel, $43 Shipping)
http://www.carolinastormhedgehogs.com/index.html

Or you could make your own, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEOCpmOI ... plpp_video

You should have a heat setup... 73 is the low end, most people aim for 75. At night the temperature normally drops, because you are sleeping and your house doesn't have to be as warm.

What are you feeding him?
What bedding are you using?


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2012)

I' don't agree wih it however in the uk it is common practice to not give wheels until a hedgehog is 3 months old. There are many reputable and good breeders there who follow this 

5-6 months is a little out there however I don't believe you should be calling out a breeder for neon dumb when you don't have personal experience with that person.


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## Lucinka3251 (Jun 2, 2012)

Well I don´t think he was wrong, because my vet also said that but.. :? I use shavings, hypoallergenic, I now some of you say it isn´t a good thing but I think that there is nothing wrong using that and also other people I talked to use them so I think it is fine..Well during night he is in other room where there is a temp around 23 - 25 C..


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

The vet doesn't know what he is talking about... Honestly. Everyone here lets there hedgehog have their wheel immediately. There are A LOT of vets who don't know anything about hedgehogs, unfortunately. But the often pretend they do know about them. Just because a vet says something, does not mean it's true. Many animals (including hedgehogs) have died from vets being wrong. I came across a vet who recommended a tea tree oil ointment for a leg sore! Tea Tree Oil is very, very, toxic to hedgehogs. Then when I told him that, he recommended Ivermectin, which is also known to cause death. Needless to say, I found a new vet. 

Shavings aren't always hypoallergenic, even when they say they are. Sometimes they are processed with other non-hypoallergenic shavings. 

Reasons not to use shavings:
-Harbors mites
-Messy
-Sharp
-Expensive
-Dusty
-Allergies
-Respiratory infections

A lot of people use shavings because they don't know any better. 99% of people on this forum will tell you not to use beddings, to use fleece.

Do you have a thermometer in the cage? You need to know what the temperature is inside the cage. You also don't want the temperature to fluctuate. It should be at 75 constantly, not going up and down.


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2012)

Shavings as long as they are pine or aspen( aspen is better ) and not cedar are okay they are just nOt the best choice. But there are still many people who do use them. If you dobwish to keep using shavings. You can try and eliminate he risk of mites by storing the shavings in your freezer for a week before using them. But almost anything from a pet store can actually carry mites if they have a way to get in you just need to be more viliant in watching for potential problems. 

As to the original post. If the quills still have the ball on the end it's most likely not mites.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Lilyhogs said:


> As to the original post. If the quills still have the ball on the end it's most likely not mites.


I am in no way being argumentative, but I have read several times in the past few months that the ball being on the end basically means nothing. When I first joined HHC, I read that all the time, but I *think* it was Nancy that said the ball can be there even when there are mites present (although it may have been LizardGirl). 

To address some of the OPs other questions, it is thought that hedgehogs do dream. People talk about their hedgies twitching and making squeaking/chirping noises in their sleep. 

14 weeks - 3 months old is definitely not too late for quilling. The 6, 9 and 12 weeks guidelines are just that - guidelines. My hog quilled for more than a month straight after I brought her home, and was a regular quill dropper up until about 2 months ago (she's over a year old now). I have also read about people's hedgies quilling around the 1 year mark. :shock: I hope my Milly never quills again, because she was a total brat when she was quilling :lol:


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Lilyhogs said:


> Shavings as long as they are pine or aspen( aspen is better ) and not cedar are okay they are just not the best choice.


If they are pine, they have to be kiln-dried.


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## kailey lane (Apr 7, 2012)

the bonding can take a very long time,im still working with prinkles.the best thing to do as others have said, is just to hold him alot.even if hes sleeping in your lap,hes still bonding with you when im watching tv or reading i put my girl i my lap and she starting to open up

and i would for sure get a wheel.my girl goes nuts when she doesnt have hers and she was running on it every day since she was 7weeks old,in my opinion it is her favorite thing to do.i am still kinda new to hedgie so hopefully more people will chime in.


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