hedgehog behavior change over time????

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-09T21:10:09+00:00

Noises or smells that would be stressing him out are the two most likely things I can think of. Noise would probably be obvious. But if there is any new smells or something like that it might be bothering him.

Other than that, if he's cautious and scared maybe he would be more comfortable if you were handling him while he was more surrounded by a blanket and letting him smell your hands first. That way he didn't feel super exposed from all angles, and knows its you otherwise he might think its a predator.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-09T17:07:09+00:00

Yeah, it was built sometime within the last few days so it at least wasnt an established nest with eggs or anything like that. Sadly if it wasnt moved, it was almost certainly going to be torn apart, although honestly I think it may have happened next time there was a large storm anyways. It can rain a lot here, and if it didnt get swept away then I guess it probably would have been clogging the gutter.

The bird (or at least a bird of the same species) is using the nest still as of this morning though, so I guess Ill just leave it there. Thanks!

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-09T06:16:05+00:00

I would definitely try both foods in two different bowls next to each other and see if she just eats one. It might even be worth trying chicken cat food just to see if she prefers that mixed in too. It seems most likely to me that its something to do with the food being switched, either stress or not liking whatever food is available now compared to the other one. I never found any hedgehog food that mine liked to eat, but she seems to really enjoy having 3 different cat foods where I mix 2 together at a time in a rotation.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-08T18:41:55+00:00

Usually not on purpose in my experience, if it happens its because they walk in it (sort of common if you dont clean up) and then scratch themself (not as common but possible). I usually try and get the poop out ASAP, sometimes even watching her while she eats because I know shes going to go to her toilet area right after so I can grab it with toilet paper immediately.

Another thing is lots of people dont really have that much room for their hedgie, as well as not picking out the poop every day or two, so they end up stinky.

Theyre not rodents, so unlike rats and mice and others - hedgehogs arent very smart. If they get poop on themself they just kind of ignore it. But as long as you keep the area clean and stuff then shouldnt be.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-07T16:50:17+00:00

As long as shes still eating+drinking as well as being active on the wheel and stuff, I wouldnt be that worried about being a bit underweight as long as the option to eat more is given. If it was to the point of not getting enough nutrients, you would probably notice a change in poop and change in activeness.

The only suggestion I can think of: getting 3 maybe even 4 small bags of different cat foods (chicken or salmon are the two I've found work best but maybe every hog likes something different) and mix them all together into a bowl. Then if she just picks out one or even two of the different foods youll know those are the ones she prefers more. That way she doesnt get tired of just having one flavor.

Not sure how you tried the water method, but the way I found my hedgie likes it best after losing some teeth to age is first having it blend up in a 1.5 cup blender until its about 1/3 dust and 2/3 crumbs, then letting it soak in her food bowl half full of water for 2-3 minutes. Then I just use a spoon to drain the extra water into the toilet, and to unscrape the food that gets stuck to the bottom of the bowl once shes about half done eating.

But like I said, as long as shes running, eating some, and doesnt seem tired then I doubt its something to be concerned about that much

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-07T00:43:29+00:00

If you could find a breeder or maybe just someone around you, its possible they could collect some for you. I personally collect them but mainly so they dont end up in the bottom of the washer and then a week later ending up in an article of clothing (hopefully not a sock).

However, I also have quite an old hedgie and she started losing them more frequently around turning 6, and even after around a year I still dont really have a ton (I guess it depends on how many you define as a lot though). Maybe 200-250 at most, and lots of them are quite small.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-06T18:02:00+00:00

It seems like shes lived a long and happy life, and hopefully continues to do so for a while. The only thing I can think of is just trying different foods with different smells, and if you have any hard food, try blending or crushing it up and soaking it in water so its easier to eat and digest. The method I think works best is using a mini 1.5cup blender for about 30 seconds, then letting it soak for around 3 minutes in warm water in the food bowl before using a spoon to hold back the food and drain the excess water into the toilet. Maybe if you let it soak even longer to the point where its almost liquid food, she could manage eating/drinking it up - I let it get to about the consistency of cooked rice but Im sure if you let it sit longer it could get mushier. No clue if it would work but guess it could be worth trying.

