[roxy]

i came in contact with a hedgehog for the first time almost 10 years ago and instantly fell in love. i begged and pleaded with my mom for weeks to have one, but she stood firm on her decesion to deney me and such privaliage. and now i have to say, thank you mom. at that age, i was not prepared to care for an animal that needed such dedication, time and effort.

time passed and a year or so ago i decided that i was ready to handle the responsibility of the tiny critter. i did extencive rescearch and convinced myself that i was well prepared for my first little hedgie. i bought roxy less than a week ago and i quickly realized that i was FAR from prepared.

since saturday i have been glued to my computer, reading different sites religousely, reading and posting in forms. (my boyfriend has even gotten a little upset with me because ive spent hours reading up on hedgehogs.) and the more i read, the more i fear i'm doin her more harm than good. first of all i was waaay too impatient to find one, and that was my biggest mistake. i went to the closest pet store and bought the last hogglet they had. the only backround info the shop worker could tell me was she was aprox 7 or 8 weeks old. i know nothing about the parents, if there petigre (i'm assuming not because i bought roxy for $99+ tax) i dont know if they have any bloodline conditions. i dont even know if there registered. i've also been looking for breeders in the area but i cant find a single listing for the whole provincw which leads me to belive roxy came from a greedy breeder, and possibly unsuitable conditions. my second biggest problem was i took the shop lady's advice on everything from food to toys and everything between, and the more i read the more i realize she was soooo wrong.

i understand that hedgehogs are nothing like cats or dogs, and i knew that before i bought her. i knew it was going to take some time for her to get use to me, but the more i obsesivly read up on them, reading other people's experiences and so forth, she seems a little more skiddish than she probly should be. yes it has been less than a week and i'm probly just working my self into an impatient panick, but the first few days i had her out she wanted nothing to do with socializing, or even exploring for that matter. she just wants to hide in the corner. shes even doing that in her cage as i'm typing this. in the corner of her pen under her wheel. my biggest fear is that she hasn't been socialized much before she was delivered to the pet shop, and i'm the farthest thing from prepared for any type of rescue mission.

i'm not about to give up on her tho. i wont allow her to be the poor critter that gets bumped from home to home for the rest of her life. but while i'm lost in my own problems of questions and conserns, i want to make it clear for any other first time hedgie owners : DO YOUR RESEARCH ! any i mean on EVERYTHING !!! because you never know all there is to know before you get him/her home. do it for hedgie's sake !!!!

 

[Guest]

On the bright side, yours is very young, and at a good age for socialization.

I've had hedgies who were handled a lot, and hedgies that weren't, and honestly they are both skittish for the first couple of weeks in a new home. It takes time for any hedgie to get used to a new environment and schedule. Some hedgies are more social than others, I have those that just just prefer to find somewhere to hole up in private whether upset or not, just a personality thing.

Does your hedgie have a couple options to pick from for privacy? Maybe an igloo and a hedgie bag, or a box or hollow "log"? Do you have something for it to burrow in... shavings or cut up fleece blanket? These give it somewhere it can feel safe and protected and relax a bit.

No matter how much you read, or how good the info, some hedgies defy all the suggestions anyway. You have to figure each one out anyway... what they will eat, how they prefer to be handled, how they like to play/explore/respond. No two are alike so they are each a wonderful surprise.

Enjoy this process of learning your little one's quirks, because they all have them, and we all get to solve the mysteries hiding in their little minds.

 

[Melissa]

I have ZERO background on all my hogs. Well I know the age of ONE. The other three are rehomes/rescues. If it make you feel better, two of my boys are still pretty unsocial. There will be days where I can take them out and think WOW I have a great hog here! Then others days in between those days I think "What is wrong with me? Im their mom and they hate me." I have a boy that actually get stress poop when handled for too long. He perfers to be alone. Some wont ever socialize and it is NOT your fault. But that one day that they do warm up for you, OH its great.

Your baby is still young and still new to you like you are new to her. There is plenty of time to socialize with her. Remember when you meet people you dont open up right away and tell all your secrets. You have to build a relationship slowly with them before you do. Thats how it is with hedgies. They depend on you 100%. But they need to trust you first before they can open up. It may take some time but keep working with her.

Also, having a pet store hedgie isnt the end of the world. It doesnt make them any less of a pet. Love and care for her like you spent a million dollars on her.

 

[PixiesExoticHedgies]

Also, having a pet store hedgie isnt the end of the world. It doesnt make them any less of a pet. Love and care for her like you spent a million dollars on her.

