Aaria
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My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/08 22:27
So I just picked up my little one from Stasi about 4 hours ago and she is so sweet. I think I'm going to name her Saffron. Unfortunately I have discovered that I'm afraid to pick her up. How silly! I read somewhere that you can get your finger stuck when they ball up and it can get crushed because their side muscles are really strong. I'm afraid my finger is going to get stuck. This is extra silly because she hasn't even balled up yet. She is so friendly! Anyone have any advice?
Also she keeps shaking a little bit. It looks like she is shivering. Do hedgehogs shiver? My thermostat says it is over 70 degrees in my apartment but I am so worried that she will get too cold. Is she just scared of me?
Another first for me... I stepped on my first stray quill. Those buggers are pointy!
thanks,
Becky
Becky
Mother of Peanut the baby hedgehog |
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Aaria
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/08 22:29
Ok one more thing. She keeps climbing to the top of her cage and then falling down. I'm afraid she is going to get hurt. How do I keep her from doing this?
Becky
Mother of Peanut the baby hedgehog |
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Meralex
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/09 07:16
Congrats on the hedgie. No I don’t think your finger would get stuck and if she’s happy to be picked up you’re not going to find out. Lychee huffs and puffs when we pick him up and then there’s 2 scenarios a) He’ll ball which means we have to roll him into our hands and he’ll come out of it in 30 seconds b) we’ll get our fingers either side of him and scoop him up in which case he won’t bother balling and accept he’s coming out to play. He doesn’t tend to ball if he’s already in our clutches.
I’m fairly new also so not sure about climbing, although when researching before we got Lychee I read that they will climb so try not to have any cage levels above 6 inches which I kind of took to mean they won’t hurt themselves if they fall that far although if they got a foot caught it wouldn’t be good. We’ve got a guinea pig cage which the bottom is a good 3-4 inches of plastic that our boy can’t climb up, so if you want her to stop climbing maybe put some strips of plastic so she can’t get up to the cage bars. Has she got a wheel yet? If she decides she likes it that might distract her from climbing (a lot).
I’m not sure if Hedgehogs shiver because they’re cold. We’ve started putting lychee on the floor and he started shivering, I think it was because it was new to him. Don’t think it’s because she’s scared of you, it’s more likely all the new smells.
I’d get a thermometer for her cage, we’ve got a digital fridge one that didn’t cost that much, as a room thermostat probably isn’t reliable enough to make sure she’s at a happy temperature. We had a false hibernation attempt which was very upsetting so now we got a heat pad and a space heater near the cage hooked up to a thermostat plug on top of her cage.
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Aaria
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/09 12:03
Another question I have is about lighting. Does she need a light at night? What about during the day? My apartment windows don't really let in any light because they all face north and any light I would get is blocked by other buildings. I left a light on for her today.
Becky
Mother of Peanut the baby hedgehog |
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Andrea
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/09 12:25
Hi there! I adopted my hedgie in February from Stasi and I totally love him.
Hedgies like it really dark at night so you do not need any light in the room. Most likely your hedgie will be really active at night so dont be surprised if you hear your hedgie eating, wheeling, running around etc.
I can relate to feeling afraid to pick up your hedgie. I was not worried about my finger being stuck but I was worried about being nipped/bit and I also worried that my hedgie did not like me. I also was hesitant to scoop him up, which was making him nervous. Also, I was nervous, which was making him nervous.
Stasi coached me over the phone to scoop up the hedgie via two hands on either side and then scoop up carefresh, too, at the same time and then do the "separate an egg" trick where you shift the hedgie from hand to hand and then let the carefresh fall down back in the cage. Stasi probably can type you a better explanation.  Now I am able to use just one hand and I scoop him up from the side but at first two hands helps.
A few other tips, that you have probably already heard, is to use unscented hand soap so the hedgie does not think your hands are food or something and also to try to stay relaxed......I know it is hard (I speak from experience) but you are the mommy and you can do this.
The good news is that despite my problems early on with handling him and my fears/anxieties, we are now good buddies. I am able to handle him and we are both relaxed and happy. I now have confidence in my abilities. I tell you this to cheer you up and to cheer you on. You will get better every day and you will start to get to know your little hedgie and you will be a wonderful mommy.
