# We are new and we love it here!



## thelostsock (May 27, 2009)

So for the past many months I have wanted a hedgie. I would (still do!) spend hours reading topics here, taking notes and making sure I could provide for a hedgie (I made sure the temperature in my home, esp where the cage would be, could reamin at a constant 24 degrees C). So I contacted breeders in my area and was placed on some waiting lists. In the mean time I searched kijiji to see if there was a hadgie out there for me. While having a baby to nurture and bring up would be fun, I think that those who are old need good homes too and that we can't forget about them.

So now Billa is home with me and my oh my does he ever need some TLC.

I am actually completly re-vamping his cage. As I said, the little guy needs some TLC. He came with cage and "accessories" as he was a rehome. His cage, food dish and water bowl are the only things that I am keeping. He had a ferret ball, which we will not be using anymore because I dont want his little toes to get hurt and because of the poor ventalation. He had a silent spinner, I ordered a CWS yesterday to get the old dangerous wheel out. His hidey home was made of wood, that has been disposed of and he is getting an igloo. The wood home went in the garbage right away. He has been snuggling in towels (with loose strings) which I am getting rid of and replacing with fleece strips. I am keeping the wheel until the new one comes in and the towels until I can get to Walmart (this week). As for bedding the previous owners had some sort of foam on the floor (they were childrens play cubes cut to fit the cage) which I will keep but place liners on top of. Poor little guy. His name was "Scratch" when I got him "because he Scratched a lot" and his ears were tattered with holes in them, aparently because "thats what happens naturally when they curl into a ball" but on one side it looks like half his ear is gone. Needless to say we went to the vet yesterday for a dose of revolution to be on the safe side (considering he was itching, his skin is a little dry but that could be from a lack of bathing and vitamin e oil, he also had tattered ears and was in a wooden house). We are going to venture for his first full bath EVER (did I mention he is almost a year and a half old?) with some unscented Aveeno Oatmeal body wash for sensitive skin and vitimin e oil. I cliped 4 of his nails last night (I didn't nick the quick but even then some of the clippings were easily 5 milimeters long. How dangerous and yucky) but just did the longest ones and the experience ws exhausting for not only him but me too. 

All and all I think I will make a good mommy and make Billa happy. We have tried treats such as green pepper, carrots, blueberries and bananas and the bananas are the only treat that he has actually ate (I wanted to give him a small treat after the vet visit and the toe clipping for being such a good boy).

I will post pictures after his cage is presentable (many people who be shocked to look at it now and tell me it is all wrong, which I am aware of and am fixing right away) and when his ears have healed some.

I am putting in an order with the lovely Nancy for some cute accessories. I think he will love the hat most as he like to hide and snuggle so much.

We will take any tips from anyone who wants to offer them to us. I have had 3 bonding times with Billa so far. He seems to like the dark and will not come out of hiding when the lights are on and sleeps a tonne. When we have bonding time it means that I have usually have woke him up in the evening for he is grouchy for the first fe minutes, unballs on me and runs around trying to find a new hidey hole/snuggle spot (likely my pj pants leg or hoodie pocket). I love him to pieces even though we have just met. We are happy that we have HHC to look up any information that we may need.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Congrats on hedgie :mrgreen: 
Sounds like he has an awesome home now


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

congratulations on your new baby. I understand why you don't want to post pics of his cage right now...but when you have it all renovated could you possibly posts before and after pics? so new people can see what a bad, dangerous cage can be like?


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## chaos_emerald (Jan 26, 2009)

i love hearing happy hedgehog stories about rehomes getting great, wonderful new moms and/or dads  congrats and sounds like your doing a great job. kudos to getting the rehome!


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## hedgewawa (Apr 25, 2009)

Your boy is a very lucky hedgehog to have had you save him and begin to give him the care he deserves. I look forward to hearing more about the both of you and seeing pictures when he is more "presentable".


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