thistle
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Newbie worry - 2007/09/12 16:15
Hi everyone
I got my first hedgie on Saturday. He's an 11wk old chocolate snowflake (according to his breeder, although I can't see any difference between him and a chocolate) that i've called Hector.
When I try to pick him up he does the usual hissing and popping, but once i'm holding him he quickly uncurls and (although obviously still scared) wanders over me and cuddles up at my neck. My problem is that when I put him back in the cage he burys himself in his bedding and won't come out again for hours (last night, after I had him out for 10 minutes at about 9pm, he didn't venture out of his hidey-hole until after 3.30am and then only for 10 minutes!). I was worried that maybe he was cold (well we are in Scotland so the temperature is never very high) so I got him a sugglesafe microwaveable heat pad, but that has made no difference.
But, my major worry is that he is not really eating. He hasn't even looked at the dried cat food the breeder used, and I've tried wet cat food, chicken, babyfood, etc, but he won't touch any of it in his bowl. The only way that i can get him to eat anything is to hand feed him. He would eat as many mealworms as I can give him, has taken the odd mouthful of chicken and today I managed to get him to eat 4 chunks of wet cat food, but that's it! I was expecting him to be nervous but if anything I though that it would be the other way around and he would eat from the bowl but not my hand.
I know that it's early days but I'm really concerned, I would hate for him to end up making himself ill.
Barbara with Hector & Harriet Hog
Glasgow, Scotland |
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