Andrea
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hello! I am new here - 2008/03/12 20:03
Hi everybody! I am new to this forum. I adopted my hedgehog, Spikey, on 2-20-08 from Stasi, who has been an absolute SAINT with regards to answering my questions via phone and email, reassuring me about Spikey, allowing me to come up twice to visit and ask questions before I adopted and even inviting me and Spikey to her hedgehog party this weekend. She even probably saved Spikey's life (more on that in a second) when we had an emergency. I love Spikey so much--he is really cute and funny and even though I have some worries, I want to work through the issues (if they are even issues) because I consider Spikey part of the family. Spikey was born on New Year's day (how cool is that?)
The first week we had him home, he spent most of his time snuggled under my tee-shirt (which I put in there at the suggestion of the Primer book I bought from Stasi) in his new home, even though he had a hedgie bag. When I would check on him via peeking under the shirt, he would huff and pop and bury himself in the carefresh under the shirt. But I stayed up late at night and did observe him running all around his cage, so I knew the sleeping was normal. He was eating and pooping fine; now he seems to be eating much more and is only pooping in one area in his cage (which I scoop out every morning) so he has trained himself at this point.
I eventually removed the tee shirt and now Spikey is sleeping in his hedgie bag. He likes to scratch inside the back corners of the bag. Is this normal?
About two weeks after having him home, I noticed one Wednesday evening that Spikey was standing by his water bottle, giving me what I now think is the hedgie stare of death. At the time, I did not know exactly what was wrong or what that look meant. But then the next evening, Thursday, he was back by his water bottle but this time he was thrashing around, biting it, pulling on it. I tested it and realized that at some point it must have gotten jammed (I had seen him drink early on and had been testing it). So I started to squeeze the bottle, forcing water to come out and poor Spikey guzzled about an inch (or maybe even more) of water. I called Stasi in an emergency call (by then it was quite late) and she advised me to get another dish for his food and to put water in his food dish. I now have a separate food dish and water dish and have seen Spikey drink. Poor Spikey was probably dehydrated!
What I have noticed since then is that Spikey seems to be going through some kind of oral phase (which I read about on this forum); this may be a coincidence or directly related to the above situation. He was nipping at his hedgie bag, his carefresh, at his toy mouse, at his toilet paper tubes (even doing a shot-put where he would throw the tube with his mouth); he has also nipped and tugged at the towel I spread out when I do out of cage time. He nipped my husband's hand and then last night he nipped at his sock. The nipping does not follow a lick of any kind. It seems to be less intense than those first few days but I dont know what all of this mouth action means. It is making me more hesitant and nervous to pick him up and I usually keep my fingers/hands away from his mouth and will quickly transfer him to my arm or the towel. I know this is not helping him get to know me but I also dont know what is going on with all of these nips. And I know my nervousness about being nipped/bit is probably making him unhappy.
Otherwise, he seems healthy and I would like to think happy--poops are normal, he is eating and drinking. The room is warm--I have a thermostat space heater set. His cage is clean and I have some balls, tubes, a tunnel, and carefresh, which he likes to dig in. He home is upstairs in the office and it is not noisy. We do use the computer and talk to him but at night it is dark and quiet. Every evening I check on him in his hedgie bag and talk to him and put a few kibbles (one at a time) near the entrance and he always comes forward and eats. He is not really huffing or popping when I do this now--he usually just makes a little squeek noise and his forehead quills go down over his face but then they come up again. So I think he knows me a little bit.
When I do out of cage time, sometimes he just sits quietly or tries to snuggle under something. He has done some really funny antics with the tp tube, too. He is not huffing or popping much when out of the cage, unless something startles him (like the phone ringing). Yesterday I could tell he was aiming for my husband's sock, so I did the "blow air in his face" trick that the Primer book suggested. It did not really deter him too much but he did move on maybe sooner than he would have.
The other point to mention is that I have been finding very tiny quills on things--on the towel during out of cage time (like 5-6 each time), in his hedgie bag and a few in the cage. But he does not have bald spots or anything....so I dont know if this is quilling or not.
Any thoughts or suggestions.....I dont know if I am doing things wrong or if these things take time. The nipping/biting worries me. I feel like I have burned Stasi out with all of my initial angst but she has been a total saint and very patient.
Thank you so much for your help and/or ideas.
