# pregnant or not ??



## met648 (Apr 17, 2010)

Okay well i have a chocolate male albino named Jack who i got about 2 months ago and about 2-3 weeks ago i got another hedgehog named Snow (albino).The problem is that the people that i bought this hedgehog from told me that it was a male so i put them together and sure enough it was a female.I found them mating ! She was kinda skinnyy when she first got to me.Jack has always been a little on the chubby side and when i got her she never ate.After they mated,about a week later she started eating like crazy and she has gotten chubbier. I'm really just wondering how do you know if a hedgehog is pregnant and if she is,what's the best thing to feed her ? I have been giving her a little bit more food then i give Jack just in case she is pregnant.I really just need help on that.Thanks in advance.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Are they separated now? You can bet she is pregnant. You can't really tell just from looking at her, so better just prepare as if she is.

If you thought she was a male, why did you put them together? Males can and will easily kill each other...

If you thought males were okay living together, I'm assuming you don't know much about other basic care... what are you feeding them? Do they have a heat system to keep them above 73* F at all times? Do they have a light schedule?

You might want to read the stickies on this forum for more help. I also have a care book written that is linked to in my signature that might be of use.

Good luck! You'll need it.


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## met648 (Apr 17, 2010)

Of course i have them seperated.I only put them together to see if they would like eachother.I know that not all male hedgies hate eachother.Just because most will doesn't mean all will.I read that you can put 2 males together but not in the same cage to play but it has to be supervised.Actaully, I know a lot about hedgies.I used to own one before i got these 2 and i feed them royal canin cat food.Yes,i got the heating pad and they are fine.I also give them mealworms about 2-3 times a week.

The whole point of me posting this was to know what to feed her/do for her is she is pregnant and sorry to say you didn't answer that for me but thanks anyways.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

I know that LG was sort of short with you but you seem really defensive.

People on here just want what is best for hedgehogs and unfortunately lots of people new to the site have misconceptions about hedgehog care. LG was trying to get across that you made a mistake by putting them together at all. Especially before checking the gender of your new hedgehog. By the way, did you quarantine? Too late now but you should watch for signs of illness in your male if you did not. It is important to quarantine new pets so that they cannot get your existing pets sick.

LG did answer your question about pregnancy.



LizardGirl said:


> You can bet she is pregnant. You can't really tell just from looking at her, so better just prepare as if she is.


There is no real way to tell if a hedgehog is pregnant but she probably is. Do research in the breeding section of the site (read all the stickies!)

Heating pads are not a sufficient heat source, they do not heat the air of the cage and can cause low temperature burns if the hedgehog lays on them too long and they are not carefully monitored.

Just to be clear. No one is saying that you don't love your hedgehogs and care for them the best you know how. Sadly there is so much misinformation on hedgehog care that unless you get information from people with experience (like the people on this site) you might be doing things wrong.


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## SnufflePuff (Apr 16, 2009)

Agreed with hedgielover.

And LizardGirl's assumption was fair. You shouldn't have put the hedgies together regardless of sex because of the quarentine period + any of us on here would have checked sex first before putting hedgehogs together - it's kinda common sense.

Unless the female is sterile, the male is sterile, or you somehow successfully interrupted the mating, your femalie is definitely pregnant. 

That being said what's done is done, and no one in judging, we just wanna help you get through this difficult period you are now going to be faced with.  If I were you I would start reading up on info in the breeding forum.

Like hedgielover said the heating pad isn't enough. Please look into a ceramic heat emitter or another heating system befoer your hedgehog gives birth.

As for the food, Royal canin is an okay food, but you should be feeding a mix, not just a singular food since we don't know all of hedgehog's requirements so its more likely they will be met from a mix.

As for possible mom, you can add royal canin babycat to her food in case she is pregnant.

For now, take note of the "mating" date. I am no breeding expert so you're gonna have to wait for someone more experienced to chime in but there is a certain number of days you have to assume she's pregnant for before you can know she's not.

Later on you will have to do things like remove her wheel, put her on shavings if she isn't already and move her to a quiet place where she will be undisturbed, but I'm not sure when you need to do all this by, so someone more experienced will tell you.

No one on here wants to offend you, and it would be nice if you could be less harsh too. This is a friendly helpful place where everyone shows eachother respect so let's keep it that way  

Good luck!!!


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

If the playtime was supervised...How did it get that far?

But anyways...What's done is done. There is a wealth of information here. Definitely check out all the "Oops" litters, as all the information there are a quick crash course to what to immediately do with your female.

Though the situation you're in is slightly more simple, as you know exactly when the mating occurred. You will have to wait 55 days after the "fact".

As to _when_ bedding should be changed, when you should give her a nesting box, and the wheel removed, I cannot comment on, but I'm sure a breeder here will clear that up. I can only assume it would be around the 20ish days mark, in case for premature births.

As for food, as suggested above, you can _slowly_ add the Babycat into her diet.

Also, since you didn't quarantine, you should be keeping an eye on your boy as well, as he could have easily picked up a virus of some sort off the female. Others here have quarantined and still end up with mass illnesses, so as a precaution, check on him meticulously. 
It is always better to quarantine for at least a month, as you have no idea how the new hedgie was kept, what condition she was in, and what contaminants she was exposed to. And now that they have had direct contact, there's a higher chance of her passing contaminants to your boy.

Good luck with your hedgies.


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## met648 (Apr 17, 2010)

well i wasn't trying to be harsh but she was making me feel like i was doing something bad to my hedgies.I just thought they should get to know eachother i didn't know about the quarantine thing but thanks.I thought it was 30-35 days after the breeding that they could have the babies ?? i have a heater that stays at the temperature i want it to so that keeps the hedgies warm too.i just need advice on what to do if she is pregnant so thanks for everyone thats helping out.


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