# A Very Shy Hedgie



## linda9 (Nov 26, 2010)

Hello Everyone,

I recently got a 1.5 year old albino male hedgehog. The previous owner simply did not have any time for him. From what I can observe, this hedgehog had little to no contact with humans. During the first week, I tried to leave it alone in his cage, only feeding and changing his water. He use to huff and spike up and "jumps" everytime I came near his cage. On the fourth or fifth day, I took him out of the cage. I made sure I showed no fear, I was quite confident and just scooped him up on both sides with both of my hands. He seemed okay, and quickly peeked out of his ball. Since then, I've occasionally taken him out. However, I've noticed that he seems VERY stressed when he's out of his cage. The first time he was on me put pooped and peed a lot. Now he doesn't poop as much, however he's still constantly trying to run away from me. I'm just not sure if I should keep trying to hold him or if I should simiply let him out of his cage and walk around on his own. I'm scared of over stressing him, but at the same time I don't want to him to huff at me every time I go close to him. 

On a second note, I bought him a giant comfort wheel a week after he got to my house. He doesn't seem very interested, and the two times that I put him on it he simply pooped and peed and tried to get out. I'm very worried that he's not getting enough exercise since he spends most of his day hiding under his blanket. So I try to take him out so he can walk around, but he has a habit of licking the floor, which was recently cleaned with chemicals. I'm not sure how to get him interested in the wheel. I've heard hedgehogs love the wheels, but mine doesn't seem to very much. Has anyone ever had a hedgehog who simply did not like running? I did notice scratching noises every day that goes on for a good 30seconds if I don't disturbe him. I'm not sure if that's simply him trying to cover up his poop after he goes potty, or if it's frustration that he can't exercise.

I apologize about the lengthy post. I'm very concenred for my hedgie. Please help!


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Welcome to HHC! Bonus points for picking up a rescue.

I don't have a ton of experience but my boy Loki is a shy guy. He does not like being in a playpen or even loose in my room, he'll walk around on me and explore me but he also likes to get on my desk and hide in this little dark nook under my monitors, back towards me, sometimes turning around to see if I'm stil there. I find it cute, heh.

Now onto the possible stress part of him being out. First question would be, when you take him out, are you waking him up, and if you are, do you let him wake up and wander the cage for a few moments. Most hedgehogs will need to use the bathroom within 20 minutes of waking up, and this might be the reason he is trying to get away from you, as to not poop on you, many will act frantic when they need to go while out of the cage.

A good sign of stress is green poop, its not uncommon for them to have a poop with a green tint to it, especially when wiped onto a paper towel, but if he's having actual green color poop after being out with you, it either means he is stressed or has an upset stomach.

There are certain things many hedgehogs will do, especially if they haven't had a lot of handling, you might think its stressing them, but might be more defensive as part of their nature. This of course includes huffing at you, raising their quills, hunching down low with their visor over their head, hissing or jumping at movements or being touched. If these are the things he is doing, you just got to kind of push through them. I wouldn't worry too much about over stressing him, I think if they get extremely stress they'll snap into a ball and remain in the ball. But if he's coming out of it quickly enough, he's at least somewhat sure he's safe.

Over time you'll see changes, he may always huff at you and ball up, but some can be like that. (They're always grumpy about being woken up).

Onto the wheel, indeed the wheel is a critical tool for most hedgehogs and most spend most of their time wheeling. If he's never had a wheel, it might take him some time to realize its something of fun.

Now..this is probably going to get confusing, but when you say "spends most of his day under his blanket", do you mean actual daylight hours? If so, Hedgehogs are nocturnal and active during the night. So our "daytime" is his "nighttime", and of course the opposite at night. If its 12pm Noon for us, its "Midnight" for him, in his head. If he's going to wheel, it'll be at night, and he'll sleep all day.