Andrea
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LORI611
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Re:hello! I am new here - 2008/03/13 08:24
Hey Andrea, Welcome and congratulations! It really sounds like you are doing a great job!! Spikey is definitely quilling!! My little Hazel JUST stopped quilling thank goodness!! She was extremely huffy and puffy during that phase Now it's just sometimes !!Gotta love 'em!! It was a bit of a tough time for her (and me!!)
Sorry, I can't help on the biting part, we didn't go through that, all I know is the air thing works, I've had to do it when Hazel was crazily licking me, I really thought a bite was coming, but that quick puff of air kind of distracts them.
Good luck , everyone here are really helpful and kind so don't be afraid to ask questions!
Lori
LORI, SOUTHINGTON, CT
Mom of:
Chloe(dog), Mr.Toad(frog) and Hazel the hedgie!! |
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omelette
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Re:hello! I am new here - 2008/03/14 00:34
welcome to the forum! so far it sounds like you are doing everything right. hedgehogs like to dig, so scratching at the bag, or trying to hide underneath something is normal. usually if i take omelette out during the day, she will hide underneath a blanket and go back to sleep. (or hide between the couch cushions.) since Spikey is relatively young, and you haven't noticed any bald spots, i'd say he is quilling. here's an article about quilling: http://www.hedgehogworld.com/content/view/40/42/
as far as the biting goes, i haven't had too many problems with it. omelette has bitten me twice. and it was probably because she smelled food on my fingers. the times i do see her bite anything, she self-annoints. when i first saw her do it i didn't realize it. she started aggressively biting the towel i had her on. i was afraid she might swallow the fibers so i took it away from her. but then she did it again on another occasion, and she started self-annointing. she did the same thing with a cat ball. but perhaps one of the more experienced hedgie owners would be more helpful?
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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Hedgehogmadhatter
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Re:hello! I am new here - 2008/03/14 10:12
Welcome Andrea!
It doesn't sound like Spikey is mean just that he's young and using his mouth to explore his world. He may not know just yet that it hurts when he bites you. So I think you are right.
My first hedgehog Bartleby was a bit like this when I first got him. What you can do to make it better; try NOT to show your nervousness or fear. Pick him up with confidence. You're right, he can feel your nervousness and it makes it worse. Also if he does bit you, try not to react, just say ouch! He will grow out of it and it sounds like you are doing great!
~Sara
“The fox has many tricks, and the hedgehog only one, but that is the best of all”
Archilochus (Greek lyric poet and soldier, 675-635bc)
There's no love like HEDGEHOG love!
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thistle
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Re:hello! I am new here - 2008/03/14 13:58
Hi Andrea!
Well I can't add anything to the info that everyone else is given so I will just say.....Welcome to the forum! 
Barbara with Hector & Harriet Hog
Glasgow, Scotland |
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saabgirl9000
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Re:hello! I am new here - 2008/03/14 18:08
About two weeks after having him home, I noticed one Wednesday evening that Spikey was standing by his water bottle, giving me what I now think is the hedgie stare of death. At the time, I did not know exactly what was wrong or what that look meant. But then the next evening, Thursday, he was back by his water bottle but this time he was thrashing around, biting it, pulling on it. I tested it and realized that at some point it must have gotten jammed (I had seen him drink early on and had been testing it). So I started to squeeze the bottle, forcing water to come out and poor Spikey guzzled about an inch (or maybe even more) of water. I called Stasi in an emergency call (by then it was quite late) and she advised me to get another dish for his food and to put water in his food dish. I now have a separate food dish and water dish and have seen Spikey drink. Poor Spikey was probably dehydrated!
This same thing happened to me! i guess that this is a warning to all new hedgie owners, make sure that your water bottles work before you put them into your hedgies cage. The one that I had, the vacuum was so strong that it wouldn't let any water out!
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=106956777
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LORI611
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Re:hello! I am new here - 2008/03/15 10:10
I started Hazel with a bottle and a dish and she definitely prefers the dish. One time I checked the little ball at the end of the tube and it was kind of stuck!! And I always tested it before I put it in the cage!! So I just took it out, it's easier to see how much she drinks out of the dish anyway.
LORI, SOUTHINGTON, CT
Mom of:
Chloe(dog), Mr.Toad(frog) and Hazel the hedgie!! |
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