I know the first few times I held Spikey, he trembled a bit and Stasi said it was due to excitment. And his sniffing was also indicating that he was excited and happy to be out.
I hope this helps and congratulations on your new hedgie.
Andrea
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omelette
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/09 15:07
First off, welcome to the wonderful world of hedgehogs! Don't worry so much about getting your finger stuck! I used to worry about that too actually. But I realized that it would actually be hard to get my finger stuck. It's kinda an odd situation, mostly because my fingers aren't usually in a position to get caught. Just as Andrea suggested, use two hands to scoop her/him up. As for the climbing, you may want to put up a larger barrier. Try using a piece of coroplast. Or you can just switch her cage over to a large sterilite tub. Hope to see pictures of your little one soon!
Lisa
My Heart Belongs to:
Teddy, Sugar, Sapphie, Fudge, Archie, Chuckie - The Yorkies
Emery (Black), Wendy (Siamese Mix), Echo (Tabby) - Cats
Omelette - Hedgehog
Jack - Guinea Pig
Artex - Hamster
Lesley - Hermit Crab
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Aaria
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/09 20:03
Here she is. I finally decided I'm naming her Peanut.
I love her and I think she is sooo cute. I wish I wasn't afraid to pick her up. I practiced picking her up with a blanket and at least it was a start. When I got her up then I put her on my hand. I'm not really sure how to interact with her? What do I do with her? She is really active and she just wants to explore everything. She went under my couch for a while. When I put her on my lap she just jumps off. Will she ever like me? I don't really have any treats for her and I am not going to hold a meal worm in my hand even when I get some so I don't think I can bribe her into liking me. This is way harder than I thought!
Post edited by: Aaria, at: 2008/04/09 20:06
Post edited by: Aaria, at: 2008/04/09 20:07
ok I can't get the pictures to work let me try again
Post edited by: Aaria, at: 2008/04/09 20:08
Becky
Mother of Peanut the baby hedgehog |
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Aaria
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/09 20:09
Post edited by: Aaria, at: 2008/04/09 20:09
Becky
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HappyHedgie8
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/09 20:19
Peanut is so cute!!
~Felicia
**Mommy of Tweetle the hedgehog!**
~Felicia :] |
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Andrea
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/09 20:51
Ohhhh, peanut looks like Spikey! Arent they so cute?
Dont worry, you will bond with your hedgie. It is ok to use the towel to scoop him up and put him back; I had to do that at first until I learned the two hand method. When your hedgie is exploring, he is sniffing and he is getting to know you even if you dont realize it. It is ok to let him explore, just make sure he is safe and does not fall off of any steep areas. You can use your hand to gently re-direct him (or use a sock on your hand if you are too nervous to use your hand) when peanut gets too close to an edge. You can also put your hand flat and let peanut walk over your hand as he is exploring. If he starts sniffing and then licks, move your hand because a nip may be coming (this probably wont happen but just FYI).
I used to put a few kibbles around his exploring area and Spikey does stop to eat. Maybe not right away but he does eat kibbles outside his cage.
It is so cool that peanut looks like spikey. I need to learn how to post a picture and I wish Spikey would coorporate--all pictures have been blury up to this point.
Andrea
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HappyHedgie8
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/09 21:17
Andrea wrote:
I need to learn how to post a picture and I wish Spikey would coorporate--all pictures have been blury up to this point.
Andrea
Andrea, you could send them to my email adress and I could post them for you, hotpeppers808@yahoo.com.
~Felicia
**Mommy of Tweetle the hedgehog!**
~Felicia :] |
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Andrea
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/10 07:57
Thank you!!! I will take you up on that. Now I have to try to get a good picture without him moving around.
Andrea
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Aaria
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/10 09:22
I had my camera set in digital macro and the pictures were blurry but when I took that off they were much clearer. You might want to check that.
I have more if you want to see them. I could only get the one to work in that post.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044745&l=80756&id=3800493
Becky
Mother of Peanut the baby hedgehog |
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LORI611
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/10 09:45
Congrats on your new hedgie!! I think if you looked into the FAQ section or the articles section you can REALLY find out alot of info.(hope that helps?!?) Also if you don't like mealies try cooked chicken.(tiny bits) Good Luck with your new baby!!
