Heads up?

[Traquair]

ok-im getting my hedgie in 10 days and i just want to know if theres anything i should be looking for once i get it<any warnings,things to look out for,that kind of stuff>if you can,that would be great

[horse_chic89]

i wouldn't try and have her out for long for the first couple of days, he/she needs to settle in. the exercise wheel cannot have metal bars, it has to be solid and atleast 12".
They are prickly and can be grumpy, especially around quiling time. They need at least 73 degrees of heat, but like it to be around 75(corect me if i'm wrong)
They do need baths once in a while. i give my girl oatmeal baths when she is quilling, shoe loves it, but some don't. They like to snuggle in with something in the day. try a hedgie bag, or igloo, or something!!

[Nancy]

Congratulations. :applause: Isn't it exciting. Remember we need pictures once your baby arrives.

Thinks to watch out for would be sneezing, runny nose, and diarrhea. S/he will probably have green tinged poop for at least a few days. It comes from stress and diet change. Just make sure it isn't extremely runny as s/he could become deydrated. Runny nose, see a vet asap.

Try not to change her diet if possible and when you do, do it slowly over a week or two by mixing a small amount of new food in with the old.

Handle her from day one but the first few days minimize the amounts and lengths of time. Its also best to be resonably quiet until she is used to her new home. Talk to her even when she is in her cage so she gets used to your voice. You can put one of your recently worn tshirts in her cage so she gets used to your smell. Make sure there are no loose threads on it that tiny toes can get caught on.

Make sure her environment is warm 73 plus and that she gets 12 hours of light a day. Turn on a light near her cage.
good luck :)

[Traquair]

thanks for heads ups

[paris26]

Be prepared for the poop!!!! Babies have no qualms using you as a toilet! Five minutes after I pick up Oliver is when he starts... and look out! Wet wipes are a good thing to have on hand! :)
Heating pads under the cage will help keep the temp. warm enough.

[Traquair]

ok-ive been getting a lot of this babie stuff-whats considered a baby?because im getting one after its weaned<like 6 weeks old i think> so im not sure whats consider a baby

[Nancy]

That's a baby. :) Up until about 4 months and then they are adolescents and at 6 months adults. :)

[Traquair]

ok-thanks

[Traquair]

oh! is there any basic care needs for them?<treats when they do good,cleaning tips(cleaning them/cage),size-its going to be a pygmy hedgie>

[HedgieSpirit]

Possible treats may include meal worms,crickets, and chicken. Not all hedgies like these, some experimentation must be done. Cleaning tips, I love my vellux liners for Chloe's cage. I just remove them, put new ones in, and then throw the dirty liners into the washing machine and then the dryer once a week. I suggest putting a litter box under the wheel, I tried for a while to have her go in a litter box that wasn't under the wheel...didn't work very well. The wheel will get VERY poopy. I love my homemade bucket wheel, it is very easy to clean. I just put it in the bathtub, fill it with warm water and let is soak for 10 or 15 minutes while I do other things. Then I come back and wipe it with a sponge and its done! Baths, some like it, many don't. My main suggestion is to make sure EVERYTHING is ready before you get the hedgie and put him/her in the water. You can probably search for older threads pertaining to methods of bathing. Size, when I got Chloe she was 5 weeks old and probably the size of a large hamster, maybe a little bit bigger. Now, at almost 5 months old, she is more of a small guinee (sp?) pig size.

Congrats, I bet you can't wait to bring your new baby home :) I can't wait to see pictures!