Hedgehog care advice?
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skin care 1-3 years
Cavemister
Hi, so in 1-3 months I'm going to be getting my first hedgehog. First I'm updating my room and will have a lot of space for the cage, I'm planning on making a C&C cage. Well first off i was wondering if I should use fleece for the bottom of the cage or usually what hamsters and guinea pigs use, the pine shavings. A lot of people use the fleece so I was wondering why that was and where I can get some?
Also I was wondering how warm should the room be for my hedgehog to be healthy in? I do sleep with my air conditioner until November or December and will be getting a heat lamp but I'm not sure exactly how hot it should be.
I was also wondering what I should feed him, I know they eat cat food, I've talked to other hedgehog owners but I'm not sure of the kind.
Sorry this may sound like a lot, I just need some answers. Thanks! (:
Answer
Unfortunately there is a LOT of really bad information out there on how to care for hedgehogs, and misleading information on what kind of pets they are. Are you sure you want one? As someone who has taken in unwanted hedgehogs from people who didn't know exactly what they were getting into, I ask that you really think about whether a hedgehog is right for you before getting one.
They're nocturnal. While you're awake and the lights are on or the sun is up, they will want to be hidden away sleeping in the dark. At night when you're trying to sleep, they will be up running on their wheel and making noise. Where will the cage be? If in your room, are you a light sleeper?
They must be kept warm all year. Their entire cage must be kept at least 72 degrees Fahrenheit at all times, not just one part of it with a heating pad; the ENTIRE cage. In addition, many hedgehogs can get quite miserable at temperatures as low as 80 degrees, just like us. Below 72, however, and the hedgehog will attempt to hibernate, which will make it very sick, sometimes weeks later even after being warmed up and kept warm after the chilling event.
They hate loud noises as they have excellent hearing. They hate commotion and being startled. They love routine and knowing what's going to happen next. They need at LEAST an hour of your personal attention each night, which can be just cuddling them in a fleece bag while you do something quiet. They aren't affectionate like cats, and don't seek your attention and approval like dogs. They are the very definition of defensiveness, and gaining a hedgehog's trust can take time and effort.
If you get a baby hedgehog (no younger than 8 weeks....some crappy breeders have been selling hedgehogs as young as 5 weeks, which isn't even weaned yet), its personality may change completely after it goes through 'quilling', which is a painful process of losing baby quills and getting adult quills in, which come in full size through the skin. This makes them uncomfortable for a month or so, and some hedgehogs start out social and end up being anti-social after the quilling is over (maybe they blame *us* for the pain?). If you met a hedgehog that belonged to a friend and decided that you wanted one based on that, be aware that each hedgehog is a unique little personality, just like with people, and that the hedgehog *you* get may be completely different than the one you saw before and fell in love with. Will you be willing to stick with the one you get and love it anyway?
Their wheel is MANDATORY. Hedgehogs can run 10 miles a night in the wild while hunting for food. They need their exercise. The wheel must have a solid running surface, such as the "Carolina Storm bucket wheel". Most of them poop on their wheel, so every morning you will have a poop-covered wheel to clean. Hedgehogs are not pets for the squeamish.
Their cage should be six square feet or larger. It should have a solid floor, and any wire bars in the side walls should be very closely spaced to prevent escapes or fatal attempts (less than 1" spacing). It should have a secure top as some hedgehogs are escape artists and expert climbers. The best bedding is fabric cage liners, such as pieces of thick fleece cut to fit. If you can't do hedgehog laundry, Carefresh Ultra White is ok. Under no circumstances should any wood bedding be used with hedgehogs. Cedar and pine are toxic, and ALL wood bedding, including aspen, is dangerous to eyes, ears, and other soft tissues, and hedgehogs have been injured by it, including being blinded. Similarly, water should be provided in a small glass bowl or something like a Petmate waterer. Rodent water bottles should NEVER be used with hedgehogs, as they have also injured hedgehogs, including broken teeth and an amputated tongue. I know some people out there still say it's ok to use these things, but they're either ignorant of the experiences of other hedgehog owners, or know that these risks exist and are willfully stupid in risking their own hedgehog's health.
It's best to get a hedgehog from a reputable breeder that has agreed to abide by a code of ethics, even if it costs a little more or requires a drive, to ensure your hedgehog is healthy, happy, and free from genetic diseases and problems. Here's a good place to look, and you can ask for recommendations near you on the forums listed in my sources:
http://hedgehogclub.com/breeders.html
Unfortunately there is a LOT of really bad information out there on how to care for hedgehogs, and misleading information on what kind of pets they are. Are you sure you want one? As someone who has taken in unwanted hedgehogs from people who didn't know exactly what they were getting into, I ask that you really think about whether a hedgehog is right for you before getting one.
