[MimiKitten]

Hello everyone!

My name is Mimi and I adopted a 5 month old albino hedgehog two days ago! I have never owned a hedgie before but I'm already in love!

I am 100% open to any suggestions or tips and tricks I should know! I currently am struggling with getting her to warm up to me and don't want to mess it up!

Here she is attached below! <3

 

[sc2001]

What a cutie pie!!

If u haven't tried the t-shirt trick, you definitely should. Wear a t-shirt for a few nights to bed and then put it in your hedgies cage. Your hedgie will most likely sleep in it. This will get her accustomed to your scent.

Make sure to be very consistent with bonding. Every night for AT LEAST 30 min.

 

[ashleyyy]

Welcome! I have an albino baby who is about the same age as yours! I got her when she was 8-9 weeks, but now they're the same age.

Like stated above, consistency is key. Some hedgies take longer than others to warm up to their owner, so just be patient and with time, you both will get there. Always make sure she has something to feel safe and protected when she is on you, I'm sure that will help. And also, some people say being in dim lights makes their hedgie more comfortable. Either way, congratulations on getting her!

 

[Soyala_Amaya]

I will put out there that having an albino hedgie has a few more issues than a regular hedgie. Albino animals in general tend to have very sensitive skin. Be careful of his ears, the thin little edges will dry out REALLY fast and can form a yucky crust that is very painful.

I found that all natural lanolin nipple cream for nursing mothers worked really well at keeping my albino's ear from getting itchy and flakey. Also, he loved the taste of it so even though he was an angry boy, I could get it on his head because he was so focused on trying to lick it off my fingers!

She might also develope vision problems later and become even more skittish towards movement. Depending on her type of albinism, she could either be more blind than a normal hedgie, or have light sensitivity.

These are all just things to be aware of when taking on an albino hedgie. Fortunately, albinism doesn't normally affect lifespan! You just have to be aware of the quirks of being albino.

She is adorable and brings back a lot of memories looking at her

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

Hey mimi welcome and congrats on the adoption!

 

[MimiKitten]

I work from home so I have her out all day basically! I took a small fleece blanket I used and gave that to her for her bed so hopefully that'll warm her up to me!

I think she must be quilling or just have sensitive skin because she is just down right not happy sounding with me haha. I'm going to just wear a hoodie and have her in that all day so that hopefully she'll start liking me more!

Curious, what kind of things do you give your hedgies for a treat?

I hope her age won't affect her too badly on how comfortable she gets with me. I have a feeling she wasn't really taken care of at her old home or played with much!

 

[phoenixjay]

Having her out all day probably isn't a good idea. Hedgies need sleep during the day, because they are nocturnal. It is fine to have her out for a few hours (to take her to the vet as an example) during the day, but hedgies do need their sleep.

 

[ellisrks01]

Curious, what kind of things do you give your hedgies for a treat?

Hey! Welcome to the forum

Here's two threads about treats you can read through.http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/12-diet-nutrition/23058-offering-fresh-foods-treats.html
http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/12-diet-nutrition/17725-treat-list-safe-fruits-veggies.html
Hope this gives you some ideas.

 

[MimiKitten]

Having her out all day probably isn't a good idea. Hedgies need sleep during the day, because they are nocturnal. It is fine to have her out for a few hours (to take her to the vet as an example) during the day, but hedgies do need their sleep.

Haha sorry, I should have rephrased that! She is only out for a few hours, I know she needs sleep haha, I wouldn't keep her up!