LORI, SOUTHINGTON, CT
Mom of:
Chloe(dog), Mr.Toad(frog) and Hazel the hedgie!! |
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omelette
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/10 11:42
Cooked chicken is always a great bribe! Some hedgehogs don't even like mealworms, so don't worry and think that you are depriving her of them. Try giving her a toilet paper tube. Some hedgies really enjoy sticking their heads in them and running around. One thing you could try to get her used to your smell is to sleep with her hedgie bag for a night. Then after it's got your scent, put it in her cage. That way she knows your smell and she won't be threatened by it. Btw Peanut is really cute!
Lisa
My Heart Belongs to:
Teddy, Sugar, Sapphie, Fudge, Archie, Chuckie - The Yorkies
Emery (Black), Wendy (Siamese Mix), Echo (Tabby) - Cats
Omelette - Hedgehog
Jack - Guinea Pig
Artex - Hamster
Lesley - Hermit Crab
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Aaria
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/10 11:52
I don't mind giving her mealworms just not out of my hand. And there is no way I am rubbing it between my fingers like the article says. eeeew.
And I did wear a shirt a whole day and then put it in her cage. Its under her hedgie bag and she sleeps under all the layers instead of in the bag. She is silly.  It scared the crap out of me the first time because I couldn't find her.
Post edited by: Aaria, at: 2008/04/10 11:54
Becky
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voodewlady
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/10 15:36
What an adorable hedgie. You lucky girl you!
~Erin~
~Lives in the land of OZ~
Ms. Pickles the hedgehog
Mischa the ferret
Sydney the dapple dachshund
My Myspace link:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=120500732
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artemisia
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/10 19:05
Peanut is so adorable! I love the picture on your Facebook of her looking out of the igloo, how did you get that shot? Pelly has the same igloo, and he sleeps under the layers of his hedgie bag too, so don't worry about Peanut doing it!
So far everything you've done sounds good. Don't worry too much about being uncomfortable with picking her up just yet, it just takes practice. I've had Pelly for a little over a month now and I'm already to the stage where I do the one-handed, no cover pick up. But believe me, I was grabbing him with towels for quite a while (and still do if he's particularly grumpy). It is possible for your finger to get stuck if the hedgie balls up, but it's not overly dangerous or painful by any means. For the most part they don't want it there as much as you don't want it there, so it shouldn't be prolonged.
I think your best bet, considering that Peanut is a runner as you say, is to find a safe room and just let her run all over you and around. You could also get her a run-about ball, which can be fun for safer exploring. Handle her as much as possible, even if it's only for a short time every day. One thing that might work (can't remember if it was posted here already) is to take her out just when she's waking up, or when she might normally be sleeping. Thus she's more likely to be tired and cuddly, and less likely to try to run. This can be some of the best interaction time.
I do have one question for you after looking at the pictures of her cage...have you seen her (or evidence of) drinking from her water bottle? I only ask because it looks like it's hooked somewhat high. I can't honestly tell from the pictures, but your cage looks similar to mine, and I remember that I had to rework the bottle because Pelly had trouble reaching it. I could be wrong, but I'm just curious!
Beyond that I hope you and Peanut enjoy yourselves!
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Aaria
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/10 19:57
I have seen her drinking from it but I have to kind of lead her to it. She sniffs around it and i pushed her closer and she found it. I can't figure out how to get it lower because the plastic part is in the way. It leaks anyway so I'm going to get another little bowl to put under it. Then she can drink out of the bowl or the bottle which ever she likes.
I tried to give her a piece of chicken today. She sniffed it and then huffed at it! I don't think she likes chicken. I tried a piece of fruit also and she huffed at that too. At least she ate a whole lot of kibble today so she is eating something.
I wish she liked me more. It seems like I am more of an annoyance than anything else. I don't know how to hedgieproof a room because well I only have two rooms besides the bathroom and they have all of my stuff in them. She likes to go under my couch but then I have to wait for her to decide to come out because I can't reach her. Please tell me that she will actually like me some day.
Becky
Mother of Peanut the baby hedgehog |
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Andrea
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Re:My first hedgie experience - 2008/04/10 20:10
Dont worry--your hedgie will like you and probably already likes you.
If you read my older posts, I had the same worry. In fact, there is an archived article from the moderators or from the Primer that deals with the common worry "my hedgehog doesnt like me."
You are a good mommy and things will work out.
andrea
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