# Sudden behavior/personality change



## kurai18 (Aug 31, 2009)

It's been a while since I've posted anything since my Pineapple has been perfectly fine and healthy. But recently, she has changed her behavior and I'm getting a little concerned.

Pineapple is almost 2 years old and I've had her since she was a baby.
She has always been very outgoing and friendly and healthy and I have a pretty large playpen set up for her (about the size of a twin bed) with lots of toys and tunnels and a Carolina Storm Bucket Wheel and before I went to sleep I'd be content just listening to her feet pitter pattering all over her playpen.
However, since about 2 weeks ago, she's stopped running on her wheel entirely, and just sleeps all night in her bed. She also took the paper towel that I lay in the corner where she likes to poop and used it to stuff up the entrance to her igloo as if she wanted to be left alone.
The weather has cooled down a little bit, but I'm in Texas so "cooled down" means dropping from over 100 degrees to the 90s so I don't really think it's because it's gotten cold.
Also, usually when she hears me rattle her kibble bottle or shake her container of worms she'll run out with anticipation. Now she just stays in her bed and has to be encouraged to come out. When she finally does come out, she eats her normal amount with a good appetite so it doesn't look like health issues to me.. but who knows.
The only thing that has really changed in her environment is that I used to keep up with a fairly set daily routine (live mealies at 8pm, hide kibbles around her playpen around 12am, then go to bed while listening to her play.) But for the last month I've been really busy at work and gotten home late. I've been giving her her mealies late at night and then falling asleep on the couch, then waking up in the middle of the night (2-4am) to give her her kibbles and go to sleep in my room.
Also, it's been abnormally scorching hot and dry in Texas this summer and I've been keeping the blinds on the windows closed to keep the house cooler.
Would a change in her schedule make her totally shut herself in like this? Or could it be she's not getting enough sunlight?
Or could it be a health issue? Does any one have any experience in hedgies changing their behavior suddenly?

P.S. I'm absolutely sure I'm not just missing out on her play time just because I've come home late and fell asleep on the couch. I know she hasn't played because when she does, she splashes the water from her waterbowl all over the place, gets little poopy paw prints on her blankets, moves things around, poops on her wheel.. etc. Everything in the cage has been untouched and un-played with.


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2011)

Its possible if that routine has existed for a long period of time that it has effected your hedgie's behavior because the norm has changed even ever so slightly.

Are you saying you don't provide a consistent light schedule? I'm not sure if thats what is being stated but hedgehogs should have 12 to 14 hours of light it should be consistent and you can use artificial light as a source.

What is the temp of the cage? You mention the temp in Texas but not the actual cage I would assume it isn't 90 + else your hedgies is just really hot.

Changes in behavior can be health related sometimes so if you even have any suspicious at least consulting your vet on the phone might help


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## LMC (Dec 6, 2013)

Hi Kurai, may I ask how this behavior change was resolved? I'm having a very similar problem with my hedgie after taking a long vacation and leaving him with a pet sitter. I'm hoping he's just getting readjusted to having us back home, but I'm starting to get really worried. Any advice would be appreciated!


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