New Hedgie might be too young?

[Ayriechan]

Hi guys.
After trying to find an apropriate pet for some time, I decided to get myself a hedgie.
I work about 12 hours a day and go to college in the evenings, meaning I only have time for the pet at night. The fact that I live in Brazil only made it easier to go for the hedgie, because temperatures are hardly ever under 70 degrees.
Well, little Toni has just arrived home, all sweet and scared and tiny. And I am not kidding about the TINY part.
According to the breeder, he is "almost 40 days old". He certainly LOOKS like a baby, with quite a few quills already, but only enough to cover him while still letting me see his skin through them.
he looks perfectly healthy, is quite active, but since it is my first hedgie, I wonder if maybe he needs special care for being so young?
The man that sold me the animal seemed very nice, but was very simple and apparently has learned everything there is to know about hedgies on the job: sources of information about hedgies, in Portuguese, are very, very scarce.
I got little Toni half a vase made of coconut fibers as a home, thinking it looked like a nice and dark little cave. But now I am thinking I should get an appropriate house, just in case it isn't dark/warm enough in his little cave.
Another question I have: are all hedgies capable of being potty trained? Any ideas on how to do that?

I am sorry if I am asking stuff that has already been asked, but it would be really helpful if you could give me some advice.
Keeping Hedgehogs as pets is NOT common at all in Brazil, and most people still ask me why do I keep a sea urchin/porcupine in my home, so usa/canada/uk websites are the only help I can get, to be a good hedgehog mommy.

Thanks

 

[Nancy]

With him being so tiny it is important to make sure he is able to eat properly. What kind of food is he eating. I suggest you also offer either some canned food, or give him a separate dish with some dampened kibble.

Hedgehogs like to cuddle in cloth and polar fleece is safe to use without hemming the edges. A plastic igloo with some fleece will make a nice cozy bed for him.

Does he have a wheel?

Congratulations on your new little buddy.

 

[Ayriechan]

Thanks Nancy!

I got him what I think is a national brand called NATURAL, its light cat food, chicken based. He seemed to like it, or at least he ate a lot. But the really loud crunching noises he was making and the effort to chew made me get a knife and ground the kibble to help him. I think i will try to dampen his kibble from now on, as you said. Is there such a thing as TOO-HARD-TO-EAT kibble?

I got him a wheel, the only non-wire option I could find. I think it looks okay, not heavy for him to spin and all. But I could only get a 12" wheel, but I don't think he had the chance to try it.


Today was his first day with me, and although he was really scared for the first couple of minutes, after a while he was eating and tickling me, trying to climb my tummy on the couch and all, and even played with my friends. A very social hedgie indeed!

I fell in love with him as soon as I saw the little pin cushion!