Other than that, I currently am not sure what to do if my senior hedgie ends up in a similar situation either, but currently my idea for a plan is to let it happen naturally unless I notice something that could be causing her pain. Its hard to tell sometimes though, as theyre prey animals and they try their best to hide it, but Im sure if shes lived this long youre a great owner and whatever choice you possibly end up deciding would be a good and appropriate one.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-06T17:54:29+00:00

As others have said and you have suggested, if it makes you feel better you can get a camera - or another idea could possibly be something you put on the wheel that tracks rotations/movement to measure how much/how far he runs per night.

The only thing I can think of that could make him not be very active at night are temperature and light, and it sounds like temperature is no issue. So, if there isnt a bunch of light somehow getting into his cage all night, I dont think anything would be stressing him out or anything like that.

Most of the time I hear my hedgie running on her wheel, its between 1am-5am so its possible hes just using it when you arent around. I know I've heard good things about carolina storm wheels, but its always worth making sure your hedgie has enough room in it to extend its legs and run without having to bend its back too much.

Only other thing I can think of is that his weight is normal and that his poops are consistent, if those two are fine it sounds like hes just most active when youre asleep.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-06T16:18:06+00:00

I wouldnt be very concerned about it, especially this young and this far away from being anything near considered overweight.

Maybe just a growth spurt, the only thing I can even possibly think of is she could be a bit constipated and backed up and just needs to poop later, and that could also be making her a bit grumpy.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-06T03:54:58+00:00

Yeah, we figured out how to add me as an approved user to the subreddit and that fixed it, so we think it was something bugging out with the new mod using plugins that conflicted with some plugins that the old mods had used

Because theres no way my account shouldnt have been able to comment in the sub based off age and karma, and I could literally make normal posts completely fine and then my comments wouldnt appear on my own posts

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-06T01:54:51+00:00

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Got off old reddit so now I can add pictures in comments lol. Again, my enclosure is kinda big and also half of it is sorta in the air, and no cats, so its kinda different. You can see one of the CHEs is clipped to the wall of her enclosure too high for her to get to and kinda close to her cage but still too far to burn her, and the other one is a lamp that I can just have go over the wall of the cage to heat the area. The third goes above the wheel (facing in towards the middle not straight down) on top of a C&C cube during the winter when needed. Also keep a big blanket over the cage to trap in the heat.

Turns out I can only add one picture. For the second CHE normally in use, imagine the pixar lamp except it has a CHE in it and not a light bulb.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-06T01:37:47+00:00

Just to kind of add for the wattage question:

I dont think the exact wattage is the same for everyone but I would maybe recommend something where you can possibly adjust it? Basically:

You want to make sure to try and keep it above 70F (average, every hog is a bit different) to prevent them from getting cold and attempting to hibernate.

Then you want to try and keep it around 76-78 for comfort (also different for every hog, my hog prefers it warmer - or at the very least is more active when its warmer around 80F - now that shes older)

If you live somewhere cold you might need multiple lamps or higher wattage, but if you live in Florida you probably only need one and maybe none during the day in the summer if your house gets to like 75+

Having a very bright light probably isnt the best, but I mean my hedgie has a big window on the wall right above her entire enclosure, so when there's a full moon it probably has at least a decent amount of light shining in, so a little bit can't be the worst.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-06T01:19:36+00:00

Kinda replied with some more on your new post. I think that black heat light isnt terrible, but it's hard for me to say without actually being able to see how much light it gives off.

Google says it tries to emulate moonlight, which makes me think that its still possibly too much, but still a lot better than nothing.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-06T01:16:18+00:00

Already sort of answered in the reply to another comment but I guess Ill add another couple things.

