My hedgehog hasnt eaten yet

[AFRock22]

Hi i just purchased my hedgehog 2 days ago. I put out a bowl of food for him and some water and it doesnt appear that he has eaten since ive had him. Is there something wrong with this? I put a food called Insectivore-fare into his bowl and also one called Berries & Bugs. They are both by a company called Exotic Nutrition. Today i just took those out and replaced it with a food called Ultra-Blend Select. Is this normal that he hasnt eaten? He pretty much just sits in this little wooden hut inside of his cage rolled up in a ball all day. Please give me some info, i am new to hedgehogs.. THANKS

[Kalandra]

What was the hedgehog eating in its previous home? Many hedgehogs will go on starvation strikes when their diet is completely changed. It has been my experience that this is highly a likely result when they are also moved into a new home. Try to find out what was being fed to the hedgehog before, offer that to him, and then slowly try to incorporate the new food.

If you are currently feeding the same food, try to reduce the amount of stress the hedgehog is experiencing. New homes are stressful, and sometimes it may take a couple of days of leaving them alone to adjust to feel like eating.

[DeniMarie]

Homer is just starting to eat when we are in the room, and I've had him a week. Are you feeding your hedgie anything other than the dry food?

I give Homer chicken breast that i've microwaved and dices (about 2 Tablespoons) at night, and then shut off the living room ight and go to bed. As soon as we leave the room, he comes out to eat his chicken.

Maybe try that. :)

(Another huge hit is watermelon - who would known)

[Moose]

(Another huge hit is watermelon - who would known)

Mine loves watermelon too. She loves watermelon juice even more though. :)

Ditto with what Kalandra said about old and new food. Try going through old posts on bonding with new hedgies. There are many helpful tips including but NOT limited to putting in your worn shirt in the cage, dim lights, softly talking to them every night, holding them while watching tv, keeping them warm, etc etc. Your hedgie needs some time to adjust to new home and people. Good luck.

[Nancy]

Here's another thought. Is he warm enough. If he is not warm and is attempting hibernation he won't eat.

[paris26]

Try counting the pieces of kibble you offer him too. That way you will truly know if your hedgie is not eating.

[AFRock22]

I just made sure it was the same food that the pet store was feeding him and left some in th bowl yesterday, but i dont think i have any luck with him eating. He is still scared of me when i try to handle him and comes out if i leave him next to me on the bed, but if i try to pick him up, he stiffens up and tries to roll into a ball. I try to set a piece of food on the bed and put it near its nose, so when it comes out that it will smell the food and eat it, but that didnt work either.

[DeniMarie]

I just made sure it was the same food that the pet store was feeding him and left some in th bowl yesterday, but i dont think i have any luck with him eating. He is still scared of me when i try to handle him and comes out if i leave him next to me on the bed, but if i try to pick him up, he stiffens up and tries to roll into a ball. I try to set a piece of food on the bed and put it near its nose, so when it comes out that it will smell the food and eat it, but that didnt work either.

Homer just started eating around us after we had him 8 days. Yesterday was the first day that he's eaten from my hand (day 10), and I have to balance the food on one finger. My whole hand is too scary for him I guess. :laugh: Every time I went to give him food, he hides his head. He took the foor from my finger (a cricket and a worm) while he was halfway inside a bit of PVC pipe that he likes to hide in while we were hanging out on the carpet.

He will only chow down after we leave the room and turn out all the lights. :slurp:

[AFRock22]

I just handled him for a bit and got a little bit of luck, but then i put him back in his cage, and took out the hut that he is always sleeping in, kinda forcing him to look around a little. I walked in the room and he was in his food bowl! So i guess he just needed to warm up a little. I didnt see him drinking any water and i have a water bowl right next to it, but i know that he found it. And he did poop so im guessing that means he has eaten something. Im not too sure if he knows how to drink out of the water bottle. We will see in time.

[DeniMarie]

I pou mu waer bottle so that the spout is directly above Homer's water bowl, but I'm not sure he know what it is either.

I fill his water bowl from it, so that he sees water coming out going into the bowl. Who knows if that helps either. :)