# Hedgehog and...friends?



## BeaSniper (Sep 1, 2011)

My hedgehog is very shy. i just got him a few weeks ago, and he is VERY anti social. he was doing very well and was opening up to me, then all of a sudden he went back to being grumpy. 
I have 2 male hamsters and i put them inside the tank with him. At first he was shy, but now they sleep together and they seem to like eachother. they get along very well. Is it possible that one day my hedgehog will snap and just...eat them or bite them very hard?
It sounds a bit silly but he is SO BIG in comparison to the hammies, and i tend to worry that maybe something might happen when im not looking. 
Should i allow their friendship or separate the little guys into montagues and capulets?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Personally I'd separate them...They may be getting along well now, but as with any situation in which more than one animal is housed together, there's always a possibility of something going wrong. Hedgehogs are solitary animals by nature, and don't usually require company. Even if he doesn't bite them, his quills could still hurt the hamsters, or they could bite him, etc. 

You said he suddenly got grumpy again, how old is he? If he's young, it sounds like he may have started quilling, which almost always makes them grumpier, since it's painful. You just have to be patient and try to put yourself in his shoes. He has little needles growing out of his skin, and his back is probably pretty sore from it. Don't pet him on the back at all, but still get him out for cuddles. You can just hold him in a fleece blanket in your lap. He may be more comfortable with this and it still counts as cuddle time. Just go slow and be patient - hedgehogs take time to gain their trust, but it's so worth it in the end!


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## BeaSniper (Sep 1, 2011)

Hey! thanks for the speedy reply. 
I posted earlier about my hedgehog, if people read it i didnt want to repeat myself.

He is about a year old and i just got him a few weeks ago, his previous owners didnt pay any attention to him so he became extremely anti social. when i first got him he would not come out of his ball, and he would not stop hissing and clicking. he'd sleep all day and all night. i was really patient with him and had him fall asleep on me for hours and i had him run around on my table in my living room and my bed many times so he can get used to my smell. He would bite me alot too. I always held him for long periods of time, and id pet him with a pen so when he jumps and hisses it wouldnt hurt me but he'd get used to being pet and understand that im not trying to hurt him. I started buying him mealworms for treats, and he loves em! his previous owners never fed him any. He was beginning to warm up to me, he'd let me pet him after hissing only once or twice. but all of a sudden, he went back to his old ways. He runs on his wheel aaaallll night long. he loves it. but hes still anti social. i know i have to be patient cause he might be the type that will warm up to me in a year :-\


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2011)

Not all hedgehogs become social especially rescues you should never stop trying but rescues may never socialize completely due to neglect and potential abuse in the past however they still need love and some do come around.

Remember they are not social creatures so our bonding tactics are against their normal nature and can take a lot of time, if you haven't already remove those hamsters hedgehogs don;t need any companions and yes its possible they'll fight each other.


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## BeaSniper (Sep 1, 2011)

all right, all right, even though they look like they've become friendly, i've separated them again.


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

yeah i definitely wouldn't keep them together for all of their safety. as far as the grumpiness just keep trying and keep spending time with him everyday. keep in mind though that he does need some quiet time alone in his cage to get some good sleep just as you and i do. letting him sleep on you is a great way to bond, but they can be a bit grumpy if kept out all day and night and not allowed to get that deep uninterrupted sleep in their cage (each time you move, cough, talk, etc. it is waking him up whether he moves or not). as lilysmommy asked how old is he? if he is young that could explain why he slept a lot as babies sleep more and also as mentioned could explain part of the grumpiness if he is quilling. can't wait to see pics of the little one. sounds like you are doing great at bonding just keep it up.


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