Worried new mummy!

[susiandfilbert]

Hi all, my name is Susi and before getting my first hedgie I was already religiously reading this forum to help with any questions I might have later on but I have found that since aquiring my first baby (YAY) im worrying about everything.
I need you help. I got Filbert at 6 weeks old last wed (3 days ago) and he's been a joy to have, we have had the odd accident in my hands but i am well aware of why and how to deal with it. My worry comes from the following:
He sleeps all day (which is great) but he also sleeps the majority of the night too. I have been told that it is normal for a baby to sleep a lot but... I get him out at around 8pm and have a cuddle before letting him back down to do his business, then once i get him out again he finds a comfy spot on my and goes to sleep. I have been told that it is a really good thing that he is already comfortable enough to sleep on me but I cant help being worried about so much sleep. He seems to be fine on the temperature front but just does nothing but sleep. Could he be depressed? And if so how do I cheer him up? I try to play with him but everytime i try to participate he huffs and waits for me to go away.
Please help! I need to keep him a happy hedgie!!

 

[Kalandra]

There could be a couple of things going on with him.

The first is he could still be nervous about his new home. Which there really isn't much you can do about. Just be patient, and spend time with him. He will adjust.

However, babies will sleep a lot. We've seen plenty of new owners get a little worried. How is his appetite? Does he have a running wheel and if so, is he using it at all?

While they do sleep a lot, he should also be getting up at night and being active for a while, then going back to sleep for a while. It may be in short spurts, but there should be periods of time where he is highly active.

What is the temperature you are keeping his cage at? While he may seem warm enough, he may need a little warmer to feel active.

Congratulations on the new baby.

 

[susiandfilbert]

Hi again, I thought I would update with the rest of my concerns,
He doesn't seem to be eating much either, the first night he was with me he finished his bowl of food entirely but since then he doesn't seem to be eating much at all. It is the same food as the breeder used. I sometimes hear him eating but it seems he only eats what he finds mixed in with the bedding and very little, perhaps only a 3 or 4 pieces of kibble, as I said, the first night he finished the bowl so he knows where it is and can acess it easily so that isn't the problem.
I have read that some owners use a felt lining as bedding but I am reluctant to do so as he seems to really enjoy burrowing around. I am using recycled paper pellet bedding.
Also his pee is BRIGHT yellow, this could be normal as ive never seen hedgehog pee before but i just thought id throw it in there...
PLEASE HELP

 

[Kalandra]

The bedding shouldn't be felt, but should be fleece. Cloth bedding is a better bedding because it is less dusty, particles don't get stuck in sensitive areas (like penile sheaths), and the hedgehog will stay cleaner.

I think your little hedgehog may be nervous about his new home. Do you have a hide box or sleeping bag for him? If you do, put some food in his hide place. Some will eat better if it is in bed with them.

Have you seen him eat? Does he look like he is struggling at all to eat the kibble? Sometimes babies have some difficulty crunching hard kibble because their mouths are still very small. Adding a little water to soften the kibble can help.

 

[susiandfilbert]

Ive just posted an update regarding his appetite which should become visible shortly. With regards to exercise, he doesn't have a wheel yet as where I bought him the breeder told me it wasnt esencial until he gets a bit older and in Madrid I am having trouble finding a hedgie suitable wheel.
He doesn't seem to be active, i was up with him last night until 1am but all he did was burrow into the crook of my elbow and sleep. Should I perhaps be leaving him in his cage more during the evening? I thought the more time he was with me the better the bond.
When i do put him back in his cage he burrows under the blankets on the heating pad and goes back to sleep...
Im not sure what the temperature is at but he has a reptile heating pad under half of his cage and i am fine without a jumper on in my room which i read was the rule of thumb...

