# do you think my hedgehog will warm up to me/tips?



## Mury821 (Jan 30, 2013)

I bought a hedgehog yesterday and he was very good with his previous owners when I watched them, he was very calm and playful but if I even come near his cage he freaks out and starts huffing and rolls into a ball and I got him out using a towel and he let me pet him after he calmed down a little but he was still freaking out and jumping, spiking, huffing, do you think he will warm up to me? And do you have any tips?


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## jholstein11 (Dec 13, 2012)

He probably will. Going from one home to another is scary to a little guy who doesn't see well and has a great sense of smell.

Your house smells totally different than he's used to. He's adapting to a completely new home.

My advice, give him one of your old used t-shirts to sleep in his cage, so he associates your scent with safety and comfort. Keep handling him, perferabbly without the towel (which masks your scent) and he'll come around. IT might take a little time, but if he was friendly before you know he's got it in him.


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## amylynnbales (Jan 27, 2013)

You need to give him time. Like jholstein11 said, he needs time to come around and get used to all the changes. He needs to learn that you aren't a threat to him. I love the t-shirt idea, it's what I plan to do with my new hedgie once I get it.

Try having it eat treats from your hand, then in the palm of your hand. Soon it will have to climb into your hand to get the treats, thereby trusting you.

It takes time, but it's well worth it. Even if your little ball of spikes stays just that, you've still gotta hold and play with him around an hour a day to get used to you. Soon he'll get used to it all, but you can't rush a hedgie :lol:


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## Katis228 (Aug 19, 2012)

amylynnbales said:


> Try having it eat treats from your hand, then in the palm of your hand. Soon it will have to climb into your hand to get the treats, thereby trusting you.


Careful with that method. Because hedgies don't see so well all they know is that your hand produces treats. That could earn you a nice chomp down! :lol:

Most posts I've seen on this board suggest that treats not be fed by hand because it is a really good way to get bitten by your hedgie.


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## amylynnbales (Jan 27, 2013)

Ahh, I've never thought of it that way. You're right, that could lead to a bite, sorry  haha but nonetheless I hope your hedgie warms up to you soon


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## exoticfluffy360 (Jan 22, 2013)

the t shirt thing is amazing and works wonders. I've had my hedges for i guess getting close to a month? but the male is finally coming around. we take him out once a day and let him wonder around and mess with him. and we bath him once every two weeks. we tried the treat thing and he accidentally bit my bf. (drew a lil bit of blood) so we figured we wouldn't try that again for a while lol. theres also several videos on youtube that give you lots of details on handling and care for an aggressive/grouchy hedge. I'm not a breeder and I'm fairly new to the game but these are things that really have helped along the way  gl. there fun when there not pricks.


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## Katis228 (Aug 19, 2012)

amylynnbales said:


> Ahh, I've never thought of it that way. You're right, that could lead to a bite, sorry  haha but nonetheless I hope your hedgie warms up to you soon


I've only been bitten by Mal twice. Once was because I had washed my hands with Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple hand soap, and the other was when my hands still smelled of her kibble. I was totally asking for it both times! LOL :lol:

That being said, treats are a great way to have your hedgie associate you with good things. Just place the treat in front of them, or I've even seen some members use chopsticks to feed their hedgie!

Ex: from shaelikestaquitos and her hedgie Kashi


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## jholstein11 (Dec 13, 2012)

My hedgie's idea of "bonding time" with me is crawling in my shirt and falling asleep. Maybe let your guy try that. It's warm, you're soft and he'll feel all hidden and safe. 

Or a cuddle sack on your lap works too. They are prey animals, so hiding in unknown conditions is what they do naturally.


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## Avarris (Dec 3, 2012)

I got Pippin back in December.She finally had given me her stamp of approval this past week. I used the T-shirt method. However I didn't use that alone. I set a routine with her. Everyday at the same time I cleaned her cage, she was curious enough to watch me cleaning from the safety of her sack. After cleaning I changed her food and water out for fresh. I would pick her up, sack and all, and settle down in front of the TV for awhile. Eventually she got brave enough to explore under the blankets on my bed. After doing this with her since December,she has only recently started seeking me out and splatting next to my leg rather than the far reaches of my bed. It takes time, but also consistency. I wouldn't recommend hand feeding unless you are looking to be chomped on. I think the combination of the routine and letting her explore me on her terms really made an impact on our relationship. She trusts me to keep her clean, fed, and safe. My scent has become one she associates with comfort. I'm pretty thrilled to be her pillow now. Best of luck.


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## marci (Mar 6, 2014)

Hello, Sorry to cut in on your question I just don't know how to use this site or have an account. We just got our hedgie 3 weeks ago, he's very aggressive when we pick him up he pops and clicks and hisses. When we hold him he doesn't calm down at all and I know were supposed to hold him til he calms to not reinforce bad behavior, is this normal for him to hiss the entire time even when there is No sound or movement? Can a breeder or someone knowledgeable about hedgies email me please [email protected]


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## CoffeeKat (Jan 15, 2014)

We've had our beautiful baby Loofa (aka LuLu) for a week now. She is awesome, friendly, sweet, curious, entertaining, easy to handle and a breeze to care for. HOWEVER.....on her third night here she never did come out of her ball when we brought her out to socialize. She just quivered and hissed and popped, obviously scared but we had no idea why, and I started to wonder if we would ever have our sweet baby back again. I was actually thinking "I've had her less than a week and I've already broken my new hedgehog!"

Next morning, an answer to a prayer popped up in my Facebook feed from Critter Connection at Millermeade Farms, an article about getting your hedgehog to unball and it suddenly became clear to me that I had totally forgotten Hedgehog Handling 101  I had been cupping her in my hands and holding her close to my body trying to help her feel secure, totally forgetting that this has the opposite effect on hedgehogs.

Long and rambling post, but the point is....examine the basics first when things don't go right. There's so much for a new hedgie owner to remember, it's easy to forget the fundamentals and there is nothing more fundamental than how to handle your new friend. I learned the hard way, and thankfully LuLu has forgiven me for her Night of Terror


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## rodanthi (Feb 7, 2014)

Edited because this thread is really, really old.


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