Another factor with wheeling can be light itself, hedgehogs enjoy dim lighting and many require almost to complete darkness, otherwise they may not wheel. Loki (again my shy guy) will NOT wheel if there's even a hint of light in his cage, even just the glow of the tv and or monitors in the room will put him off and he'll remain in his house. So if there's some sort of glow at night, try giving him total and utter darkness.

As for the scratching, if its during the day, its nothing to really worry about. Both my guys will scratch at the cage floor during the day, I think its kind of like them trying to fluff their pillows or something. Hedgehogs are also burrower type creatures, so many enjoy burrowing and digging around. If he's scratching at night, he might just be entertaining himself. If he's scratching HIMSELF, he might have dry skin or possibly even mites, though mites usually make them scratch themselves a lot. But if its just him scratching at his bedding or the cage floor, its common and nothing to worry about.

Hopefully that helps you out. Also make sure his cage is being kept between 73'F to 78'F temperature wise, if you don't have a digital thermometer in the cage, purchase one, such as an indoor/outdoor one with a wire probe. A cold hedgehog will become very inactive and may even attempt to hibernate. And despite them sleeping during the day, they also need a 'light cycle' to regulate their internal clock. Even though they are sleeping during the day, even hiding in their house or under a blanket, they're still aware of light. You don't need a special light, just a room light or lamp near the cage that should be on for at least 10 to 12 hours. If a hedgehog senses the days are growing short, either by lack of sunlight (cloudy days) or actual change in the season, they'll attempt hibernation.

Oh, and licking the floor, I'd try and keep him from doing that. Its probably the smell of the cleaner that's making him interesting, does he anoint afterwards? Its a strange act where they twist themselves around and 'lick' at their quills, its done usually around new smells and no one knows why they do it. THey'll lick at something and create a foam in their mouth, and then spread it across their quills.


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## linda9 (Nov 26, 2010)

Thank you so much for the very detailed reply!

When I take him out, it's usually very very late at night. I read about them being nocturnal so I try to take him out around 11 or sometimes even midnight. This brings my other concern actually. When I said sleeping all the time, I literally mean all the time.. I got very little sleep the first two days he was home, and I noticed that other than occasionally moving around, and eating, he's pretty much motionless. If I go closer I can hear his quills come up. That was one of the reasons why I thought the digging/scratching might have been because he was too bored. 

During the first couple of nights, I tried to stay up as late as I can just to observe, and to see if everything is okay. I noticed there's very very little movement at night (even in the dark room). However the next day I woke up around 11am and noticed he was eating his food and drinking. I noticed on the first couple of days he would eat around 8-10pm, where as now (I've had him for two weeks now) I assume he eats during the day. I give him his food every night around 7-8, and it usually remains untouched even when I wake up in the morning. It's usually after I come home at the end of the day that I noticed the food is gone, and water level dropped. I think this might simply be because I'm up so late, so like you said he used my light as his sign of when day time was. I'll try to put him in complete darkness at night, and put a small lamp near him during the day.

Regarding the scratching, I did notice his ears look very dry, but I don't think he's scratching himself. I'm also not sure what's the standard appearance of skin for hedgehogs, I tried googling it, but most of them aren't detailed enough for me to see their ears properly. The scratching sounds more like scratching against the pastic bottom of the cage with his nails. He's usually under his blanket when the scratching happens, so I never get to observe what exactly he's scratching. 

I don't have a thermometer in the cage yet. However, I did buy a small personal heater for the part of the room he's in (he's in a small part where it sticks out from the room, I suspect it use to be a walk in closet). I'll get a digital thermometer as soon as possible. 

As for licking the floor, he didn't get to do it for long before I noticed and picked him up. He didn't anoint after it. I'll try to stop him from doing it.

Before he gets used to his wheel, should I let him out of his cage as much as I can just so he can get exercise walking around? There's not a lot of places where he can hide so I don't really worry about him dissappearing when I'm doing my work in the same room.

Thanks again for the reply!


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Welcome to HHC! When you get him out, do you have something for him to hide in? I usually have a towel or blanket or cuddle bag. They feel more secure if they have a place to hide. Just having him in your lap, even if he's hidden should let him get more familiar with you.

