# New hedgehog.. Not what I was expecting!



## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

Hello fellow hedgie owners!

So three weeks ago I purchased my first hedgehog. She is an albino female and her name is Cashew. She is about nine months old, and I was very excited to get her. I did my research before hand, so I knew that they would take a while to warm up to me. However, my hedgehog is well... Not that friendly at all. Or so it seems. 

If I change her water and put her dish back into her cage while she is awake, she will attack the dish for numerous minutes, vigorously bitting and hitting it with her nose. At first I thought it was because she wanted to play, but every time I put my hand near the cage she bites at her cage in the same way. We have a special little scoop to take out her poo and if we attempt to scoop while she is also awake, she will then proceed to attack the spoon as well. I don't know what to do! It's been almost a month and I interact with her every day, but she has tried to bite my fingers, so when I take her out of her cage, I have to handle her with gloves. She's bitten them as well. She does not curl into a ball when I pick her up, she just wants to be put down. She sleeps sprawled out so I thought she was comfortable. Are all hedgehogs like this? The lady I bought her from handled her often and she never said anything about her biting at things all the time. I also recently let her run around in a space on the floor and she bit a pencil just because it was near her. Is she scared or does she want to play or is she just vicious? 

My mom and I attempted to give her a bath, and she seemed to love the water, but I couldn't hang onto her enough to dry her off at all. She just doesn't seem to enjoy being handled by her or I, but after all it has been just 3 weeks. 


We've gotten her a big cage with a very nice wheel and house, she is all set. Am I doing something wrong?? Help!!

Ps.. Can I trim her nails with anything other than something bought at the pet store? Since she hates to be handled I haven't been able to cut them and they are getting fairly long and I feel terrible  I have cudicle nippers and regular nail clippers.


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

Oh and.. I waited the full three weeks before I handled her at all. We put her in a quiet room, with a heating blanket, and I left a sweater of mine right outside the cage where she sleeps. Our house is very quiet on a daily basis so I doubt it was that big of a transition from her "quiet room" to where she is now.


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

I'm sure more experienced hedgie parents will answer, but you didn't handle her for 3 weeks?

You'll basically have to start the socialization process all over again. 

You can take her out once or twice a day, put her in a hedgie bag or cuddle her up in fleece and keep her head covered. Let her get used to you and your smell. My Nara likes no lights on at all in the room and quiet, then she runs and explores all over.

It may take several months to get her to relax. 

Just my 2 cents. 

Good luck and take it slow.


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

The lady I bought her from said to not even pick her up at all until around that time. But I put my hands on the cage, talked to her all the time while she was awake handled her dishes and stuff.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

The lady you got her from was wrong. Usually it is recommended to leave them be for a day or two but not longer than that. It's good that you were talking to her and being near the cage in that time. Since it sounds like you've just started the actual picking her up and handling her directly I would say that she needs a lot more time. Some are just biters though and you will have to find a way to deal with that if it is the case. It might be a good idea to get her to a vet for a check up. I think I've read on here that when they are biting everything like that they are having pain in their mouth (someone correct me if I'm horribly mistaken).


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

I hope not. She isn't constantly biting, she'll sniff it, and then bite. I've noticed she's biting the cage a lot less recently, so I hope that's good. Same with the pencil, she sniffed it first, tried a bite and decided she didn't like it.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

That sounds like she is biting just to explore and not to be aggressive but it is hard to tell without actually seeing it. Try not to use gloves when you are handling her. Use a t-shirt or a blanket or a piece of fleece to pull her out of the cage and just try to keep your fingers away from her mouth. Do you have any toys set out for her for play time or in her cage? She might be bored.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

I agree it sounds like a bit of a socialization issue from being left for so long. That's ok. Many people have resuces who were never held and have since come around.

My suggestions - try to establish a regular schedule for taking her out each night. Bonding snuggle sacks are helpful. When taking her out try not to use gloves. Rather than gloves, try to use a fleece towel. It can still protect your hands but without the odd scent. This is especially good if it's a fabric piece that stays in her cage with her.

How much food is your hedgie getting? Hedgies should be free fed with food remaining in the dish each morning. My hedgie nips when she's hungry (she's lazy and wants the food to come to her, not to go to the food). If she's smelling before biting, it suggests maybe a hunger issue. Also what type of food is it?

Possibly a way to deal with the biting is to give her one thing that she's 'allowed' to bite. I've read that in the wild hedgies like to attach snakes. Possibly a soft rubber snake, braided fleece, a clean dish towel, or one of those long cat toys.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Some hedgehogs can be territorial about their cages, which might be a part of her biting factor, especially since she was left alone for three weeks. So when you're touching her food dishes or even trying to get at her, she's kind of saying "back off, this is my territory". You just have to push through it. As for biting the gloves, if they are leather, then she's probably reacting to the smell. Hogs have bad eye sight, so much of their world involves smell and even taste. They will also chew and 'anoint' with things, especially new smells, this is a process in which they will chew and bite at something, creating a foam in their mouth, and then they'll contort their body and spread the foam on their quills. It might be what she was doing with the pencil.

Patience is a biggie when it comes to hedgehogs, like its been said the three weeks was sadly a tad too long for her to be left untouched, they do fall out of habit of being handled, and at this moment she doesn't know you're "safe" to her (of course not your fault, fault of her previous owner for telling you this). If she was fine with her previous owner then with some work and patience, she'll come around again. Just keep handling her at least 10 to 20 minutes a night. Instead of gloves you can try using a towel or small blanket, and when you have her out with you, have a place for her to hide in, such as sitting with her on your lap with a blanket over her. She'll come out once she feels comfortable, might take several days before it happens, but sooner or later it will.


