# Bonding, quilling, popping and hissing



## mjmiller (Nov 10, 2015)

I have read many of the other posts about bonding with their new hedgie and they have had similar experiences. Bare with me while I again ask...what else can I do to make my little boy less cranky?

Poe, my little guy, spends about on an average of 3 hours a day with me, at night/very early morning. I have had him for about 2.5 weeks, and he's about 8 weeks old. I have slept with his sleeping bag, and a spare pillowcase, which is in his cage (and he sleeps with it). I hold him in my hands, let him sleep in my lap, talk to him...but any movement, of any kind -heavy breath, twitching, fingers slightly moving, voices - he just hisses and curls into a ball. I have let him run around on the bed (supervised of course), and he didn't want any interaction with anything, just went to a nearby blanket, burried into it and slept. Mealworms do not work, he's not interested, even if I just put them in his bowl.

He is definitely quilling, so I know that is painful for him and I try to be as careful as possible when handling him.

What else can I do?

Thank you so much!
Megan


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

It sounds like any interactions he has right now, he'd rather be asleep for. That ok especially considering he's a baby. 
It takes time.
Turn the radio or tv on with a low volume while your bonding with him. It will make any new noise less shocking. An example of this is horses. They have a tendency to spook at thunder. They want to find cover and would rather be in the woods than a barn during a storm, they just feel safer that way. As a result many barns with horses will have a radio playing. It's not for human entertainment. It softens the blow of sudden noises. 

People have a tendency to react when their hedgehog pops at them, it's natural. The more you react, the more he learns it works. If you are petting him and he huffs at you or balls up, freeze. Don't move your hand. If every time you get him out and try your hardest not to make sudden moves, noises or anything like that he isn't given the opportunity to get used to those things. He is a prey animal, in the wild a sudden noise could mean you are about to be someone's lunch. In my house, my husband an I take a be your normal selfs. However we aren't over the top people, but we aren't totally mellow. My kids have to be mellow, but their mellow is about a step above my normal. I also have a general rule about playing with a hedgehog while watching sports.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Two and a half weeks isn't very long it can take months for a hedgehog to start to get used to a new home. How old is he? if she's around 9 weeks old or so he's also probably quilling which can make them grumpier.


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## mjmiller (Nov 10, 2015)

Thank you! I now remember somewhere, someone mentioning turning on a soft radio during the day with their hedgie. I also have two dogs, and I know that's threatening, so I try to have alone time with him away from them. I knew they needed time to "come out of their shell", but it is nice to have the reminder . I just want to make sure I'm doing my very best for this wonderful, beautiful baby boy.


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