# Holding my new hedgie :/



## YECKNOFA (Jan 26, 2012)

Hey guys, so we bought a hedgehog about a week ago from an owner who just didn't have time for her anymore. She's about six months old and almost litterbox trained (I don't think the previous owner even attempted to train her). My concern now is that whenever I, or my two friends (we're in the same dorm), try to hold her she just wants to run the heck away! She'll ball up a little and once she realized that she's not in immediate danger she'll get up and run like heck. She absolutely wont sit still, and after a few minutes of trying to keep her from crawling up my forearms or falling out of my hands, she'll start pooping everywhere. I can't imagine that she's accustomed to us yet, so she must be running to escape. We've tried feeding her mealworms from the hand while she sits in our palms (rare) but she's up and trying to escape within seconds of swallowing. Is there anything we can do to calm her down? Or will her calmness only come with time. And is there anything we can do about her pooping in our hands? Thanks guys


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

Does she have a wheel? 
If not then she needs one, that would help calm her down.
Plus some hedgehogs are just not cuddlers. Some are explorers.


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## lehaley (Jun 25, 2011)

There's a chance that your hedgehog could simply just have an explorer personality. It's very rare that I can get my hedgehog to sit still in my hands or my lap. He'll huff for a little bit after I take him out, then he climbs all over me and tries to make an escape. He is relaxed, but he is just more interested in running around sniffing everything. She may relax in time and gradually become more and more ok with sitting calmly with you and your friends, or she may not. If you find that she's more of an explorer, don't think that you can't still bond with her. I bring Felix to an enclosed space where he can't escape or get under something (usually my bathroom) and I sit on the floor. Sometimes I bring toys in, sometimes I just let him run around and sniff. He'll climb all over me and run around, and I still get to spend time with him without constantly dealing with him trying to crawl away.

Unfortunately there's not a whole lot that can be done about the pooping in your hands thing. Usually it's just because the hedgehog has just woken up and it's the first time they've gone all day. It might help to wake her up and let her walk around the cage for a bit before you take her out. Then she might get it all out in the cage instead of on you.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

Some don't cuddle.
Also, the poop thing is just something you have to deal with. Before I hold her, I put her in for her normal foot bath, and she usually goes in the water there. By the time it's cuddle time, there's no poo left.
She needs a wheel. The only one that is safe to buy in a store is the Comfort Wheel, and even that's not great. Check out Larry's Carolina Storm Wheel. Those are perfect for hedgies.
What is your heating set up like?
What kind of cage is she in?


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## jerseymike1126 (Jan 20, 2011)

try dimming or turning off the lights. also put a blanket (that you dont mind getting pooped and peed on) on your lap and let him hide under it. like said above he might be an explorer, or he might be scared and is running away to go hide somewhere! making it dark and giving him a place to hide in (the blanket) might calm him down and have him sit still.

sorry, replace my hims and he with her and she


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## YECKNOFA (Jan 26, 2012)

Yes we do have a wheel for her, and when she does use it she LOVES it and usually poops a lot while she's running. And the cage is in a pretty warm area. Our dorms constantly run the heat, so it stays somewhere between 75-80 degrees. We have begun to try to alter her sleeping habit a little so that she doesn't wake up at 3am and create a racket (she's in our room and we have nowhere else to put her), so maybe that has something to do with her grumpiness when we try to wake her and play with her. Also, her previous owners said they were feeding her Iams cat food, but they passed the food off to us in an unmarked ziplock bag, so I have no idea exactly what type of food it is or how old it is.


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

You should get a thomometer in her cage for exact temps. 
And hedgehogs are nocturnal you shouldn't try and alter her sleeping habit at all. 
Does she have a 12 hour light schedule? (not outside light)


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## jerseymike1126 (Jan 20, 2011)

Hedgies party all night, just how they roll


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## lehaley (Jun 25, 2011)

YECKNOFA said:


> Also, her previous owners said they were feeding her Iams cat food, but they passed the food off to us in an unmarked ziplock bag, so I have no idea exactly what type of food it is or how old it is.


You might want to consider switching her to a better food anyway. I don't believe (and please correct me if I'm wrong, guys) that Iams is a recommended food. Here's a link to a great thread about which cat food brands to feed:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15&start=0

Brands that I see mentioned a lot are Blue Buffalo, Innova, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, and Natural Balance. Most people feed a mix of two or three foods.


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## ppetropulo (Jan 8, 2013)

I realize that hedgies are nocturnal, but in my opinion, you should absolutely alter their sleeping habits if you need to. They will learn to adjust to your schedule, and its not harmful to them at all.


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## Katis228 (Aug 19, 2012)

Have you tried having your hedgie out in a fleece cuddle bag? Initially, Mal would only let me hold her in her cuddle bag. She is just now getting to the point where she feels comfortable on my lap covered with a fleece blanket instead of the bag.

Actually...Mal is at this moment sound asleep in her fleece bag on my lap and I think she's dreaming, judging by the lip smacking sounds and twitchy feet! :lol:



ppetropulo said:


> I realize that hedgies are nocturnal, but in my opinion, you should absolutely alter their sleeping habits if you need to. They will learn to adjust to your schedule, and its not harmful to them at all.


I would strongly disagree. I've heard of people supposedly changing a hedgie's sleeping pattern....but at what cost does this come to the hedgie's health?

Hedgehogs are nocturnal. That is a fact of nature....not choice. To buy a hedgehog with the intention of changing it's internal clock is, in my opinion, not fair to the hedgehog.

