# Is it normal that they pay attention to each other?



## Kira (Aug 4, 2012)

I just made a massive c&c cage for my hedgehog Muffin . I have also just (today) rescued a NEW hedgehog who I have yet to name. This new hedgehog is very small and young . About nine weeks. Muffin is rather large and about 7 months old. I put them both in the new cage as new territory for them both . I put two of everything and on different sides of the cage. They each have their own side and I can put a divider in the middle if any fights occur and they would still have more than enough space. I expected them to pay little attention to each other but that wasn't the case. Muffin was following around my new one and self-anointing. My new one was frightened, I believe ,from Muffin's size. They both start self-anointing and kinda laying together as if they LIKED being in each other's company. Then I noticed Muffin pawing at the new one but not enough to hurt it , it doesn't squish her or even seem to bother her but I am not sure that it isn't aggressive . Muffin isn't hissing or in a ball , she just seems fine. THEN I see her kind of bite the new lil one's quills but definitely not hard. it is soft but she kind of tugs at it . New one isn't hurt or really trying to get away. I noticed when I bred Pumpkin with Brute that Brute bit Pumpkin's quills but none came out or anything. I'm wondering if this is normal behavior or what. I now put the divider between them and they are licking each other through the holes in the divider and trying to lay right there , not even covered up, to be next to each other. I don't know if they like each other or if they hate each other. I think I will keep the divider up so they can get use to being near each other and each other's scents . 
P.s. Pumpkin is close to her due date and is kept in a quieter room elsewhere by herself. 
P.s.s. Cyndaquil died D:


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## Tabi (Jun 24, 2012)

I'd recommend getting a separate cage for either so they have their own space. Are they both female?


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## Kira (Aug 4, 2012)

yes they are both female


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## Tabi (Jun 24, 2012)

It's possible to have them in the same cage, but I don't think it's necessarily best for them. Maybe someone who's kept two girls together can chime in, but I've always had a cage for each of them because I feel like they need their own toys and space


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I would separate them into their own cages, particularly if the new one was an actual rescue (meaning she came from a questionable owner, where you don't have any guarantees to health, etc.). Damage is already done if that's the case, since Muffin has been exposed to her, but if you take in a rescued hedgehog, or really any new animal that doesn't come with a clean health check, you should quarantine them from your other pets so you don't end up spreading illness. Regardless of that though, I would separate these two. With the age and size difference, it'd be entirely too easy for one of them to get hurt either by accident or purposely, and I would guess it'd be the smaller one. I can't say much on the behavior since I've never watched two hedgehogs meet for the first time, or what kind of behavior would be normal for it, but I would still be concerned about something happening while you're sleeping or out of the house and unable to intervene. 

As well, it's easier to monitor food eaten, water drank, and poop/urine when you have just one hedgehog to a cage. If you have two, you'd have to take the extra time to separate them after signs of illness appear to figure out who is the sick one before you can get them to the vet. They'd also both be more at risk for sharing illnesses that way too.


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## Tabi (Jun 24, 2012)

Lilysmommy said:


> As well, it's easier to monitor food eaten, water drank, and poop/urine when you have just one hedgehog to a cage. If you have two, you'd have to take the extra time to separate them after signs of illness appear to figure out who is the sick one before you can get them to the vet. They'd also both be more at risk for sharing illnesses that way too.


oooh good point!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

The new one should have been quarantined for a month or more to ensure she is not sick. Being immediately put in the same cage as Muffin has now exposed her to mites, intestinal parasites, infections or anything that the new one might have. 

Being in a new home, the new girl needs to have her own cage to get used to her new surroundings and be introduced to Muffin slowly. They need multiple introductions and supervised playtimes before risking them being together. 

I've had girls housed together on occasion, usually mother and daughter. It is difficult to monitor them for food and water intake and output. As Lilysmommy mentioned, when one gets sick, it is more difficult and takes time to figure out who it is that is sick.


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## Kira (Aug 4, 2012)

Those are all points I hadn't thought of. thank you. I will take them to the vet soon and make sure no permanent damage has been done. I have other cages though so I can separate them immediately


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

I agree with all that's been said, but wanted to add a few things in case you're considering housing them or other females together in the future. 

