# Hedgehog's quills are falling off



## dooiy (Jun 28, 2015)

I've read that hedgehogs quills do fall off but im wondering why it does. its only been 2 days since i brought him to his new home. Will my hedgehog act differently while his quills are falling off? Also, can i still have bonding time at night even though they are falling off?
why do they fall off?


----------



## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

How old is your hedgehog? Hedgehogs will go through what is called quilling when they are young. There is typically a quilling around 9 weeks of age and they'll go through the process several times through their first year. It's sorta like teething for babies and children. They drop the smaller baby quills and grow in larger quills in their place. Once they've hit the year mark they likely won't go through any more large quilling cycles again, but will drop a few quills here and there throughout their lives. Much like people will lose a few hairs regularly. They lose a few and grow more in their place.

You definitely can (and should!) having bonding time every night while he's quilling. You'll just need to be sensitive to the fact that he may be a little sore and uncomfortable. This may cause him to be extra grumpy. Just avoid petting his quills too much for a while.


----------



## dooiy (Jun 28, 2015)

its 5 1/2 weeks old. So, i shouldn't be worried about the quills falling? Also, what do people usually do when they have their bonding time with their hedgehogs? and how often and how long should i do it


----------



## writergirlmel (May 16, 2015)

Quilling doesn't typically happen until 8-9 weeks, to my knowledge, but stress can also cause some quill loss. Since it's only been 2 days since you brought him home, he may still be a bit stressed.

As for bonding, it should be done for a minimum of half an hour per day, though longer is great. And some people just let their hedgies crawl and climb over them. some supervise them in play pens with toys, and others just hold them or let them sleep on them. It all counts, and what your hedgie loves will depend on his personality.


----------



## dooiy (Jun 28, 2015)

writergirlmel said:


> Quilling doesn't typically happen until 8-9 weeks, to my knowledge, but stress can also cause some quill loss. Since it's only been 2 days since you brought him home, he may still be a bit stressed.
> 
> As for bonding, it should be done for a minimum of half an hour per day, though longer is great. And some people just let their hedgies crawl and climb over them. some supervise them in play pens with toys, and others just hold them or let them sleep on them. It all counts, and what your hedgie loves will depend on his personality.


i tried to have some bonding time with my hedgehog but he kept making huffing noise. Am i supposed to stop when he makes those noises or continue to have bonding time


----------



## Soyala_Amaya (Aug 1, 2011)

Continue. Always continue. Otherwise they learn that defensive behaviors get them put up and they'll never stop. Also, read this sticky http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/17-hedgehog-personality-behaviour/10-behaviour-expectations.html

Then, read as many stickies as you can. They have a lot of information.


----------



## dooiy (Jun 28, 2015)

kind of a silly questions, when i try to approach him with some mealworm, and he curls into a ball, do i leave him or stay their with my hands opened til he comes? ?


----------



## writergirlmel (May 16, 2015)

If he's never had mealworms before, he might not realize they're food. (By the way, he might be a bit young to have treats. I'm not sure on actual guidelines, but I know when I asked my breeder if Fitzgerald had ever had a treat, she said, "No, he's too little. Wait another couple of weeks." He's 7 weeks old.) If you do give them, try putting them in his food dish. If that doesn't work, squish them and rub some on his lips. (Gross, but effective.) Don't feed from your hand unless you want your hand to smell tasty and get bitten.

Huffing and popping is part of the process. He's trying to scare you away. But you're the boss. Be patient and gentle, but also be persistent. You will get poked. That's just part of it. The only way to get him to huff and pop less is to consistently handle him and let him get to know you.

If Fitzgerald is a bit grumpy, I place my fingers near him and allow him to sniff. When he recognizes my scent, he'll calm down enough to be picked up most of the time. Try teaching him to associate your scent with safety. Sleep in or with a shirt, snuggle sack, piece of fleece, etc for a few nights to get it smelling like you. Then put it in his cage. Preparing for Fitz, every one of us in my family slept with a snuggle sack for a week (Husband even took his on a business trip.) and had them in his cage when we brought him home. His favorite is mine -- I'm his person -- but we can tell he is already familiar with all our smells to huff and pop only a little.


----------



## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

You need to read all the stickies on this forum. Also there's a great hedgehog guide on West Coast hedgehogs website. Hopefully someone will link it. 

You need to learn more about hedgehogs, did your breeder give you any information?


----------



## writergirlmel (May 16, 2015)

MomLady said:


> You need to read all the stickies on this forum. Also there's a great hedgehog guide on West Coast hedgehogs website. Hopefully someone will link it.


Here it is.


----------