If a hedgehogs natural behaviors and sleeping patterns do not suit you, then perhaps it is not a good fit as a pet.

*steps down off soapbox*


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

I absolutely agree--Do NOT attempt to change your hedgies sleeping pattern.

Do you have any idea what that will do to their immune system?

Hedgehogs are nocturnal and you need to deal with it. If not, they are not the pet for you.

When we choose to have an exotic pet, we must take them as they are--they have not seen the cute pictures or videos on the web.

Maybe that is why your hedgie is trying to get away--they are very grumpy when you wake them up out of a sound sleep. 

Occaisionally, it is fine to wake them up during the day, but I would not make a habit of it. I know some people get theirs up in a cuddle sack during the day so their hedgie can sleep on them. That's great if hedgie can go back to sleep and sleep soundly on you.

ML


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## ppetropulo (Jan 8, 2013)

Alright then... that's simply what I've heard from all the breeders I've asked.

Quote from Great Forest Hedgehogs (question was, is it ok to wake them up during the day, seeing as they are noctural?): "As far as waking them up during the day. You can however keep in mind they are nocturnal and will most likely just want to sleep in your hand or lap if you wake them during the day. If you do want to play with them during the day I normally will do more towards the afternoon then like 10am. Most hedgies do fine once they get use to you and the schedule. They do most of their playing and running at night so they will be more active and not so lazy if you play with them at night. They do fine during the day though and will get better the more you do it was they get use to it. "

Quote from Rocky Mountain Hedgehogs (this is the one I actually more agree with): " Hedgies definitely are nocturnal - but sure, you can certainly wake your hedgie up and play with it during the day. My personal belief is
one shouldn't try to alter the natural schedule of a hedgehog (or any
animal), but sure, taking it out to play, or even carrying it around
in a sleepy sack just so it has contact with you is fine.

Taken from info. packet from Hedgehogs by Vicky: "...times of day when you want to interact with them. Do not be deterred. WAKE THEM UP! Your new pet is adaptable and needs to learn to arrange his schedule around you. Hedgehogs are very teachable this way and can develop routines that match your schedule if YOU TEACH THEM TO.

Oh, and just so you know I'm not shouting at you or something, the caps in the last paragraph were actually in the packet. So, what I was trying to say is yes, you can wake them, yes they may get used to you coming in at that time, but that you shouldn't get the pet with the hopes it will learn to wake during the day. I'm just saying its ok to take them out, just don't expect much.


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## JulieAnne (Sep 3, 2012)

I "wake Prim up" but only long enough to transfer her from my cage to my lap. If she wants to go back to sleep she ALWAYS has that option. Even when I get her out at night. I sometimes let her run around the living room or on the couch but I always leave her blanket or a sleep sack out in case she gets tired. As for the sound at night.. try getting a sound machine. There's an app on the Iphone and the Android market for a sound machine and it helps drown out the noise of their wheels. Otherwise.. you'll just have to get used to it.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Waking up during the day isn't the same as trying to alter their sleep schedule. You don't have to wait until they wake up naturally to wake them up for handling and interaction, but trying to make them diurnal (through drastic change in light schedule, forcing them to be awake and active during the day, etc) is 1. probably not going to work well, and 2. detrimental to their health in the long run.

Hedgehogs do best being woken closer to their natural "wake up" time - they're going to be more active and outgoing if they've been sleeping for a while, rather than only being sleeping for a few hours. Late afternoon or early evening is best if you want them active. If you want some bonding time while they have the option to sleep, i.e. in a bag on your lap or over your shoulder, any time of day is fine. That's not trying to change their natural habits.

Those quotes from breeders aren't about "changing" their sleep/awake schedule to suit your own preferences. It's just saying that it's okay to take them out during the day, which is true. They shouldn't be made to be awake and active for long periods during daylight hours - they should have the option to sleep during their normal sleep time. If that's in your lap to get some bonding time in, that's fine.


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## Katis228 (Aug 19, 2012)

Simply waking them up during the day to do things like snuggle time, etc is different than what you stated initially. You said 


ppetropulo said:


> you should absolutely alter their sleeping habits if you need to.


That is not the same as just "bothering" your hedgie mid day.

All of the breeders you quoted are simply talking about doing the same "bothering". Ex: getting hedgie up to sleep on your lap or have a mid afternoon play.

**Edit** I see moxieberry was already on top of this and we were typing at the same time! LOL :lol:


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## Avarris (Dec 3, 2012)

I'd respond to this thread but its over a year old, and has been resurrected. I don't think the OP is even on the forum anymore. There are plenty of valid points for us noobs though


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## Katis228 (Aug 19, 2012)

Avarris said:


> I'd respond to this thread but its over a year old, and has been resurrected. I don't think the OP is even on the forum anymore. There are plenty of valid points for us noobs though


LOL!! :lol: I didn't even notice that, Avarris!! oh geez....


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## alexvdl (Dec 19, 2012)

Yeah. I was wondering why someone decided to argue with a year old thread.


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## ppetropulo (Jan 8, 2013)

Woops! Sorry about the year old thread thing  I truthfully resurrected it because I was having trouble holding my hedgie too (at night ) 

I realize that waking them up and trying to change there schedule are two absolutely different things. I had read somewhere that it said you should "absolutly wake them up!" So, I figured that's just what you're supposed to do :roll: Now I know!


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