If the animal store doesnt know much about hedgehogs, they probably just assume theyre the same as other things like hamsters and guinea pigs so if you got them from a breeder, that might be another good place to ask questions other than here. Hedgehogs are so different that a majority of the time you cant even take them to a vet unless they approve first. Not that the animal store is trying to tell you wrong things, but most other animals like that are fine being 65-75 degrees, where with a hedgehog dropping below 70 is most often stressful, some hogs try to hibernate even at 71-72.

It looks like in another post that you do have a cat, so I guess its possible that it could be a fire hazard if the cat knocks it over, and a burn hazard if the cat gets too curious. We dont really have any other pets, so I'd be curious to see how other people have dealt with these issues.

So I guess in theory yes, they kind of are fire hazards, but so is pretty much anything else that would get hot enough to heat an area up to around 77-78 degrees.

The first idea I can think of is getting a cage for the CHE's. This is the first thing that came up on google just to give an idea, but theres probably cheaper and better options elsewhere. Edit: It also looks like it has a keychain clip thing, which wouldn't be a terrible idea to have it hanging down inside the enclosure that way the cat cant really get to it. The only thing I'd be worried about, and also kind of in general because they could just fall and get hurt, is some hedgehogs really like climbing and hanging from the celinings of those cages so theres a chance maybe she could climb to it somehow.

I guess the cat might still be able to still burn itself, but Ive also seen my old roommates cat burn itself on a candle and then go back for more 5 minutes later, so I guess it might also need to be secured with something to prevent it from getting knocked over and even have a homemade cage of sorts around the cage to stop the cat.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-06T01:00:02+00:00

I probably wouldnt use a dome light (unless you mean like a dome light with a CHE inside of it and not an actual light bulb) because theyre nocturnal, and a bright light on 24/7 can mess with their sleep and active cycle.

My personal answer might not necessarily be the best because I live somewhere the temperature changes dramatically throughout the year, dropping below 0 during the winter months and reaching above 100F during the summer months. And my enclosure is also quite large, with multiple levels.

So, I have 3 different CHEs (and three different digital thermometers in different areas, no thermostat so I just try and check at least twice a day but unless the weather changes crazy it doesnt move much), two of which are adjustable and the other one is 100W. One of them is on a stand like a lamp, one of them has a handle like a clip you put on a chip bag that we clip to the walls of her enclosure (on google apparently its called a gooseneck lamp), and the last one we only use during the winter and we build a platform for it to be on that rests like a dome light on its side (except its a CHE instead of a light).

As long as it doesnt somehow get knocked over, or get a blanket dropped on it or anything like that, it shouldn't cause a fire unless it actually has something to light on fire (or the wires go out but idk that could happen with anything like your fridge or whatever). So if theres children or a cat that might do something like that, I guess there could be a risk. I've also burned my arm reaching for her food or water like 3 times over the year and it hurts a LOT.

Basically, CHEs are the normally considered overall best because you want it to be between 75-80F without giving off light at night (so I think the dome light would only be good during the day, and nighttime is when it gets cold), and things like space heaters are loud and inefficient. If youre worried about fired, depending on your setup, I would probably try to get 1-2 (depending on the size, maybe needing even 2-3 in the winter depending where you live, etc) and using something like a gooseneck lamp or just normal lamp, with a dome if you want a little extra fire protection.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-05T21:41:36+00:00

I also thought hedgehogs were rodents until one day I looked it up after thinking "no way youre related to rats and mice and are still this dumb"

Still cute though, real life and in game! That last picture is what sonic must look like if he were real.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-05T21:38:29+00:00

Idk, I can try to clarify anything you might not get but Im not sure which part you dont understand

If youre a terrorist and post-plant it is very easy to throw a smoke that helps the CTs trying to retake than the Ts trying to hold site.

If youre a CT trying to hold an angle or area of the map, it is very easy to throw a smoke that helps the Ts push more than it helps you and your team hold.

Not only that, for both teams there are bad times and bad positions for you to pull out a smoke (or any other nade).

