Brand new little guy and I'm stumped!

[lillybug29]

Hi guys! I just got my Khaki a new boyfriend! (not really, I wanted another hedgie and my boyfriend suggested a boy). He's got his own cage right above Khaki's and will be just as spoiled rotten. My problem is this. I just got him yesterday, and e was the sweetest thing if seen (he's got really neat coloring too). He wouldn't huff or curl up at all, or pop like my Khakipants does. He rolled into a ball when my boyfriend was holding him (he's not as...good as I am with them). I wanted to give him a bath to get the pet store germs off him (no, there aren't breeders in my tiny town, also a reason for me to get a boy). Anyway, he refuses to get out of his ball around my boyfriend or I. He is up eating and drinking now, but he's very slow. He doesn't move as fast as Khaki. I know all hoggies are different, but I only know my little girl. Is this normal? Should I proceed with the normal gettig used to me stuff? My boyfriend's shirt is currently in his bed, I sang to him while he was on my chest, he sat in his little ball for hours on our bed while we were watching TV. Did I traumatized him? Khaki has always been...outspoken, so I don't know what he's thinkin. He doesn't huff, just ball up and not move for hours. We named him Mace by the way. One because of the spiky weapon, and two because he had a pepper color and a racing stripe along his side. Once I'm allowed to do signatures I'll have pictures of both my babies. I don't know how to add them here. Any ideas about why would be fantastic. You guys rock!

 

[Courtney]

I really hope you're not planning to breed two pet store hedgehogs together...

 

[lillybug29]

No, I am not breeding Khaki. She's too grouchy and I wouldn't want that passed on. No these are practice on having more than one to take care of until I can find a couple breeders around me in the middle of nowhere.

 

[lillybug29]

Does anyone know why he turned from the sweetest most mellow thing I've seen into a sea urchin? He doesn't come out of his ball even when he sleeps. I didn't see much foot eaten yesterday, but he will eat a bit of chicken from my hand. He's got no interest in mealies or wheeling or anything. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Kalandra]

If you just got him, he is most likely acting defensive because he is in a new home. You just took him from everything that he knew and put him in a new place where everything is unknown. It is common for a hedgehog to be more defensive for a while. Be patient and continue to handle him and get him into a routine.

 

[lillybug29]

Just a quick update. He is coming around slowly. He has huffed a couple times, but is now calming down and lying his quills down and napping on my boyfriend and I. Khaki is still her adorable poppy huffy self. Mace does love his hedgie bag I made for him, and sleeps in it all the time. I heard and saw him the other day learning how to run on his wheel (I have the flying saucer things). I am now seeing food disappear from his bowl, and once saw him almost completely in his bowl devouring the food. In order to get him comfy with us, we'd wake him up with bits of chicken (he has NO interest in mealies at all) and so now if we don't bring chicken, he'll try and nibble at our fingers as if to say "where's my food?"

He's adorable and I've got a lot of pictures of both my babies, but don't know how to post them...

 

[LovingChi]

Sounds great My girl huffed and balled up so easily as well. She uncurled faster if I put her face down on my hand or another surface. Just keep giving him time and attention (and make sure its not hibernation! )

 

[lillybug29]

Hey guys. I'm at a loss again. Mace and Khaki have been doing really well for a while. Mace turned into a sweetie pie again and Khaki I think is going through a second quilling and so is grouchier than normal. I see a lot of quills on her fleece bedding and when I take her out to cuddle with her. My issue is this. A few weeks ago it started to get hot so I turned on my AC. I didn't want them to get cold, so I got a little space heater and put it on the side of their cages next to their beds. I had to figure out a temperature that would let them come out and eat, but not so warm that they are laying out baking. They both get up and eat and are pottying well, but neither of them are running on their wheels. I can understand why Khaki isn't running if she hurts from the quilling, but why won't mace? He is comfortable and settled in the house now. He likes to curl up under my chin when I lay with him and flatten out and sleep. He is such a sweet boy. Khaki has her moments, but they are few and far between. What do you think is going on? Should I take away the heater? I don't get it, Khaki is usually a marathon runner. She even gets up at 5:30 am for a "midnight" run. I'm stumped.

 

[smhufflepuff]

What temperature is their cage at -- not the room temperature, but from a thermometer inside the cage? And how much does that temperature vary over the course of the day and night?

 

[lillybug29]

I'm not sure what it is inside. It doesn't vary at all. I have the heater on the bed side of their cages and nothing on the other in case they wanna cool down. My house is set for 74 (I dont have a separate thermostat for their room). I will have to get a thermometer and see exactly what it is inside by the bed.