 

[susiandfilbert]

I might try using a cloth bedding if you think the pros outweigh the cons, do i just change it from one too the other or do I need to leave some bedding on top of the cloth to get him used to it?
He had a sleeping bag but his nails got caught in the fabric so for the moment he has a flannel which he doesnt seem to have problems with. Truth be told he eats the kibble found on the floor from underneath his flannel.
Im not sure if it is a sign of trouble eating the kibble but he does crunch it very loudly and it sounds like grating his teeth. If i add water to soften the kibble in his bowl do i then move the bowl under his blanket? i dont want the blanket to get wet and leave him cold...

 

[Kalandra]

How much time to spend with them will depend on the hedgehog. I'd let him have more time in his cage at first. Give him more time to settle down and adjust to life in his new home. Continue to spend time with him, but you may want to limit it some.

Also, are there lights on in the room where his cage is at? Any type of light may discourage him from being active. Some hedgehogs want the room to be dark before they will come out to play. I had one that wouldn't come out when a night light in a different room was shining just a tiny amount of light on her cage.

I would recommend putting a thermometer near his cage. If the air temperature is low, he may feel it is too cold to leave the warmth of his heating pad. Some hedgehogs need it a little extra warm. Since he is a baby, he may want a little more initially too.

 

[Kalandra]

I might try using a cloth bedding if you think the pros outweigh the cons, do i just change it from one too the other or do I need to leave some bedding on top of the cloth to get him used to it?
He had a sleeping bag but his nails got caught in the fabric so for the moment he has a flannel which he doesnt seem to have problems with. Truth be told he eats the kibble found on the floor from underneath his flannel.
Im not sure if it is a sign of trouble eating the kibble but he does crunch it very loudly and it sounds like grating his teeth. If i add water to soften the kibble in his bowl do i then move the bowl under his blanket? i dont want the blanket to get wet and leave him cold...

I just switch them over all at once. You may find he wants to burrow under the cloth for a few days, but don’t be discouraged. It can take a bit for them to adjust to it.

I would try putting the dry food under his blanket with him. Count the kibble and then recount it later to see if he ate any. I bet he is just being shy and he will eat it. If that doesn’t work, then dry moistening it a little. Just a couple of drops of water can soften it enough to make it easier to crunch without making it so wet that it will soak his blanket.

 

[susiandfilbert]

Thank you for all your help, I have plugged in a portable heater facing his cage, we'll see if that livens him up at all. I am going to change his bedding over now and will count some kibble and monitor it later on this eve once he's been awake for a bit.

Thanks so much, I will report back tomorrow!

 

[Kalandra]

I will be watching for a good report tomorrow. Hopefully he is just being a little shy or needs a little extra warmth to be active.

Good luck!

 

[susiandfilbert]

Good day! Unfortunately not much to report.
On Saturday I went out and got home at 6am and Filbert was still/newly asleep.
The food in his bowl had been moved around but not much had been eaten.
He doesnt seem to have a problem with the new bedding and only tries to burrow underneath when I take out his blankie in an effort to avoid him going to sleep (it doesnt work at all, he just burrows under the bedding and sleeps there). I am still trying to find a suitable wheel for him and am hoping that it will help him be more active when I finally get my hands on one. I tried tried moistening the kibble in the bowl before I left for work this morning, we shall see how that affects his eating, if at all when i get home.
Fingers crossed!

 

[susiandfilbert]

This morning when I woke up one of his toys had been moved from one side of the cage to the other, at least I know that he is waking up at some point, for however long a short a period of time. Wetting the food hasn't worked, i leave some kibble under his blanket and he eats perhaps 3 or 4 pieces but obviously that is hardly anything.
Last night i had him out a short while but he seemed scared. Normally he likes to snuggle into and sleep in the crook of my elbow but last night, though he went straight there it was more like he was trying to force his way through to get out.

Also the heating pad has made the bottom of the cage bulge upwards... is that normal with the heat on the plastic?

Sorry, I must seem really paranoid but I'm just so nervous. I want to give Filbert the best!

 

[chik_lets0715]

I gave mine a little soft dog toy that was the same size as her when she was a baby. She had it from day one and I think she really enjoyed having the company because she missed her siblings and mom. Maybe he is just homesick?