[_gatecrasher_]

I suppose this is 'personality and behavior' related.

I get to pick up my new baby hedgie on Saturday morning and am SO EXCITED!

Everything is all set. I'm going to set up all of the items that I bought hedgie in her cage tonight. I feel like an expectant mother - haha. In all of the research/reading I've done, it all points to putting hedgie in her new home and then leaving her alone for 24-48 hours. I understand that I'm supposed to just leave her alone so she can adjust to her new home before playtime.

My question is, HOW were you able to leave your hedgie alone - didn't you all just want to play with your hedgie?? If hedgie seems friendly and relaxed enough is it ok to play with her when she first comes home? If not, then how were you able to resist the temptation of new hedige playtime?

 

[smhufflepuff]

well... I didn't...

I brought my hedgiebaby home on a Friday evening and had time to play with her at the breeders before we left to go back home. I did leave her alone for the night time (occasionally peering in her house to make sure she was okay). But I think (if I'm remembering correctly) I checked on her when morning came around to make sure she was okay... picked her up to make sure she was warm, but didn't play with her per se. I also had to fiddle with her house to refill her food and water. Then it was off to work for me. After I got home that evening, I peered in to see her sleeping in her hedgiebag, had dinner, relaxed for a bit, then brought my new little baby out to play. After a little running about, she feel asleep in my hands, so I just held her and let her sleep.

We keep a similar schedule to this day. A quick check in the morning... often with footbath for poopy feet. And playtime at night where she runs and bit, then snuggles down in my arms to sleep.

I think the idea of leaving hedgies alone to acclimate to their new surroundings is a good one... particularly if you see yours becoming stressed (huffy behavior, popping, green poops...). You don't want to tucker the poor things out by making them play when they don't want to. But if they seem relaxed, I don't see why you couldn't take them out to hold them for awhile.

 

[_gatecrasher_]

Cool, thanks!

I'm picking her up at 11am and we should be home around 1:00ish. I have a party to go to at 8pm in the evening, but I know I'll be tempted to play with her if she chooses not to sleep right away! I know giving her time alone is important though.

The hedgie that I picked out was VERY friendly. When I first picked her up she didn't ball up at all - just snuffled around exploring and then curled up and took a nap in my hands.

 

[Immortalia]

Hehe, I know it gets really tempting. When I picked my baby up, played with him at the breeder's for like an hour, because he just curled up in my hands and fell asleep :lol: So I stood holding him for over an hour, while talking with the breeder.

Once we got home (about an hour's drive) I put him in his cage and left him, this was about early evening. I left him completely for the rest of the night, to let him explore on his own. I took him out the next night and he just slept in my lap for about 3 hours :lol: and he was asleep the entire time.

The main thing, is you have to imagine how they'd feel. The last thing you want to do is make a bad first impression. This brand new place with brand new smells is going to be their home, their safe haven. So if you stress them out too much, it doesn't look like a very safe place for them to live, in their eyes. The important thing is, letting them know that this will be their home, and it will be safe. So keep that in mind.

If your hedgie is good, I think it would be ok to check on her before you leave for the party, just to make sure she's ok, and that she as food and water. But when you first get home, I would personally leave her alone for at least a few hours.

Good luck with your new baby!

 

[_gatecrasher_]

Thank you so much!!

And you are right, letting her get acclimated is quite important. I'm just thinking about how I was when I moved to new apartments - I wanted to unpack, arrange everything and then just spend time there getting used to the place. I'm sure hedgie will be the same.

Wow - an hour at the breeders?! When I first picked Olive out, I think my BF and I were there for 30-45 minutes playing with the hedgies. My breeder seems great though. She has all of her hedgies in the basement, but as soon as Olive was weaned, she moved her upstairs so she'll be used to noise, light, etc. AND BELIEVE ME - that house was noisy. They had two dogs, a few cats, rats, two very young kids, snakes, rabbits...it was a total menagerie!! She's also been socializing with Olive and will be giving me some toys and 7-10 days worth of the food she's been eating (so I can mix it what I want to feed her). OMG I'm sooo excited!!!

Also - totally random, but I bought 5 yards of different prints/colors of fleece material online at Amazon.com (via JoAnn fabrics) for a mere $17.