Pregnant 3mth old Hedgie

[LISA FOSER]

Hi
I bought my baby hedgehog, Nutmeg (she is cinnamon ) on the 17th December, she was about 2 months old. I bought her from a petshop, we dont have specific breeders in South Africa and they are very scares.

She is adorable and was really friendly when I got her, however she seems to be picking up weight really fast and doesnt really like to be picked up now. I weighed her on the 20th Dec and she weighed 158gms I weighed her today (28th) and she is up to 224gms. Is there a possiblity that she could be pregnant? (I hope not). When I got her she was still with her mom and 3 brothers. Since getting her I have kept her alone so there is not chance that my male has mated with her. Will she be ok having babies so young? Is there anything special that I can do to make this easier on her if she is pregnant?

Please can someone advise me on what is best to do?

[monmon004]

From what I observed to my hedgie, each day they gain 1gram if no exercise. You said when you got her she was with her mom and 3 brothers right?When they're 2 months old, the male is available for breeding already and they're not picky with their mate. That's why in lots of breeders, it's already common sense, when they see the male gets aggressive they should separate the male already because they might try to mate with their sisters or mother. That's the disadvantage of petshops because they don't know the what's right and wrong because they just sell, they're just advised by the breeder, and just sell accessories. Only few petshops are knowledgeable.
If your 3month old hedgie is pregnant there would only be a slight chance of her giving birth safe. No one can tell if she's going to live when she give birth.

[OliversTwist]

No need for immediate panic here. Accidents do happen and your little girl will likely be just fine.
Treat all as normal. Feed her good food and show her loves. If she is pregnant about a week to a few days or even 24 horus before she will likely build a BIG nest to help you know babies are here.
DONT touch them for the first few weeks and be quiet around her so she doesnt panic.

Just because she came in contact with a male doesnt mean she will have took. I (s well as many other breeders here) can tell you of huge periods of time inwhich we cant get a single hog to get pregnate.

Maybe she is just gaining weight from the new and more availble food!

Alll of my hogs maintain there own weight as well and dont just keep gaining. But a wheel is always great if you think she is too big!

a way to tell is to turn her over into a ball. If she can ball ALLLLL the way up and you can not see her face, She is a-okay. If she cant. its time for a diet. Just remeber hedgehogs are like people, some are big some are small, some are thinner and some a blittle bigger they come in all ranges.

Congrats on your new baby girl, if you have any other questions do feel free to ask

- Oni

[LISA FOSER]

Thanks so much for the replies. I did ask the petshop about seperation the male babies from the females and I have read that they can mate their mom and sisters from 2 mths, but they didnt seem to interested and did not really know much about hedgehogs at all. I think it is just an income for them. I have done quite a bit of research on the internet so I know that males become sexually active from 2 months. Hopefully Nutmeg isnt pregnant as I feel she is still a baby. The idea what that when she was old enough I would breed her with Sinbad, as hedgehogs are really scares in SA and I know of many people who want hedgehogs and are amazed that I have.

When I took her out of her cage this morning her tummy felt quite a lot more rounded than Sinbads. His is flatish. I will keep an eye on her and see how she does, I just hope that all goes well with her, as she is my little baby. Is it still ok to take her out of her cage and handle her? If she is pregnant when should I stop handling her?

[CThogs]

When I took her out of her cage this morning her tummy felt quite a lot more rounded than Sinbads. His is flatish. I will keep an eye on her and see how she does, I just hope that all goes well with her, as she is my little baby. Is it still ok to take her out of her cage and handle her? If she is pregnant when should I stop handling her?

I would treat her as if she may be pregnant but most likely she is just going through a growth spurt. Handle her but be extremely careful when approaching her nest in case she does have babies-usually you can tell if they do not come out to eat or if you can hear baby squeaks

[dzmeadows]

Not all hedgehogs will build a big nest before they deliver, especially younger ones who don't have their mommy instincts kicked in yet. Always approach the cage quietly, and talk to her before disturbing her. If she is grumpier than usual, or if you hear soft peeps, leave her alone. If she wants attention, give it to her, but only for short periods of time. No traveling or introducing her to new people yet.
Becca

[LISA FOSER]

Hi All, I cleaned out Nutmegs cage last night to prepare incase she is pregnant. She was really huffy, but calmed down after I offered her meal worms. She now weighs 288gms and is really big around her tummy and rear end. Hopefully if she is pregnant all will go well and we will have little hoglets in a couple of weeks.

[monmon004]

I hope your hedgie goes well when delivering her babies..^^

[LISA FOSER]

Just an update for all that are interested. Nutmeg now weighs 332gms, she has picked up 180gms since the 20th December. she was really otherwise with me but last night was friendly for a change. i have put her in a more spacious cage with her same igloo. she has been nesting for about 2 weeks now and if my timing is correct then she should have her babies (if she is pregnant and not just fat) by the end of next week. Should I leave her in the bigger cage (it is 1200x 600 x 600) or move her back to the smaller cage (800 x 500 x 400) I cannot fit a wheel in the smaller cage. Is there anything special I should feed her, as besides cat food and meal worms she is not interested in any fruit or veg) Non of my hedgehogs seem keen on fruit or veg.

Thank you so much in advance.
Regards

Lisa

[Stasi]

I'd take the wheel out just in case. Some moms feel the need to carry their babies on the wheel, which usually doesn't end well. I'd leave her in the cage she's in, don't disturb her too much.