I hope it continues to go well! It's a slow process, just keep at it.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Welcome to HHC and Congrats on the hog!  
Just keep trying and hopefully things will get better!  Take him out and set him on your lap for 30 minutes or so each day. You can use an old shirt to let him hide under while he's out.


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## linda9 (Nov 26, 2010)

Thanks everyone! I've got a blanket for him when he's out. He doesn't seem to like staying on me all that much, everytime he's on my lap he tries to run away. I find he tends to slip in between my legs, which might be why he tried to run away because I'm simply not a flat enough surface. But I'll try leaving the blanket on me as well next time so he can hide.


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## ThePliny (Jun 3, 2010)

It takes some hedgies a lot longer to adjust to new people and homes than others. Just continue to be patient with your little guy.
Pliny sleeps a lot - he does not really get up and going until he knows I have gone to bed. He might come out and eat a bit, but then it is right under his blanket again. If i wake him up he is happy to sunggle up on me and sleep - he is a bit of a sleepy boy! and he will explore if I put him on the floor.
He will get used to the wheel. Might just take him a while to figure out what it is.
Good luck!


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

I have a similar story: Snarf has been with us for two weeks now (he's 1.5 yrs). We rescued him from someone who seemed to think he was a pointy hamster and should be treated as such. :roll: 

I noticed
- because he had a very bright reptile lamp 24 hrs a day, his system seemed to be screwed up: he ate during the day...was up during the day and night...etc. Now, since we use a timer on a normal light from 8-9am and 4-9pm (daylight during the day), his schedule is pretty standard: sleeps all day, as soon as the herb garden light goes off, he's up then is up and napping in shifts all night. But this took over a week to establish itself.

- he barely ate at ALL for the first 10 days. Like scary not eating. I used his old catfood and gave him quite a few mealies. Then, one day, his dish was empty. Now he is pretty much weaned off his old stuff (won't touch it) and is easing onto two new ones.

He is also MUCH more relaxed. He still huffs and carries on when we touch him and can somehow tell when you're looking at him :shock: and God forbid you say anything to him! But he calms down much more quickly than even a week ago. He would NEVER sit with me before, now when I hold him to my chest (usually with a piece of fleece) he calms down in a couple minutes.

So...sorry for the loooong post...there's a good chance you are doing everything perfectly right for him and he just needs more time - esp if he was, however innocently, 'mistreated'. I was dying a thousand deaths every time I checked that still-full dish in the morning, so I know how you feel!!  k...I will quit talking now.


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## Roni (Oct 27, 2010)

I'm fairly new to hedgies too... only been a couple of months since we got our two little guys. I have one that sounds just like your little guy. Wouldn't wheel, seems to sleep all the time, etc. What I've discovered with our little guy is that he does come out, just not when anyone is anywhere near him. I have managed to sneek up on his quietly enough that I saw the tail end making it to cover under his igloo. It took 2 months but the other day I found a mess on his wheel. He still trys to run when we pick him up and hisses and pops at us constantly. I don't think he will ever really like us, but he may just learn to tolerate us! LOL


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## linda9 (Nov 26, 2010)

Thank you ThePliny, MissC, and Roni! I guess I'll just have to quietly wait. I really hope he'll start running on the wheel soon, he's looking a little chubby these days.. :lol:


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## linda9 (Nov 26, 2010)

Just an update! I changed his cage yesterday to fleece lining, and this morning I woke up to a very dirty wheel!!! He finally started wheeling! I'm so excited. He lets me watch a bit, but usually just stands there and stare at me while remaining completely still.

However, along with starting to wheel, my hedgie has also got those poopy boots on his little paws. Which makes me wonder when I should give him his first bath since he's gotten home... I guess I'll tackle that another day :lol:


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Yayy!! Glad he has started to use the wheel! Now you have the joys of a dirty wheel & poop boots.


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