# New owner, a few questions...



## SalaamDementia (Feb 20, 2012)

I've spent weeks going research and learning all I can about hedgehogs. I felt like I had everything down - safe cages, toys, wheels, heating, food, general care - but now that the day to bring home my baby is tomorrow, I suddenly have a million worries. 

I've moved our cage about 10 times and my boyfriend is beginning to think I'm insane. But my worry is, the warmest & safest place in our house for his cage is in our living room. This is also where I can most easily set up a good 9-12 hours of light for him. But this is where we spend most of our time. Do hedgehogs need somewhere quiet to be during the day in order to sleep? I'm worried our general movement during the day would be disruptive to his sleeping pattern. 

Also, I'm wondering how hedgehogs interact with other animals. I have a Russian dwarf hamster, Munchie, who is about the sweetest little furball in the world. She comes out of her cage in the evening and gets free reign to run around on the couch and occasionally the floor - then finally come cuddle when she is tired. Should hedgie play time and hamster play time be kept separate? I can't imagine Munchie would take much interest in another animal, but unsure how a hedgehog may react to her.

Traveling - I have a little carrying cage and cuddle pouch for taking him out - but I'm wondering how long we should wait before going on even a short trip with him? I would really like him to get used to car rides and going places, but don't want to stress him out right after moving into a new home. My parents live about 20 minutes away from me and have never seen a hedgehog, so they're begging me to bring him for a visit next week - but I don't know if it would be too much too soon. 

Those are my questions for now... but I'm sure I'll have a million more once I get the little guy settled in. I haven't decided on a name, but I will be sure to post pictures! Thanks in advance for all your advice and help!


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## alyssinreality (Jan 18, 2012)

I'm no expert, I just got a hedgie like 3 weeks ago. But I do know that they need a quiet place to sleep during the day and him being around all the noise in the living room would probably bother him/stress him out. Are you gone at school all day? If so then it might not be too much of a problem, but the occasional days you're home might annoy him. :lol: I spend a lot of the weekend in my room doing homework and I try to be quiet but Diggory wakes up a lot when I move and I can tell he gets a little annoyed lol.

I think that bringing him home the first week would be too much, he will still be adjusting to his new home. I've read that it can take 2 or 3 weeks for them to fully feel comfortable in their new homes. But maybe someone else will have a more insightful opinion on that. 

Stick around, a lot more people will answer the thread, I promise.
Also, welcome to HHC!


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## Hillybean (Jun 10, 2010)

Hello,
what is the second warmest room in the house? Is it less noisey?

I think it would eventually get use to the noise, but it might take him longer to adjust, settle down. I am new to hedgie owning also.

I wouldn't let them play together. Both need separate play times. Most critters do not get along well. 

I also think I would wait before taking him for visits. 

Others with more experience will reply. Congrats on the new hedgie!


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

A quite area is best. 
I'm a little confused about your lighting though? Do you have a lamp on a timer? Or just sunlight? 
Sunlight doesn't work thats why I ask. And you have to make sure the light is shining in the cage (for the lamp).

Don't let the two play together. I wouldn't risk it. Hedgehogs are solitary animals and may even kill another hedgehog, I wouldn't put him near a little hamster. Plus it will be stressful for both of them.

I'd wait a few weeks. Long enough so that he feels safe with you and it won't be to stressful for him to be out around more new things. So probably 3-4 weeks?


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## SalaamDementia (Feb 20, 2012)

ShutUpAndSmile said:


> A quite area is best.
> I'm a little confused about your lighting though? Do you have a lamp on a timer? Or just sunlight?
> Sunlight doesn't work thats why I ask. And you have to make sure the light is shining in the cage (for the lamp).


We have a lamp set up on a timer as well, but I figured some natural sunlight added to the mix would do him well. The living room is the only place that sees much natural light. He'll probably end up in our bedroom then, my boyfriend works nights and just wasn't too thrilled about the hedgie light being on when he was sleeping during the day - but I think he'll just have to tough it out. 

Thank you for all your advice!


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Hedgehogs eat small rodents in the wild, so I would definitely keep them separate. Even if they "seem" to be getting along for a while, a fight could break out for no reason at all.

