my hedgie is PMSing!

[AltoClariTone]

ruby update: she's a *****! lol, she's still always sleeping, though i think the heat needed to be turned up a little, and i have literally never seen her awake. i hear her moving around if i happen to awaken in the middle of the night. she huffs and pops every time i put my hand in the cage. she won't unroll completely when i pick her up at night.... she kind of halfway unrolls and goes back to sleep in my lap, but it seems like a restless sleep. last night there was dried poo in her wheel, and it was making noise, so i got up to brush it out. lord, did she ever flip out! usually she just huffs and pops a little, but she was very against me cutting in on her wheel time! i also think she might be quilling, because she seems increasingly uncomfortable with me petting her. but she also scratches at herself every now and again. she DID have aspen bedding at the breeders, so maybe mites? gah. i know that she's probably not adjusted to her new home yet, but i feel like i have a hormonal teenager in my home!

another thing i thought was funny.... my friend asked me how things were going with ruby, and i said that all she ever does is sleep and try to attack me. she said "well, she probably thinks the same thing about you!" :laugh:

[Ododad]

Mites don't always just come from bedding. Stress can cause them or contact with another animal or with infected areas.
http://hedgehogvalley.com/mites.html
She could be scratching because she is quilling, or even just likes to scratch. Frodo scratches all the time, and he has a clean bill of health.
Some hedgies take a long time to get used to a new enviroment and then some just huff and puff all the time. I have had Odo for nearly a year, and she still balls up at first when I approach her. Marco is Dar's little cuddle butt and he huffs and pops when Dar first picks him up.

Didn't like you cutting into her wheel time, huh? ;)

[Lydia]

She could be scratching because she is quilling, or even just likes to scratch. Frodo scratches all the time, and he has a clean bill of health.

Wow.... that's an interesting thought; Luke scratches all the time and no matter what we've done - through home diet, care and multiple vet visits, we've never been able to get rid of his scratching. I wonder if maybe he just likes to scratch??? :confused: Thanks for the thought.

[night_crickett]

Scratching could also be from dry skin. A bath with a little vegetable or baby oil added to the water will help that. She is probably grumpy from quilling, new home, new person, different routine, food... She will adjust. Be patient and keep loving her and she will eventually find her groove.