Multiple questions any help is appreciated!

[realmkp]

Hi I am a new hedgie owner as I have had her 3 days and am trying to soak up all the information I possibly can on Harriet! She is about 2 or 3 months old. She seems to have poop everywhere! Right now I have a comfort wheel the largest but it seems too small for her so I do need to get something bigger. If I do buy a Carolina Storm wheel wil I need an additional litter box for her? Or do hedgies usually just use that one? I want to have her litter box trained and am praying she is the kind that will!! Cross your fingers!

Also she has recently been having more squishy, very stinky lighter brown poop. Although on the wheel the poop looks more dark and grainy. I am wondering if this is due to the fact the previous owner had her on IAMs kitten food.Also how long until I should start introducing treats to her? (fruit, veggies, insects) I am planning to wean her off the kitten food soon. She seems to be getting used to me because when I take her out she just tries sniffing and climbing me. Maybe someday she will feel comfortable enough to fall asleep again on me but I understand that maybe she is never going to be the kind that will. She seems very inquisitive and active. Any and all help would be appreciated! Jade (my cat) and I want her to be as happy and healthy as possible in her new home!

BTW building a C&C cage yesterday was a huge project but it sure beats the pitiful plastic tub I had her in for the first day! I am so glad this forum exists as I would not have known about the fleece liners. That pine stuff really smelt up my apartment!
Thank you!!
Emily, Jade and Harriet the hedgie!

 

[smhufflepuff]

Hi I am a new hedgie owner as I have had her 3 days and am trying to soak up all the information I possibly can on Harriet! She is about 2 or 3 months old. She seems to have poop everywhere!

Congrats on your new baby. Yep babies are poop machines. Hopefully, she'll settle into pooping in one spot soon (her wheel or litter box). But that may take awhile.

Right now I have a comfort wheel the largest but it seems too small for her so I do need to get something bigger.

When you say "the largest" Comfort Wheel - do you mean the one that's about one foot in diameter or the largest that happened to be in the store (which is smaller than the one that's about a foot in diameter)? I'd be surprised if a 2-3 month old baby would be almost too big for the largest CW. My Satin is ~650g and could still fit in a CW. I did change to something very much like the Carolina Storm Wheel though - it's quieter and easier to clean than the ridged CW.

If I do buy a Carolina Storm wheel wil I need an additional litter box for her? Or do hedgies usually just use that one? I want to have her litter box trained and am praying she is the kind that will!! Cross your fingers!

Best of luck on the litter training. I had hopes that would work for mine... didn't quite take. Ah well... They each seem to have their favorite spots - wheel and a corner. If you get the CSW with litter box, that should suffice. Hedgie shouldn't need that plus another litter box. Then again, hedgies are mysterious in their ways... now that I've written that, invariably, a hedgie will act to prove me wrong.

Also she has recently been having more squishy, very stinky lighter brown poop. Although on the wheel the poop looks more dark and grainy. I am wondering if this is due to the fact the previous owner had her on IAMs kitten food.

Quite possibly. Iams isn't the best food for hedgies. Messy poops could also be due to stress related to the change from her previous owner to you. Going to a new home (even if the best home in the world) is stressful for hedgies. They have to adapt to new routines, new housing, new humans, new smells, new everything. Keep an eye on her poops, if they move more toward the diarrhea side of things, that's a cue to take action. For now, though, I'll assume the squishy poops are due to Iams and/or stress.

Also how long until I should start introducing treats to her? (fruit, veggies, insects) I am planning to wean her off the kitten food soon.

Wait until the messy poops situation clears up before introducing treats. As for the Iams... I think I'd start replacing that with something better within the week. Not a complete change over, but a gradual one. Do you have an idea of what you want to feed her that's more nutritious? Once you have it figured out, replace about 1/4 of her Iams with the new stuff for a week. And, provided that goes well, keep increasing the amount of the new stuff & decreasing the Iams over the following 2-3 weeks.

She seems to be getting used to me because when I take her out she just tries sniffing and climbing me. Maybe someday she will feel comfortable enough to fall asleep again on me but I understand that maybe she is never going to be the kind that will. She seems very inquisitive and active.

Yippee!!!

BTW building a C&C cage yesterday was a huge project but it sure beats the pitiful plastic tub I had her in for the first day! I am so glad this forum exists as I would not have known about the fleece liners. That pine stuff really smelt up my apartment!

Glad you changed away from pine. My understanding is that pine can off-gas some things that aren't very good for hedgie lungs.

Glad you and Harriet the hedgie (by extension) have joined CnQ

 

[realmkp]

Thank you so much! The wheel was only 9 in. diameter it was the largest I found at petsmart.
I did pick up a flying saucer for temp. use and hope she will use
it till I order and get shipped a CSW. I am adding Wellness weight control
to her diet and weaning her off the kitten junk. Here's hoping she'll like it!
I'm excited to be a part of the community!