I wouldn't travel or upset his routine for a while. He needs that time to adjust to his new environment and bond with you. Even visitors who come over, I wouldn't bring him out for a few weeks.

You will never feel ready for your new one. But everyone here is so helpful with questions.  Best wishes with your new little one.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

I'm going to be the odd one about, about the trips thing, and say it depends on the hedgehog. We took Archimedes with us to a store within the first few days of bringing him home, and have been taking him places once or twice a week the whole time. He has a small clear plastic bin to ride in, which we put in the shopping cart with his hedgie bag or blanket; he has the option to burrow out of sight, but he very rarely does while we have him out with us. This is partially because we recognized his curious/adventurous personality, and partially because we wanted to expose him to different places, things, and people so he would be used to it - kind of like what you're supposed to do with a puppy. When we first visited the breeder, she told us that she has all different people handle the babies, not just herself (her husband, children/grandchildren, friends that come over, etc.) so they've gotten used to that sort of thing before they even come home. This is pretty much in line with puppy socialization, so we decided to go that route with Archimedes as well. He always is very interested in his new surroundings when he goes to stores or whatever with us, with no signs of it stressing him out and only occasional mild huffing when other people come up to us to ask about him (and most of that was when he was already insanely grumpy at the peak of his quilling). Now that he's at the very end of quilling and the grumpiness has completely disappeared, he's even better about it. Today he went with us to my boyfriend's work, where he was willing to be held by several different people, including one of my boyfriend's coworkers - he anointed with her ring and then fell asleep in her hand. He's never met this person before. He's about 12.5 weeks old right now, and he's had outings quite often since we got him at just over 6 weeks. I don't think he'd be nearly as relaxed about new people and new places if we'd waited a while before starting to introduce him to those things.

Obviously, not all hedgehogs are alike. What works for Archimedes isn't necessarily going to work for a different one, and I'm sure the personality has a lot to do with it. A hedgehog with a curious/adventurous 'explorer' personality will most likely do better with having these experiences early on, and a hedgehog with a more timid or shy personality might not. The point is that it's something that should be determined on an individual basis. As long as a new owner uses their best judgment and goes by what the hedgehog seems to be okay with, I see no reason why they should have to wait several weeks. If the hedgehog seems comfortable and confident enough for it right away, I'd say go for it; and similarly, if the hedgehog is especially shy and skittish, a few weeks might not be adequate. Also keep in mind that in almost all cases, socialization and new situations/experiences are very beneficial to a young animal.


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## SalaamDementia (Feb 20, 2012)

Thank you moxieberry! I think I'll wait it out and see how the little guy does when settling in for the first few days. If he seems stressed and unhappy, I'll give him some time to settle before we go on any adventures.


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## Guest (Feb 23, 2012)

just a suggestion if you want to sleep at night dont have your hedgie in your bedroom. i tryed but the wheel and her eating and just running around was enough to keep me up at night.


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## alyssinreality (Jan 18, 2012)

I'm a very light sleeper and Diggory in my room doesn't bother me at all. I have the flying saucer wheel and while I can hear it when I'm dozing off, once I fall asleep it's quiet enough to tune out. And either your hedgie is a loud eater or you are a VERY light sleeper  because I can't imagine that bothering me at all.


Then again, I've had hamsters and birds and am used to the odd noise here and there at night. It actually comforts me. I find myself straining to hear any movement from Diggory as I'm falling asleep/waking up. I just love it.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

For most people, the hedgehog noises are pretty easy to adjust to. The exception would be maybe an obnoxiously loud/squeaky wheel.


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## Tina. (Feb 15, 2012)

I enjoy having my hedgehog in my room, I can tell how much he is running on his wheel at night. I got used to the sound really quickly, and now I'm worried when I don't hear it.


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2012)

lol my wheel isnt noisey.Quillo is noisey. im not a light sleeper but she trys to rearrange her cage on a nightly basis, and squeeks and tipps her bowl around when she finishes her mealies or what ever other treat i put in the bowl. I may have to get use to it again though because with our new hedgie coming i have to quarentine her and they cant be in the same room.


