Letter to Yaya (Guide for Newbie Hedgehog Owner Part-Two)

Dear Yaya,

This is my second half of the letter, and this will tell you as much possible what you need to take care of hedgehog. I've already talked about caging, bedding, diet and toys in here (click for part one), now we'll proceed to the behaviour, which I think is the most important thing.

BEHAVIOUR

Like any other hedgehog, Joey is a territorial animal, means that he best kept alone, except for the certain time when sexual intercourse may happen. However, they might be able to live together, provided with big cage, like Sue and James.

1. Joey is as I mentioned before, a hyperactive, that means he likes to run around, and that WILL result in him redecorating the entire cage, your decorations, wheel, toys, bed, everything. So, what might be the problem here is the feeding bowl. I'm suggesting that you buy the commercial feeding bowl to ensure that the food doesn't fall on the floor. Something like this:

Or any other feeding bowl that you think is suitable. Something with a wide base for the stability. For the water, give him in a bottle like this:

 This might costs you Rm5++...

2. Besides that, Joey is still a baby. He's 2-months-old, and as human babies, he might poop a lot especially when you're trying to pick him up (though I've never had any experience with Joey poop all over me, just for the warning). I've had the same experience with Sue, but it got over as she grow older. 

3. Joey likes to climb. Pick him up and he'll climb all over you. This wouldn't be a problem unless you didn't cut his toenails, or else, it might hurt you a little bit. 

4. Also, if you find him sniffing on something, then he do a little acrobatic act, bending his back like this:

don't worry. This is called annointing. He'll produce white bubbles from his saliva and put it on his back. He'll do this if he finds new scents and like it.

5. Next, Joey is a baby, and that will put him in a quilling phase. Quilling phase is when he lose his old quills and grow new ones. At this phase, he might be a little bit jumpy, and furious, as it's uncomfortable with him.

CARE AND EMERGENCIES

You might find this section a little bit annoying as well as tiring, but it's what you have to prepare for if you're gonna get a hedgehog.

1. Trim his toenails when you find it's long enough. This is for your own safety actually, cause sharp toenails might hurt you. Of course, there's a way to do it. Just a simple procedure like this:

2. Feed him treat. Treat is as I mentioned, may include vegetation like grapes, oranges, mashed potatoes, or mealworm. This is to make him happier living with you as well as providing enough vitamin.

3. Bleeding or small cut may worry you, but there's the way to treat that. Hold the cut firmly, and apply wet clean towel or clothes, as well as some minyak gamat or olive oil. That'll do the trick. Believe me. He and Sue fight all the time.

4.This might disgust you a little, but hedgehog's health much can be told by the poo. Healthy poop looks like this:

OKay, this is disgusting. Let's scroll down asap.

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Okay, that's all I think. haha.. Kbye bitches. Penat tangan menaip tau. Da la tangan aku ni berotot sangat..

Bye =)