# *HELP* Hedgehog Daily Routine



## marisaroo4 (Jun 4, 2014)

Hi! I am hopefully getting a hedgehog soon! I was wondering if this would be a good routine during school days! 

5:50 a.m: Check on her, give her some veggies to snack on while I'm at school
3:15p.m: Check on her, spot clean, bond with her (If she's up)
8:00p.m: Feed Her, Refill her water-bottle, and bond with her


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

This is just my opinion and what I used while I was in the school the first week I had Penny.

I would get up an extra half hour to forty-five minutes early (for me this was 530, I had to leave the house by 7), clean her cage, count her food, refill everything, bond with her and put her back. I would then get ready for school. I didn't get back till later more like 530pm. I would double check on her but leave her alone for the most part. Then around 830, I would get her back out and snuggle with her, weigh her, and then put her back and go to bed. This way she is awake closer to her normal schedule and not just in the middle of the day with only a few hour of sleep in between bonding time. My little girl is also a grump at night and a delight in the morning. Different than most hedgehogs from what I have heard so our early morning bonding times were special for us. Also, it's nice to just lay on the couch while she explored and allowed me time to wake up.


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## Kaddy (May 6, 2014)

Hi, I'm quite new too, I'm sure someone will come along and give you some advice, one thing I would like to add, if I may? Once you get your baby's wheel, that will need cleaning in the morning too, there are many threads about wheel cleaning on here, but in my opinion, it is something that needs doing in the morning as, boy, do, hedgie poop stink lol not something I would like to leave lingering over the day! It only takes 5/10 mins to do


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## Teddi4211 (Apr 30, 2014)

That schedule might work. I don' know if she'll be awake during the day to eat the veggies, though. I only say that because my two girls are strictly sleeping during the day until about 9:30 at night. And it'll be fine to bond with her after school, just as long as you're not forcing her to stay awake. Have something she can go to sleep in. 

Mine always works as:

5:45 - Clean wheel and refill food and water. They're sound asleep by that time, even though its nice and summery now.

3:00 - Check on them

9:00 - Give them treats and take Phoebe out to bond
9:00 - Take Adella out

And then there's the occasional footbath.


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## lilsurfergrlsp (Dec 13, 2013)

I agree with Teddi, your baby probably won't be awake during the day. Babies sleep A LOT. If you want, you can wake her, but very gently. She'll be extra grumpy during the day, and especially if she's quilling.

Also, you'll probably need to throw in a foot bath either in the morning, or when you bond with her in the evening. You can gauge that based on how messy her wheel is. And Kaddy is right as well, cleaning the wheel in the morning will make your room smell a little less  as she gets older, though, her poop won't be as smelly and it won't be as much. For instance, my girl is almost 6 months now and I don't really clean her wheel until nighttime, because it doesn't smell as much, plus I've found it easier to "scrape" the poop off the wheel when it's dry.

Also, have you figured out your lighting schedule? Like, if you're simulating the light, when do you plan for it to turn/off? Looks like a great start to your routine, though!


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## marisaroo4 (Jun 4, 2014)

Ya. I will most likely clean the wheel in the morning. So will she eat durning the day while I'm at school? I thought they were only awake during the day?


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## lilsurfergrlsp (Dec 13, 2013)

Nope, hedgehogs are nocturnal so they're the most active at night. Sometimes they wake up during the day to eat a little, or drink water, but then they go right back to sleep until it's nighttime. That's also why they need 12-14 hours of simulated daylight because that's when they know it's daytime. And since babies sleep a lot, you'll most likely have to wake her up for bonding time at night. And they will most likely eat at night, when they're active. That's the first thing my girl does when I wake her for bonding time at night.


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## Teddi4211 (Apr 30, 2014)

My baby sleeps so much right now she doesn't get up until 11:30, but my adult wakes up around 10:00. They're only up at night, but I let the sleep in a hedgie sack sometimes around 8:00. I would get up early to see them active, but they're asleep.


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