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## SalaamDementia (Feb 20, 2012)

Thank you all for your advice, we've been having lots of fun with the new addition to the family. His name is Sonic, as my boyfriend and I are both video game nerds and felt there was no better name choice for a hedgehog. 

After a few days of worrying, trial and error and checking on him every 15 minutes - I'm happy with his cage setup. The woman we got him from gave us a large guinea pig cage with a solid bottom - he seems happy with it. I wasn't thrilled with his setup, it seemed he was missing some essentials.

- I added a timed light - it turns on at 7AM and off at 8PM. 
- Also added a CHE, which keeps his cage between 75 - 77 degrees. 
- Got rid of the Carefresh bedding and switched him to a fleece liner. 
- Added a water dish, plan on removing the water bottle once I'm confident he's used to the dish. 
- Removed a ramp & ledge type attachment in the cage, too afraid he would fall off it.
- Will be purchasing a wheel from Larry to replace the cheapo Petsmart one in the cage.

Though thankfully he was being fed being Blue Buffalo Mature cat food, so no struggles with having to change his food to something healthy. I'm hoping all the changes to his cage haven't stressed him out too much. Going from what the previous owner told us, he seems between 8 months and a year old.

My biggest concern is that he has been sleeping a lot, but I do see him get up and eat as well as drink each night. But he isn't at all interested in his wheel or any attempts at giving him toys (toy cars, toilet paper tubes). Each night we take him out, he seems to relax a bit - though he is very easily scared and very huffy. I hope with patience and time this will pass.

After giving him a bit of a foot bath tonight (which he seemed to totally love) he let me take a brief look at his feet. I now see why he isn't interested in his wheel - his little nails are terribly overgrown - to the point they're curling out to the side. His feet are apparently very tender, I spent over an hour trying to bribe him into letting me try and even get a few of the longer toes clipped, but he's having none of it. So, I'm look now looking for a vet to take him to, as these nails REALLY need clipped.

I'm thrilled to death with my little guy, I just worry about him so much. He likes to wander around the floor on his own and will cuddle to some extent. Slowly he is getting more comfortable with being held, but gets upset when you attempt to stroke his back. Right now he is just very huffy and quick to curl up if he gets too scared. I'm beginning to put the pieces together and think he's a bit agitated from lack of exercise and tender footsies.

So, enough rambling! Here are some pictures of the little cutie:


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

A vet might be a good idea if he needs his nails clipped immediately and isn't cooperating, but for the future it isn't too hard to do it yourself. You should try to touch and handle his feet often when you have him out with you so he can get used to it. They're also easier to clip right after a foot bath because they're softer then. I would recommend a cuticle clipper instead of standard nail clippers, because they give you more positions and angles and make it easier to see what you're doing. What works for me is to put Ares with his stomach against my hand/wrist so he can't curl up (although he doesn't try to anymore) and then try to catch a foot between my fingers - not in the fingertips, but more like fingers straight and close them around his leg, so it's poking out away from his body. In the beginning you'll have to be very patient and might have to only do a few at a time and then try again the next day, but eventually you'll figure out what works for him and get better at doing it quickly and easily.

The cage sounds great, except that it sounds like it has wire sides and a non-wire flat bottom. In that kind of cage, you'll need to add solid walls part of the way up. Hedgehogs often will climb the bars of their cage, if they can, and while they're good at going up, they're not so good at going down. Basically coming down means falling, and falls can do some real damage. The best option for adding walls over wire cages is to use coroplast and zipties. 8" is generally considered the minimum height of flat wall to keep them from climbing. If the cage has a few inches of flat wall above the floor (which is how mine is), you just need to add however much more is needed to bring the entire height to 8+ inches.


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## SalaamDementia (Feb 20, 2012)

Thank you for the nail trimming tips, I'm so terrified of catching his quick. As of right now he only tolerates his feet being touched a few seconds at a time, then balls up. It gave me enough time to see the immediate concern to get his nails clipped, but as wriggly as he is - I feel like I'd hurt him if trying to do it myself or even with my boyfriend holding him for me. He will be going to the vet ASAP, I sent out a few emails tonight - trying to find a vet I can trust handling my little boy.

