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May 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| I love our hedgehogs. You really just have to get used to getting spiked. Ours don't do it to us on purpose anymore but sometimes it still happens sometimes. | 
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May 11th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Hey guys!
SORRY for the late update. I was supposed to post this update a day ago but couldn't get the time to go online.
Anyways,
I didn't get a cage for Chiko but a terrarium. I think that's what they call it. It's like an aquarium/tank but wider and smaller suitable for little reptiles, mammals and pets such as Hedgehogs. So I bought it for 10$ at my nearest trusted pet shop. One of the shopkeeper who was attending to me & my mother who accompanied me was kind enough to provide bedding for Chiko for only 30 cents. I also bought a little drinking bottle for Chiko the previous day but he didn't like it so I exchanged it for a little soft toy. I actually brought Chiko to try out his new home at the pet store. Luckily, he didn't do his 'business' the whole time I was there.
He liked it and so we bought it and took it home. By luck or chance, the terrarium fitted perfectly into my shelf in my room. I placed Chiko in his new home. He was so cute as he roam around the whole terrarium, ate a bit from the food tray then fell asleep like a lazy boy. LOL  I managed to take some pictures just now. So here it is. Don't worry. More updates on the way!  | |
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May 11th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Thanks so much for sharing that interesting and helpful info, Mary! Sometimes when I have loads to do online, I normally feel lazy to read very long thread posts. But yours was different! Once I started reading, I couldn't stop reading! haha 
Anyways, here's info about Chiko. I actually bought him a small drinking bottle. He refused it several times and even though water was dripping out of the tip and flooding my floor! LOL So I provided a temporary little water tray for him to drink in. But your info about the water really helped, now I know to supply MORE water for Chiko.
I don't think I'll train Chiko in the litterbox thing because I don't really have a litterbox for him but I just let him do it on the bedding since it's easier to remove it that way. And about the bedding, ever since I got it for him, he never likes sleeping on it. He digs (does it in a cute way) the bedding out and sleeps on the bottom.
Yeah. I have no idea why a normal size wheel for a normal size hedgehog is soooo expensive. I'm trying to search for maybe a second-hand wheel but no luck yet. Reason is because I have to save money for loads of stuff and spend as little as I can but spend wisely. So maybe a second-hand wheel wouldn't hurt. That's cool actually, about Mazy & Callie. I wish I had hedgehogs like that but my hedgehog is a male so getting another hedgehog in either genders is an impossible chance.
Thanks so much for the food info too! Now I know what I can give Chiko as a treat instead of cat food everyday. haha 
I tried to handle Chiko as Katie does. But he keeps struggling in my hands and sometimes try to run away. I found his favorite spot though, I rub his neck a bit but only less than 30 seconds or so because after that, he'll start struggling and moving again ignoring his favorite spot. I've gotten use to the times when Chiko opens his spikes at me. He sometimes hisses at me though but no harm done. I wouldn't worry about him nipping me because he always licks my hand. It's so cute! haha
Anyways,
I managed to post up a new update. Pictures are there. More updates on the way! Thanks so much, Mary. It's nice knowing loads of info from you! 
Btw, here's some photos of Chiko I took lately when I was playing with him for a while. | |
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May 11th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| I don't know what to tell you about the water bottle. Supposedly they prefer bottles over dishes, but he might be used to the dish already. It's the kind where he licks the little metal ball to get the water, right? Can you hang it in that cage though? It seems short. Not that he really wants a lot of ceiling clearance, but if you get a wheel then I don't think it will fit (and you CAN'T take off the top lol or you will be playing "where is chiko"). You need a wheel that is sized for something like a ferret, solid plastic, not wire. There should be no problem with a second hand wheel as long as it still works. If an exercise ball is cheaper, you can get a ferret size one for him to run around the house in until you find a cheaper wheel for him to use at leisure. We let them run around without the ball now though. After they pee or poop after first being handled, they pretty much don't do it unless they eat again while out.
If he is big enough so that he can only get his head into it (which I think he is), they find cardboard toilet paper rolls very amusing for a while. He might start to enjoy being petted more eventually. Calli's spot is more toward the middle of her back. Who knows if Mazy will ever stay still long enough to be petted. I always pick them up by sliding my hand under their stomach whenever I can, because I am not as immune to the spikes as my sister. In a pinch I can grab them from above though. (Like during an escape attempt.)
Like you said about the bedding, they really like to burrow. If you wash it, you can put a small towel in there for him to sleep under. We have small pockets of fleece for them to sleep in (well they are kinda big for them, lol.) It's just some fleece stitched into a pocket. Simple to make.
Do you know what self-annointing is? I don't want you to freak out the first time he does it, haha. When they find something like a scent they like, they will foam at the mouth and spread it all over their quills. After reading this thread, I posted a thread on aquaria central, and there is a member that has a hedgehog that self-annoints from her scent (weird compliment I guess). Ours annoint from stuff like dirt and weird stuff they find on the carpet. One time Callie did it with cilantro. The reason isn't really known for sure, but it's a normal behavior.
He is sooo cute. I've never seen a hedgehog with pink skin before  So cute | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Yeah. I DID buy the bottle with the metal ball. He refused it everytime I put it near him. I don't think I can hang it because, yeah, the cage has a very low ceiling. LOL yeah, can't get a wheel. I might just get a wheel but put it in his playing area (outside his cage). Then he can walk around and play with his wheel whenever he is in his playing area. I did get an exercise ball but he was more afraid of it. He hardly touched it!
