[Caspar]

Hello!

I'm Caspar!
I recently found this forum through google after searching for information on hedgehogs.
I rescued a baby last week from some guy on craigslist who had gotten her from a petstore thinking she would be a great pet for his kids. He wasn't aware that hedgies are nocturnal and aren't as snuggly as other pets, like cats or dogs.

I've never owned a hedgehog before, but I did a ton of research before going to pick her up, and she's doing rather well!

She's 12 weeks old, being fed on Royal Canin Light 40 Formula Cat Food. Right now she's got Carefresh for bedding, but I'm thinking of using fleece liners and litter training her, as I've heard that it is possible; and I've already got yesterday's news, as that is what my rabbit currently uses. Would this be a good idea?

She is also rather hand-tame from what I've seen with hedgies. She's currently snuffling around on my lap rather happily, and only really puffs up and hisses when there are loud noises.

I bought her a super pet silent spinner solid wheel last night and she seems to love it. I don't think she's ever had a wheel before.

I'm also not sure what color to call her. I'll have to post some pictures up, but she's a very light cinnamon/brown color, her nose is brown and her mask is a very light brown. Dark eyes. Her belly is white, though I haven't checked for mottling yet.

Another thing: I don't know what to name her. So far I've come up with:
Molly
Millie
Lilly
Imp
Inari
Quillian(quill or Q for short)
Piper
or Penelope


Any suggestions?

 

[Ahava]

haha those are cute names and congrats on the new baby!

Pictures! Sometimes that helps with the whole naming thing. Plus I just want to see pics of your hedgie, hehe.

 

[Caspar]

Here are some pics of her I just took!

Also, she appears to be losing some of her quills, is this normal?

 

[Ahava]

Ahh she is so cute!
And yes, the losing quills is normal. It is a process called quilling. Be careful as her skin might be a little sensitive for a while, so if she acts annoyed or uncomfortable, that is probably why.

What about Lina? I dunno that name just popped into my head haha.
But omg she is ADORABLE!
Congrats!

 

[LarryT]

Congrats on the new hedgie she is adorable
I like Piper.
Switching to liners is the way to go and yesterdays news is what i use just be sure to inspect it for anything that should not be in there some things have been found in yesterdays news that could hurt your hedgie.
Also the silent spinner is not a recomended wheel because of the slits in the wheel your hedgie could get its nails caught and get seriously injured.

 

[Caspar]

I don't know if we are talking about the same wheel.. But my silent spinner doesn't have slots, it's solid plastic wheel. it has slight little ridges, but no holes or slots whatsoever.
This is the wheel I have:

she seems to love it. It can attach right to the cage bars as opposed to just having to use the tripod stand..

 

[Nancy]

All silent spinners have slots or slits in the running tread. They are between the two colours of plastic. Also, the crack between the two colours is a risk of catching a toenail.

 

[Bengall77]

She's beautiful. I like the names Piper and Lilly.

Yes, you can use Yesterday's News. I used to use aspen shavings and I switched to liners. I love it because I don't have to worry about pieces scattering all over the place or my little guy being in dirty, messy shavings. Also, the smell is a lot better with the liners because I change them daily. Once the wheel is cleaned the smell dissipates from the room in about 10 minutes.

 

[Caspar]

Ok, so the silent spinner is no good. I'll have to return it.

Would the Super Pet Comfort Wheel be ok?

I'm a student, and I'm a little strapped for cash. I also don't want to dip into my emergency health fund(All of my animals - that aren't covered by pet insurance [I have a 3 year old rabbit and an 11 year old corn snake, and no plans cover exotics at this point] - have about $500 in the bank in case of any medical emergencies).

Also, My hedgie is doing very well so far! She loves toilet paper tubes, and flipping pretty much anything over. I've made her a couple of more little huts in addition to her igloo, made from various sizes of cardboard boxes and margerine/ice cream containers(Sanded down the edges after cutting openings) and she loves them.

I'm still not sure on a name yet, though I'm leaning towards either Molly, Lia, Lina(thanks, Ahava!), Mia, or Penelope.

 

[Linsoid]

I was reading through your post, and it reminded me of when I was going to buy a hedgie from a pet store close to me (i live in Buffalo, NY). I called, and they said they had one, and she had only been there a few weeks. I thought "Great! I can bring my hedgie home today!" I got there, and this guy was there with his kids, buying it on a wing. I was so upset, not only because he was buying the hedgie i had called about, But because he was so clueless about the poor animal. Didn't even know what to feed it!

Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you rescued your little girl from a home that couldn't love it properly and I hope things continue to go well!

 

[krbshappy71]

I really like the name Molly!!!

I would like to recommend the Flying Saucer. I have two of them and my hedgies use them every night. They are super easy to clean as the Saucer part just pulls off, can dump loose stools into the trash can, then can soak it in a small bathroom sink with soap and water. I grab mine in the morning and let it soak all day while at work, then do a hot water rinse before giving them back. Taking care of that task first thing in the morning really does help keep the room smelling fresh.

On a side note, I had the exact wheel that you posted and it was kind of a pain to wash. Then, since I didn't have it attached to the cage, just using its stand, it fell over on my hedgie. That was not ok, I went out and bought the saucer.

 

[shetland]

She is just a little angel. I love all of the pictures!!!!!!

 

[LarryT]

Report this postReply with quoteRe: New Hedgie owner here!
by Caspar on Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:33 am

Ok, so the silent spinner is no good. I'll have to return it.

Would the Super Pet Comfort Wheel be ok?

The comfort wheel is ok it can be a pain to clean sometimes and can fall over on your hedgie just like the silent spinner unless it is attached to the cage.

 

[Linsoid]

I also recommend the flying saucer. My new hedgie had a bad wheel before, and i was afraid he wouldnt know how to use this one, but he loves it. It is super easy to clean too!

 

[Caspar]

I've actually read some pretty bad reviews on the flying saucer, some even from hedgie owners who complained that their hedgehogs have to run almost croslegged because of the tilt of the dish, and some have fallen off of it frequently. I'm looking more for something that I can attach to the cage itself. I don't fully trust tripod wheels, since I've had a hamster killed by a fallen over wheel.

I think I'll try the Comfort Wheel and attach it to the cage. If it doesn't work out, maybe i'll try making my own bucket wheel or something.

Also, I think I've decided on the name Molly.

Thank you all for your suggestions! =D