Females do best together if they're from the same litter, mother/daughter, or are around the same age and were housed together starting at a young age. Even sisters and mother/daughter aren't going to always be a good idea, it completely depends on the personality. I've found that one of them needs to be very laid back in order for it to work. We have two pairs of girls housed together right now, and each of those pairs has one girl who is extremely relaxed, in a no-raised-quills-ever kind of way. One of them is a week apart in age, the other were born on the same day. Neither are from the same litter, actually. We recently noticed an issue with the older of the two pairs, where one of them (the slightly prickly girl, Zombie) was getting kind of chunky from eating her own food, then eating some of Anubis' (who is the completely relaxed girl of those two). We put Zombie on a lower fat food to get her back to her ideal weight, and they're now fed separately (outside of the cage) to make sure they eat what they're supposed to. So, yes, like Nancy said - the food thing should be a consideration.

We had considered another pair, who were from the same litter, but they both have more independent personalities. We started them together when we brought them home at 6 weeks but found that they would sleep in different places and would get a little prickly or huffy at each other. One would bump into the other, she would huff, the first would huff in response, etc. They're both very sweet girls, but they also both have a "do my own thing" kind of personality. We decided to house them separately, and they get regular (pretty much daily) interaction with each other and our other females. Their personalities just didn't work very well for being kept together all the time.

When it comes to a pair where one of them is already and adult and has been used to living alone, the only situation that might work is if she were to give birth and have one of her daughters kept with her after being weaned. Otherwise, a new female (even a baby) should never be housed with an adult female. It's just not going to work. The adult will be used to having things one way, and she will be past the age at which two females can become bonded together. If she's territorial, she may hurt the younger, or the opposite might happen as well. With that kind of age difference there's no way to be absolutely sure that the two won't bicker at some point, and unless you can be 100% confident that there will not be any conflict (absolutely ANY, no matter how small) then two girls shouldn't be housed together. This is why we didn't put the two litter-sisters together, even though they had grown up together from birth - we saw little huffs and prickles in reaction to sharing space, and we didn't want to risk it. We also will not hesitate to separate either of our current pairs permanently if we see anything similar between them, and we have the means on hand to separate them immediately should it arise. (For us, the cages for each pair of girls is a double-bin connected by PVC pipe. Each one technically "belongs" to one girl and has that girl's information on it on a label. We have PVC "caps" on hand of the same size, so it's as simple as removing the PVC pipe and plugging the hole.) Even with a "proven" pair of girls that have done well together long-term without issues, it's important to have separate cages on hand (even just a large bin that one can be moved into) so they can be separated immediately if there are any signs of a problem. It shouldn't be left to "deal with later" because later might be too late.

It doesn't take full-fledged combat for one (or both) to be badly hurt or killed. I know there's a thread on here from a while ago where a younger female was housed with an older one - they had a brief spat, which was just enough for the younger to bite/rip the ear of the older (if I remember correctly, it was the ear) and that's all it took for the older to bleed to death.


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## Kira (Aug 4, 2012)

That was a lot of helpful information . I'm going to try to see if any attacking takes place during playtime but as of now they are separated by a barrier. They still sleep next to each other with that gate between them . I'm very confused on whether they are wanting to fight or get to know each other. And why if my older one licking the younger one constantly ? it is so strange. I've not seen any biting or huffing or anything but this could be because they each have their own things away from the other one and their territory doesn't feel threatened. And my older one I just got a little over a month ago was use to living with other hedgies including brothers for some absurd reason , and my new one lived with two sisters and her mother. So they are at least use to being around others. I''m keeping a close eye out and building a new cage completely separated from Muffin's for my new one to live in . 
I'm feeling terrible about not quarantining the new baby especially with where I got her. I really hope nothing was transferred that could kill either one. I know all the hedgehogs were taken from their owner due to bad living conditions so I am very afraid of mites . I am going to take Muffin and her to the vet ASAP. And then Pumpkin and her babies after they are all weaned .


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