# First Hedgie



## DragonTamerJackson (Mar 4, 2012)

Mister Sharp is our first Hedgie. We brought him home Saturday. He is still adjusting, but has been pretty friendly. OMG. I am still ridiculously excited about him. 
Anyways. I wanted to show of pictures. ^_^


























































And we knew we were going to get him a buddy from the beginning, but there were none available from his litter. But this guy will be coming home with us in the next month or so. We are going to name him Sexyama, after the UFC fighter/Japanese Pop star.


----------



## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Those are some seriously fantastic photos.


----------



## pink-ster (Mar 3, 2012)

adorable! what cutie pies. I'm new to hedgies myself, I get my first one in a couple weeks. 
from what i've read on this FANTASTIC forum though is that you shouldnt use newspaper as bedding. Try to get some nice fleece liners for that adorable hedgie


----------



## DragonTamerJackson (Mar 4, 2012)

Good to know. I read that it was good liner. But I will do more research.


----------



## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Yeah, I didn't even notice because I was so impressed by the photography, haha. Newspaper isn't very absorbent and gets cold when it's wet. Most newspapers use inks that aren't toxic, but not all, and there's really no way to know for sure. Fabric liners are the best choice, and most people use fleece. Since fleece doesn't get loose threads at the edges when you cut it, you don't have to sew along the edges, you can just put a piece down on the bottom of the cage. Some people will make the liners twice the length of the cage so it can be folded over to make two layers, though I've found one layer to be perfectly adequate. I'd suggest cutting them a few inches larger than the dimensions of the cage, which leaves a little extra that curls up at the edges. That way it will still cover the whole bottom without having to be positioned absolutely perfectly.

Is that a loft in the first photo? It's hard to tell.


----------



## DragonTamerJackson (Mar 4, 2012)

Fleece it is! 
Yes there is a loft. But no ramp to it yet. We are working on modifying it to make it hedgie safe. Walls and such so he doesn't fall.


----------



## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Yeah, good call. Make sure the ramp is enclosed as well. Coroplast (corrugated plastic) is the best choice for loft walls, and you might want to consider adding some to the inside of the cage at the bottom to discourage climbing. I'm not sure if climbing would be as much of a problem with the cage you have, since the bars are mostly parallel, so it might not really apply - but there's a cross bar visible and I can't really tell how far up that is. Just something to keep in mind!


----------



## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

I see you're planning on getting a 'buddy' for your hedgie? Hedgehogs are solitary animals and two males can't be housed together because they will fight as they mature and can seriously hurt each other. Sometimes two females that have been together since babies can live together but they may end up fighting as well. Males and females can't be housed together for obvious reasons. If you have two males they won't even be able to play together as they will fight. Females can have play time together as long as their well supervised. Obviously males and females can't have play time together.


----------



## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

He is cute! But are you planning on keeping him and his buddy together? Hedgehogs are solitary animals, so I hope you'll keep them in different cages?


----------



## vasogoma (Feb 25, 2012)

These are some great photos! WOW!


----------



## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

I really have nothing to add to what's already been said, except, "AAAAWWWWEEEEE! Cute! <3"


----------



## DragonTamerJackson (Mar 4, 2012)

Thanks everyone, for the compliments and the info.

I replaced the news paper, and will be making solid barriers before I install the ramps. 

There are two cages so that the two can be separate. 

However our breeder, who has like 20 plus hedgies said that boys sometimes get a long, especially when there are no females around, and even more so when they have been neutered; which also has been known to add to their life span. 

Thank you again!


----------



## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

Amazing photos! Your little one is way too cute! I love it!  Everyone has offered good advice, that's why I love the forums. Congrats and good luck with your new addition!


----------