Melissa is right! For every breeder registered hedgie sold, I'm sure there are just as many sold in pet stores. It's no different than going to the ASPCA or local pound to adopt a pet. You don't get pedigrees or know their backgrounds, but you love them just the same!

Calm down, take a deep breath and stop worrying. You and your little hedgie will bond in no time. She still very young and easily adaptable. I had a 2 year old RESCUE and it took it me almost a year to resocialize him. With time and patience, even he became a very sweet hedgie and I was able to adopt him out to a very loving family.

Thank you for posting your honest opinions and your experience with the educational part of purchasing a hedgehog! You've already done MUCH more, than most buyers.

Best wishes,
Pixie

 

[roxy]

thank you both. it does help me relax a little. i probly am overreacting, ( i'm learning some stuff about myself here too ! ) i guess i just have new mommy jitters. it just freaked me out when she started hissing at me the other day and i keep reading that its a bad idea to get a pet store hedgie as your first, and then the pet store lady how recommended i feed roxy kibble that i later found out was actually toxic to her ( !!!!!!) and i just went into panic mode she does seem fine, like a normal hedgie, i'm watching her as i get ready for work, playin and digging in the sod. yes she has a few options for hiding. i have a log tunnel, a hedgie bag she likes to drag around her pen, one of my shirts, and she like to hide under her litter box :roll: . its just a trust thing now, and i'm sure she'll come around i just need to be patient. thanks again and i do hope my story helps some potential new mommy/daddys

 

[Kalandra]

Be patient, and don't stress. She is still getting used to your new home and is still figuring out what you are all about. If you try to remain calm, don't be scared of her hissing, etc. she will learn that you are OK and your bond will start to develop.

Petstore hedgehog's aren't exactly ideal as you don't know anything about their background. But they can be wonderful pets too. If you understand just what you are lacking you will make up for it. Meaning, you won't breed her. You will understand that its quite possible to have a genetic problem pop up and will become frustrated because you can't tell a breeder about it and nothing will be done to stop that line. I think this latter one is the biggest frustration I have with hedgehogs of unknown lines.

Congrats on the baby. Keep reading, ask questions and relax.

 

[Vortex]

my hedgehog Daisy is from a pet store and she PERFECT ! she dose have a bit of an atttitude but i love her just the same, just keep talking to her and being clam with her, sometimes animals can sence stress in us and i think it just makes them more stressed, when i first brought daisy home a few days later i got so sick i coulint get out of bed, and i felt so bad that i couldint take her out but i just put her cage by my bed and talked to her every day till i was better and she ended up learning my voice,
all hedgies are differint and it will take time for her to get to know you, dont give up and she will end up loveing you sonner or later!
and i think its very kind of you to post your story for others to learn!

 

[numothehedgehog]

See I think it really depends.
Here in winnipeg petland has the most social hedgehogs ever that they are like zombies!
They arent scared of anything. My Razzle (RIP) was from petland and he was a sweetie never EVER quilled up. It was actually weird.. NEVER GET A PETSTORE HEDGIE. he died on me =[ Brain tumor..

anyways my other two numo and jumbie are pretty social.
Jumbie I got from a girl who got him from connie.
Connie socialized him but the girl didnt socialize him properly and he started bad habits.
Hes a biter.

Numo I didnt socialize properly and hes very timid.
He only unballs for me and it makes me smile.

 

[roxy]

a quick update!! things have been going so well ! its only been a week but things have improved amazingly ! i changed the soap i use and i think that was a big part of her huffyness. i grew a back bone and started pickin her up despite her hissing and jumpiness. i do use a comfort bag to pick her up, but i think she'd rather that for the time being. i let her go exploring on her own one night outside her playpen but she ended up hiding under the couch and i couldnt get her out for almost 45 minutes :? shes given up the hissing so far when i pick her up, but she still pretty skidish. but its cool cause i know we still have a long way to go. i love my little hedgie and i have no regrets in the world for getting her, despite not knowing any thing about her. ( i think she was older than 2 months when i got her tho, i was at the pet store the other day and they had more, also 2 months old, but they were waaay smaller) i still highly recomend any new parents to keep up the research, ask questions and be patient ! building a friendship takes time, and its totally worth it

 

[lilhoglet]

i'm glad that everything is working out.

honestly i think even all of the research in the world cannot prepare you for mommy jitters... i'm about to pick my first baby in a week and i'm entirely all too nervous about what kind of mother i'm going to be. =/ i'm sure i'll be just as panicked - even if he's social w/ me right off the bat! lol ...

at least we both have a great support system like the people on here if you ever need someone to talk to, give me a pm!