Hedgehog change in sleeping position and behaviour?

[hedgie_lover24]

hi Everyone, my female hedgehog, Winky, will be two in December. She’s always been super attached to her igloo, and always has slept there for two years. Lately she has started occasionally sleeping under her wheel out in the open. Not always, but several times. She also has always been super huffy and puffy since I got her, especially when I try to pick her up from her cage. Lately she isn’t as huffy and her reactions are less intense and more delayed. She also seems way more likely to eat, run, and walk around her cage in front of me, which she used to rarely feel comfortable with when I was around. She doesn’t seem lethargic, and she’s eating, drinking and pooping normally from what I can tell. I’m just so used to her behaving a specific way every day for over a year, so I’m worried this means something? If she’s choosing a new random spot in the cage to sleep occasionally, could that be a sign she’s like preparing to die or something? 😞 She looks normal and healthy around her eyes, ears, mouth etc.
She has gone through some changes lately, I moved out of my parents house about two weeks ago, and also my partner and I are babysitting a cat. But Winky is in a completely different room that the cat isn’t allowed in. Also, occasionally it will get pretty hot, and I will adjust the lamp and window as needed. But it is pretty summery here. But she started the behaviour before the cat was acquired. One other thing I should mention is that her ears have been tattered lately (I’m picking up Vaseline and flax seed on my way home) but the other day I was looking at her ears and I was feeling them and a pretty small piece of tattered ear came off. She didn’t seem bothered at all, and her ears aren’t bloody or red or anything.
Could any of these things have affected her behaviour? What should I do? I get super anxious regarding her and it’s hard for me to think of anything but the worst things
Thank you
Ava 😞

[Ria]

Hedgehogs changing sleeping places sometimes isnt a lot to worry about, I cant really see the changes being linked to the tattered ear though. With this sudden behaviour change I would go to a vet and get her checked up and tests done just to make sure she isnt ill. Being almost 2 they dont tend die on people unless theres health problems.
I would put the vaseline on the tattered ear every other day. Flaxseed oil is best in food twice a week - though you may have known that already.

Its really hard to tell when they are ill because they hide things really well, and its really hard for anyone on here to know what it is, however being a sudden behaviour change, I would definitely try going to a vet.

[e006073]

You can test the environment with a thermometer. Check if the temperature is too hot. If so, do something to lower the temperature. Hedgehogs may become poor or lethargic due to excessive temperature. They also seek a cool place to sleep.

[Mecki]

I too was wondering if your hedgehog might be coming out to find cooler temps. But then I saw you are in British Columbia. Looks like temps there haven't even reached 80 - closer to low to mid 70s. I doubt it is too hot.

[By contrast, our indoor temps run 78- 82 nowadays. (104 outside)]

[hedgie_lover24]

With her heat lamp at full it’s around 90 but i turn it down when I see it’s that high. Sometimes I’ll get home from work and it’ll be at 90 and she’ll be under the wheel. But sometimes she’s under the wheel even if it’s around 76

Originally Posted by Mecki

I too was wondering if your hedgehog might be coming out to find cooler temps. But then I saw you are in British Columbia. Looks like temps there haven't even reached 80 - closer to low to mid 70s. I doubt it is too hot. [IMG class=inlineimg]https://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/images/smilies/icon1.gif[/IMG]

[By contrast, our indoor temps run 78- 82 nowadays. (104 outside)]

[Ria]

Tou should have a thermostat to keep it around a specific temp it around a set temp otherwise its pretty dangerous to use the set up. I think the sleeping elsewhere is cause of the temp.

[Mecki]

It's not great for her to be getting such great changes in temperature. The purpose of the thermostat is to keep the CHE from making it too hot. You set it for a specific temp and the heat lamp only turns on if it drops below that. Then it turns off when it gets to your set temp.