I hadn't considered that about his cage. The bottom is flat, it has about a 2 inch side. I will see about taking a picture of it to see if there are any other improvements that I should make. I haven't seen any climbing attempts, but he also hasn't been terribly active in his cage. I will see about adding more of a side to keep him from climbing upwards. I'm so terribly paranoid about him getting hurt.


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## SalaamDementia (Feb 20, 2012)

Tina. said:


> I enjoy having my hedgehog in my room, I can tell how much he is running on his wheel at night. I got used to the sound really quickly, and now I'm worried when I don't hear it.


I would have to agree. We set up Sonic in our bedroom and even though he isn't terribly active - he hasn't kept us awake at night. We also have our hamster, Munchie on the opposite side of the room and she makes more noise at night than the hedgie does. The whirring of the wheel, digging and munching of foodz at night is kind of a nice white noise to go to sleep to. :lol:


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

SalaamDementia said:


> Thank you for the nail trimming tips, I'm so terrified of catching his quick. As of right now he only tolerates his feet being touched a few seconds at a time, then balls up. It gave me enough time to see the immediate concern to get his nails clipped, but as wriggly as he is - I feel like I'd hurt him if trying to do it myself or even with my boyfriend holding him for me. He will be going to the vet ASAP, I sent out a few emails tonight - trying to find a vet I can trust handling my little boy.
> 
> I hadn't considered that about his cage. The bottom is flat, it has about a 2 inch side. I will see about taking a picture of it to see if there are any other improvements that I should make. I haven't seen any climbing attempts, but he also hasn't been terribly active in his cage. I will see about adding more of a side to keep him from climbing upwards. I'm so terribly paranoid about him getting hurt.


Don't be too worried about the quick - everyone does it at some point. I promise, it's a much bigger deal for us the hedgie-parents than it is for them. If you accidentally nick the quick, it's a quick little 'ow' moment for them and them possibly a little blood; you can help stop the bleeding by dipping the foot in a little bit of flour or cornstarch. It's great that you have a boyfriend to help - it would definitely work best if one of you holds him and gets hold of his foot, and the other does the actual clipping. While you're trying to find a vet to do it, it can't hurt to make a few attempts yourself as well. You have to start sometime, so it might as well be now, haha. Also, similar to just handling him in general, when you try to clip his nails try not to be too nervous about it. Act calm and confident, even if you don't feel that way, because hedgehogs can easily sense our nervousness and it makes them nervous too - and therefore, more squirmy.


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## SalaamDementia (Feb 20, 2012)

I return with another question!  

Sonic seems to be doing wonderfully, he even was interested in playing with a stuffed bear and one of my boyfriend's socks last night. I was thrilled when he crawled into my hands rather than huffing at me when I went to take him out of his cage. 

Still no luck with trimming his nails, after some playtime and cuddles, we gave it a go but he turned into an angry ball of huff and quills as soon as we touched his toes. We're going to keep trying - but he'll be going to the vet next week and have them trimmed there if all else fails. 

But the question - he came to me with Carefresh bedding in his cage. I've read up quite a bit on it and see it can cause respitory problems, get stuck in his penile shaft, etc. I use Carefresh in my hamster's rather large cage, so I'm well versed with the mess and having to vaccum about every day to clean up. Sonic just doesn't seem to like his liner much at all - I gave him some fleece scraps to dig in, but he has actually decided to push up all the fleece and liner from one corner, under his igloo and he sleeps there. I keep moving it back, as I worry about him getting a chill by sleeping on the plastic bottom of his cage. 

Should I switch him back to the Carefresh? Is it really that terrible for him? I have a huge bag of the natural stuff for my hamster that I could put in Sonic's cage. I just want him to be comfy and happy and he seems to hate the change I made to fleece. :? 

Thanks again for all the support and advice. I would be insanely lost without this forum!


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

There are ways to try to prevent liner-diving, like velcro and weighing down the corners, but some hedgehogs just like it, or for some of them it's a phase. Do you have a hedgie bag in the cage? Those seem to be great places for them to sleep and feel like they're completely covered, which is often why they like to go under the liner. Even if he continues to do it, it's not dangerous. Liners are definitely the best option in a lot of ways.


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