Yeah. When I have some free time, I will get some cardboard and make a lil' cave for him to hide in. And if I have extra cardboard, I'll make a tunnel. My friend said he use to have a tunnel to play in (no idea what happened to it), whenever he went into his tunnel, he never came out. He had to be dragged out. haha  Okay. Yeah, I'm not immune to his spikes anymore as well. But I can't pinch him though, firstly I'm afraid of pinching him and second I can hardly catch hold of him so whenever he tries to run from me, I just quickly hold him from under his belly. So I'm like an anti-escape crane. haha
Yeah. I'll get him a little towel bed for him. I'm just worried he'll poop in it then I have to keep washing it everytime. Wow!  That's cool! I wish I could get him that too. But yeah, he probably won't fit in it either and I have no idea how to make one.
Yeah, I know. But he doesn't do it. (I don't think he does) Self-annoints to her scent? wow! haha yeah, it is weird. I pity the member because she'll be having a hard time handling him. I don't think mine annoints himself, I never see it. But if he does, I'll let you know!
haha thanks! Yeah, he is cute! Huh? You mean they don't have these type of hedgehogs in the States?
Thanks so much for sharing! | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| That is the CUTEST little animal!!!! | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| You mean an exercise ball that he goes into, you close the lid, and he runs all around the room inside the ball? As for the towel, he will probably just go under the towel and not on top so he won't poop on it much. A fleece pocket isn't hard though. You just buy some fleece (like polar fleece) from the store and stitch it up on three sides.
I'm glad you're having fun with him though. We do have them in the states, but I've never seen a cinnamon one before! | |
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May 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by serissime  You mean an exercise ball that he goes into, you close the lid, and he runs all around the room inside the ball? As for the towel, he will probably just go under the towel and not on top so he won't poop on it much. A fleece pocket isn't hard though. You just buy some fleece (like polar fleece) from the store and stitch it up on three sides.
I'm glad you're having fun with him though. We do have them in the states, but I've never seen a cinnamon one before! | Oh not that one. Actually a smaller ball, like a small little soccer ball. There is an exercise ball like what you mentioned in the pet shop near my house. But it cost more 50 to 100$ which I can't afford either...  Yeah, I hope so. I'm also afraid he might chew and tear it off. Because I had a small towel in the bathroom and I left him there to roam around for a while, then he started chewing on the lil' towel.
Yeah. I am a bit except for the times when I have to pick up his poop. LOL Oh okay. Well, now you have! haha  | |
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May 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| He is very cute! My friend wants one badly, but she's going to college overseas, so that's an issue. Human voices can scare timid animals, so as you hand feed him, also murmur a little something to him to get him used to you. | |
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May 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Addict
| you could give him a ratty towel that your mom doesn't want anymore (sorry if you aren't living at home LOL, but i think I remember you mentioning it before) so if he chews it, it won't matter.
I'm sorry that stuff is so expensive. Do you have craigslist or something similar in Malaysia?
Poop is a part of life  | |
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May 25th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Hi guys!
Been quite a while since I posted in this thread. Anyways, latest news.
Somehow, Chiko escaped from his lil' cage which was covered but I noticed not covered well as the lid wasn't secure with something heavy, so I figured after I couldn't find him in his place that he escaped by climbing out. But what impressed and got me a little worried though, was that when he escaped, he somehow managed to make his way unharmed and healthy after a 1 foot drop onto the floor from the top of the cage. (the cage is on my cupboard)
So, after less than 5 minutes of searching, I found him under my desk hiding at a corner. I noticed him and slowly tried to reach for him but he curled up into his little ball. It wasn't long until I could scoop him up and put him back in his cage. I was in a hurry, so I only did a quick top to toe inspection and was off. At the end of the day, I managed to examine him and found nothing broken but just a black spot which I believed was dirt/dust. So I gave him his usual shower and cleaned the black spot off easily. But this week's shower, he didn't struggle as much as he use to. (but he still struggles though to run free, I thank God he's still normal)
Anyways, just a question though. Should I bring Chiko for regular health check-ups to the vet? I'm a bit concerned but I also don't want to simply spend money on Chiko when there's nothing wrong with him as my family is facing huge financial problems. (so saving money is really important to the family right now) | |
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May 25th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| my old hedgehog did that when I first got him, he escaped from his 15g low height tank home at the time, knocked the oven mitt (I was using to handle him) to the floor, landed on the over mitt from the dresser he was on and scurried into the closest to sleep on some jeans where I found him the next morning  He did that twice before I wised up and transferred him to a large rubbermaid storage bin.
I would suggest buying one of those for him, at least a 29g (110 liters) rubber maid bin would give him so room to play around in and so he can't escape
** I should mention that hedgehogs are very active at night where they like to scavenge for food and play - keeping him enclosed is likely going to cause him to develop boredom.
As for regular check ups I never did that with my hedgehog, he was always healthy but if you do suspect that he's not acting normally (not eating or getting too heavy) then take him to a vet
Last edited by penance; May 25th, 2009 at 01:13 PM.
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May 25th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| I have a hedgehog. Love that thing to death!
To have any questions you might have answered, I would go to: http://www.hedgehogcentral.com
You can find the answer to any questions you might have there.
You might want to get some toys for him, mine loves to roll jingly cat balls around! Also, make sure he has plenty of room to run and/or a wheel. 11" diamater wheel is a good size. They need plenty of excersize.
Meal worms are an essential to a hedgehog's diet. They contain nutrients that hedgehogs need to be healthy. 2 or 3 a day will keep the doctor away
Best of luck with your new pet! | |
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May 27th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| wow! okay. Thanks so much guys! Now I think I know what to do! | |
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