They're nocturnal. While you're awake and the lights are on or the sun is up, they will want to be hidden away sleeping in the dark. At night when you're trying to sleep, they will be up running on their wheel and making noise. Where will the cage be? If in your room, are you a light sleeper?
They must be kept warm all year. Their entire cage must be kept at least 72 degrees Fahrenheit at all times, not just one part of it with a heating pad; the ENTIRE cage. In addition, many hedgehogs can get quite miserable at temperatures as low as 80 degrees, just like us. Below 72, however, and the hedgehog will attempt to hibernate, which will make it very sick, sometimes weeks later even after being warmed up and kept warm after the chilling event.
They hate loud noises as they have excellent hearing. They hate commotion and being startled. They love routine and knowing what's going to happen next. They need at LEAST an hour of your personal attention each night, which can be just cuddling them in a fleece bag while you do something quiet. They aren't affectionate like cats, and don't seek your attention and approval like dogs. They are the very definition of defensiveness, and gaining a hedgehog's trust can take time and effort.
If you get a baby hedgehog (no younger than 8 weeks....some crappy breeders have been selling hedgehogs as young as 5 weeks, which isn't even weaned yet), its personality may change completely after it goes through 'quilling', which is a painful process of losing baby quills and getting adult quills in, which come in full size through the skin. This makes them uncomfortable for a month or so, and some hedgehogs start out social and end up being anti-social after the quilling is over (maybe they blame *us* for the pain?). If you met a hedgehog that belonged to a friend and decided that you wanted one based on that, be aware that each hedgehog is a unique little personality, just like with people, and that the hedgehog *you* get may be completely different than the one you saw before and fell in love with. Will you be willing to stick with the one you get and love it anyway?
Their wheel is MANDATORY. Hedgehogs can run 10 miles a night in the wild while hunting for food. They need their exercise. The wheel must have a solid running surface, such as the "Carolina Storm bucket wheel". Most of them poop on their wheel, so every morning you will have a poop-covered wheel to clean. Hedgehogs are not pets for the squeamish.
Their cage should be six square feet or larger. It should have a solid floor, and any wire bars in the side walls should be very closely spaced to prevent escapes or fatal attempts (less than 1" spacing). It should have a secure top as some hedgehogs are escape artists and expert climbers. The best bedding is fabric cage liners, such as pieces of thick fleece cut to fit. If you can't do hedgehog laundry, Carefresh Ultra White is ok. Under no circumstances should any wood bedding be used with hedgehogs. Cedar and pine are toxic, and ALL wood bedding, including aspen, is dangerous to eyes, ears, and other soft tissues, and hedgehogs have been injured by it, including being blinded. Similarly, water should be provided in a small glass bowl or something like a Petmate waterer. Rodent water bottles should NEVER be used with hedgehogs, as they have also injured hedgehogs, including broken teeth and an amputated tongue. I know some people out there still say it's ok to use these things, but they're either ignorant of the experiences of other hedgehog owners, or know that these risks exist and are willfully stupid in risking their own hedgehog's health.
It's best to get a hedgehog from a reputable breeder that has agreed to abide by a code of ethics, even if it costs a little more or requires a drive, to ensure your hedgehog is healthy, happy, and free from genetic diseases and problems. Here's a good place to look, and you can ask for recommendations near you on the forums listed in my sources:
http://hedgehogclub.com/breeders.html
White skin turned brown after 1 month in sun?
Angel Esco
I had pale skin, then these past few days, months have been SUPER hot and usually I have air conditioning in my house. This summer I had to actually go OUTSIDE! I wore T-Shirts and now I am brown from the elbows to my fingers and the top of my knee to the bottom of my foot and I have sock tans.
How do I make my skin even in time for graduation? If I have gotten Skin Therapy Oil, do I only put it on the dark spots of my limbs, or all over them? It says "tones" skin. Does that mean it will make your skin to the normal way, or will it make it even by making the pale spots dark?
Do you recommmend any other stuff?
Answer
i think you can use the IPL laser skin whitening machine, after 2-3 times treatment, skin will be whitening and rejuvenation and the result can keep for 1-3 years
and you can visit this website that have very good quality equipments for skin care
www.ruipu-medical.com
i think you can use the IPL laser skin whitening machine, after 2-3 times treatment, skin will be whitening and rejuvenation and the result can keep for 1-3 years
and you can visit this website that have very good quality equipments for skin care
www.ruipu-medical.com
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