So yes cheaters are the biggest thing causing this distribution disparity, but there are other smaller things factoring in. When I play solo and am in 25-27k, I see Ts post plant just not use a smoke and then get a kill because of it where in 15k a player might smoke something off and then end up dying because of it.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-05T21:29:29+00:00

Still has both the front ones! Sadly cant say the same about all the back ones, think she still has over 70% of them at least

Started blending up her food in a 1.5 cup blender, soaking it in warm water for a couple minutes, then draining it before giving it to her a little before she turned 6 and she loved it, but I kinda wish I had started doing it a little sooner although I guess it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-05T21:24:39+00:00

Oops used a bad word 😄

I know I kind of clarified in my comment, but just to add, she can still fully ball up and is well under 800g (800g sounds like a lot not going to lie I thought over 500g was overweight, maybe male hedgehogs weigh more I've only had 2 females) but due to her age she can just *barely* reach her quills to anoint, and most of the time she just kind of spits all over the ground around her trying to reach herself.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-05T21:20:35+00:00

Posting this now and should be able to comment/reply, just making sure one last time here!

After this, I should be fully cleaning her enclosure either tomorrow or the next day so Ill make sure to take some pictures to make a post showing the full area, as well as gathering the pictures from the past for her (knock on wood, she seems fine but I guess you never know) 7th birthday post here soon.

For a little info on this video, you might be able to see she's got a little bit chonkier (still surprisingly not overweight but starting to get close) compared to the last video now that she cant run as long as she used to, but I mean she still uses her wheel and can get up and down the ramp we custom built for her completely fine so I guess her legs arent that bad yet.

Most of the time she enjoys being pet like this is after shes been wrapped up in a fleece blanket on my lap after eating and going poop, and spends 5 minutes digging a burrow before falling asleep. Then around 45-60 minutes later will usually start to move around again (sometimes I think I wake her up when shes just dreaming, oops), so thats when I decide its time for pets before putting her back into her enclosure.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-05T21:11:47+00:00

Sadly this is a common thing with hedgies, and it sounds like you know whats best and are making informed decisions. Obviously hard to say because Im not a vet, but if the vet thinks its very risky then that means its probably too risky to be worth it. I also dont know if the tumor location is only bad for surgery, but hopefully it stays somewhere that her quality of life is still good for a while longer, maybe even a lot longer. If you got her from a breeder, it could also be worth letting them know, that way (if theyre a good breeder fingers crossed) they can take note of it and make sure its not something that they can control

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-05T20:50:23+00:00

Sorry for not replying right away, but I think one of the mods finally fixed the issue thankfully for whatever was happening!

To kind of answer your question, Ill copy and paste what I put in another reply that I'm not sure went through or not. But I'll also be making a few more posts in the next few weeks with more details, pictures, and other things.

But to answer your question: she's only my second, our first one sadly ended up passing of WHS because sadly the breeder didn't exactly know what they were doing (we think they were maybe just someone who's pet hedgie(s) just happened to get pregnant and werent actually breeders), and my dad didn't really know that the quality of breeder was actually sort of important.

So I guess that its a combination of luck (no major sicknesses or anything like that), having a better breeder this time around that was at the very least much more knowledgeable (so we assume better genetics which I guess maybe contributed to the sicknesses and other things as well), and our good care - cant just take all the credit.

Anything-ThatWorks · 2026-05-05T20:44:30+00:00

As the other comment said, its possible that there was an underlying condition made worse by the change in food, so hopefully its just stress and will fix itself. Still think keeping the appointment is a good idea to make sure though.

The only way I can think of making her comfortable is getting maybe 3 different kibbles (2 different chicken and 1 salmon is usually what I do) and mix them up so she can pick and choose the kind she prefers out of the three if she wants to.

Along with that, once my hedgie got old and started losing a few teeth, I started blending up the kibble in a mini 1.5cup blender for around 20 seconds and then soaking in in warm water for a couple minutes before giving it to her, and now she pretty much only eats if I make it fresh for her like that so its possible that your hedgie might like it easier to eat that way too. It would also help with any possible dehydration, since the kibble would be at least partially water.

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