Hibernation attempt?

[dirtypaws]

hi! so i just got my 8 wk old hedgie last night from a pet store and she's been curled up in a ball all day. she was doing the same when i brought her home last night but during the night i heard her running on the wheel and wrestling around in the cage. when i try to pick her up she shakes a little and makes a huffing noise. i don't know if this is because she's afraid or a possible hibernation attempt? it's hard to tell since i just got her and i know babies sleep a lot/she's adjusting to her new home. i just bought a CHE from petsmart and put it about a foot above the cage in case she was too cold and the thermometer reads about 75. help!!

[DesireeM81]

She's probably just scared. She went through a new and scary change recently. As long as she reacts even if she is in a ball she should be fine. Huffing and puffing are good signs.

[Lilysmommy]

Agreed that she's probably just scared. You have her cage at a good temperature and if she were hibernating, she would feel cool to the touch and be groggy & slow to respond.

However, unless you're home most of the time & able to keep a close eye on the CHE, it would be a good idea to get a thermostat to control it for you. Thermostats are almost a requirement for CHEs (meaning, they ARE a requirement unless you have extremely stable weather in your area or you're home constantly) so they can turn the lamp on & off as needed and keep the temperature steady. Otherwise if the temperature in the room changes due to weather, just over the course of the day, etc., the temperature in the cage is going to change as well since the CHE can't adjust to keep it the same.