New hoglett ?

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damik

Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
12
I got a new hoglet for my birthday. I went to the breeders and picked it out from their stock. He was the friendliest and sweetest little thing when I saw him over there. He was eager to be handled and very comfortable.

I took him home on the 12th. He was friendly on the drive home. I set him up in his new cage and he dug around for a bit and went right to bed. I let him sleep until the evening and brought him out of his cage.

Upon removing him from his cage my sweet little boy changed from a cuddle bug to a huffing, puffing ball of spines. I figured he was just scared of his new environment and being taken away from his mother.

I have been taking him out every night at around the same time trying to get him re-accustomed to me, but I haven't been successful. He is still a hissy, pissy, little twerp. (I mean that in a loving way.)

The only thing I found that gets him out of his ball is giving him a bath right when I take him out of the cage. He is not a big fan of the bath and I might be projecting, but he seems to be very grateful when I save him from the water. After that he is up, open and snuggley. But I don't think it's good policy to give him a bath every night just so he'll be friendly with me.

Is there any thought about what I can do to get him to relax with me? I'm not used to having babies. The last two hedgies I've gotten when they have been over a year old. I didn't have this issue with them.

Also my hedgie has been squeaking in his sleep, should I be worried about that?
 
I agree... definitely not good policy to give him a bath every night just to be friendly. Among other things, hedgies are prone to dry skin and bathing every night will definitely make that worse.

How old is he? I'm thinking about the possibilities of quilling on top of the huge change in environment from being at home with momma to being in your home without momma.

For now, what I'd do is just grab a little blankie or hedgiebag or whatnot, and let him snuggle on your lap/in your arms within the safe confines of being under the blankie or in the hedgiebag. Let him get used to just hanging with you and, over time, he should open up.

Some hedgies seem to talk in their sleep. As long as it doesn't sound like he's having respiratory issues, relaying that he's in pain, etc... He might just be a sleep talker. What kind of sounds is he making? Is there any regularity to them (eg, each time he breathes out it sounds like wheezing)? Does he make similar sounds while awake?
 
Shay is about 7-8 weeks old I think... I don't remember how old he was when I got him, but the breeder said that he was old enough for me to take on Jan. 7. I was in the hospital at that time so I didn't bring him home until almost a week later, on that following Sun. That was Jan. 13. I have found some lost spines in my lap, so maybe he is quilling.

I also worry about the fact that I have cats. I think maybe smelling predator is causing him to be scared, too.

As for the talking, it is a soft squeaking sound. It doesn't sound like he is scared, or in pain, just a soft squeaking.
 
7-8 weeks and a few quills in your lap... yep, I'd definitely say he's at exactly the right age to be quilling. While he's going through that, he's likely to be grumpy (imagine all those new quills poking through your entire backside - and not just the little baby quills, but big-boy adult size quills). I'd back of trying to pet him/give him backrubs at this point, but a nice belly rub (if he likes that sort of thing) may be just perfect while he's quilling.

I've had a talkative hedgie who'd make soft little huffs and such. As long as he doesn't seem scared, in pain, or showing signs of illness, I'd interpret as him just holding up his end of the conversation.
 
I don't know how many lost spines to expect when he is quilling. He lost about 15 tonight. They are all very small spines with a bulb on one end. The research that I've done says that is what they should look like when he is quilling. But I haven't come up with any info on how long it will last or how many spines I can expect him to lose.

Thank you for the suggestion for the hedgie bag. I've been bringing him out every night with the bag. I have been bringing him out with it every night since you suggested it, so four nights. The last two nights he has gotten brave enough to venture out of the bag. Both times he climbed his way up my arm to the bottom of my t-shirt sleeve. He really seems to like that spot on me. He will start chewing the end of my shirt and self anointing. I'm wearing my PJ's so it really spells like me. I don't know if this is an OK behavior or it is something I should discourage.
I've also had him open up in my hand a few times, still on high alert, but peaking out to the world. That makes me happy. I hope that means he will come around soon.
 
It's hard to know exactly what to expect in terms of the number of quills you'll find each day when he's quilling or for how long it will last - hedgies differ in terms of how they do it. Certainly, I've read very definitive statements like, "quilling typically takes 2 weeks, during which time blah, blah, blah..." But when you talk to those who've had babies, there's a lot more variation. In my experience, I found maybe a dozen or so little quills (just like you're describing) per day and it took about 2 months; not 2 weeks. The big thing to look for to figure out the difference between normal quilling and having a problem on your hands is if you're noticing any bare or thinning spots... places where quills are being lost, but you're not seeing new ones growing back in.

It sounds like you're making good progress with him - he's really getting to know and trust you.

The only thing I'd worry about with him chewing on your t-shirt is if a thread gets loose and wraps around a tooth. Otherwise, if you're okay with the little tugging and tiny holes in your shirt, it's probably fine. Check your shirt each time to make sure he hasn't extracted any threads. I might try and substitute a little bit of fleece or give him something that's actually yummy to nom on during playtime - like some mealies or fruit/veggies, etc...
 
Oh, I've tried mealworms, both mini and regular sized and he wants nothing to do with them. I'm not sure what that is all about.
 
Sometimes it takes presenting the same thing over and over again until it finally clicks "oh, this is food?!" after which, they just love it.

There are some hedgies that just don't like mealies. I had one who, quite literally, ran away from mealies.

Shay's young though... it may take awhile for him to figure out what they are, if he should eat them, and if he likes them if he hadn't really been exposed to them before he came home with you.
 
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