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

Thanks! That's great, I'm going to try the towel thing tonight. Also a major issue is the nail clipping!! I have cuticle nippers (ladies you'll know what those are) and regular nail clippers. Can I use either of those things?? I feel bad, theyre getting pretty long


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

Oh and she is getting plenty of food. She is free fed, and there is always food in her dish. It's the same kind of food as used where she was before, and she's eating and pooping normally, so I don't think she's hungry.


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

I also tried to get her to stay on my lap on something... But she won't stay still! Haha, she's all over the place and very much does not like to be sitting on my lap, but I will try it again and put something over her so maybe she won't feel like she has to run, if that's the case.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

sway said:


> Thanks! That's great, I'm going to try the towel thing tonight. Also a major issue is the nail clipping!! I have cudicle nippers (ladies you'll know what those are) and regular nail clippers. Can I use either of those things?? I feel bad, theyre getting pretty long


Regular nail clippers are fine for hedgies 
A suggestion for clipping her nails: Do it while you give her a bath so that she can't curl into a ball 

Take things slow with your hedgie. She might just be scared. Also, if she's sniffing and biting, chances are she probably thinks it smells interesting.
Do you use a scented soap for your hands, etc? Maybe she thinks it smells tasty


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## mtnwmn (Nov 25, 2010)

I just clipped Shocktop's nails for the first time. I used regular fingernail clippers, and it was _surprisingly _easy. I gave her a bath beforehand, which calmed her down (she's one of those rare hedgehogs, I guess), and softened the nails. I don't understand how people clip nails while they are in the bath (but, like shaellikestaquitoes said, then they can't roll into a ball. Since you don't have that problem, I've also heard having two people work together helps-- one holding, the other clipping gently. I've also ready somewhere that you need to take the clippers to her toes, not the other way around. Hedgehog legs and joints are sensitive, and you don't want to do any damage by pulling or being too rough. Also, don't get overzealous and cut too many at a time (and stress her out), or cut too close, and get her quick. Good luck!

Also, some hedgehogs like to run around, some like to snuggle. Sometimes it depends on how they feel. If she likes to explore, I can't imagine hiding her in a blanket


sway said:


> so maybe she won't feel like she has to run, if that's the case.


 will really help calm her and help her bond to you. Instead, encourage her to explore safely and play around you, so she associates you with something she enjoys. Also, if you wake her up and take her out of her cage too soon, she could be doing her "potty dance", so you might want to wake her up, give her ten minutes to put on her happy face, and then see if she's any more approachable.


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

Okay thanks, you guys are great! My soap is mildly scented, and I wash my hands often so my hands don't smell like food. I will try the nail trimming if she's awake before I go to bed or tomorrow. I will try picking her up later with a soft towel... My experience with this one is she is not a happy Cashew if she is roused before she likes to be, lol.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Thinking about it, if you're waiting for her to wake up on her own, most hedgehogs are usually 'on the go' during what I call 'their time'. Many owners will wake up their hedgheogs in the early evening (say between 6 and 9) when the hedgehog is still asleep, and many hogs will usually settle back down and sleep some more. Then of course later at night (my guys tend to wake up between 10 and 11), the hogs have their own active time. There tends to be two kinds, cuddlers and explorers. Cuddlers are the hedgehogs who enjoy sleeping and laying on you, explorers tend to want to be exploring and checking everything out. Both can do either though, they just tend to lean to one or the other.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Sounds like you've gotten lots of good ideas. I just wanted to say Welcome to HHC! Hopefully you will find something that works for both of you. It really is worth all the patience & effort.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Something you can do to help the exploring time is make a play pen for her that is basically just a safe area that is closed off so she can't get lost. Some people actually use a little pet pen/fence others just have a hedgehog safe room or hallway. 

Make a comfy space for yourself in the play pen and then sit there reading or doing something else while she runs around. she'll come investigate you and you won't have to worry about her getting lost or falling. 

Put some toys in the play pen (there are lots of threads about toys search via the search bar in title banner at the top of the page).


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

The hallway thing is a really good idea, the living room just seemed too big for her. I'm afraid to sit in there with her in case she bites me. But I'll try, and hopefully she won't, lol. Definitely going to check out the thread about toys.


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

Tried the towel thing, I let her smell it and she just bit it 100 times. No way I'm picking her up without some kind of a glove, lots of teeth!


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

sway said:


> Tried the towel thing, I let her smell it and she just bit it 100 times. No way I'm picking her up without some kind of a glove, lots of teeth!


Gloves will scare her more.
You should maybe stick a shirt you have worn several times into her cage so that she gets used to your scent.
Also, if she's biting the towel, at least she isn't biting you? ^-^
Could you perhaps videotape how she is reacting? Because it seems very unclear WHY she's biting >_>
Does she do it aggressively (maybe biting and clamping on an pulling, or perhaps even screaming), does she have her quills raised defensively?


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

Her quills are up, she's not screaming but she's biting and pulling. She was biting her food dish to move it so I grabbed it before she knocked it over. I put it back into her cage and she was biting it non-stop for about 2 minutes. So I had to take it back out again, because I could hear her teeth scraping on it. I guess I'll just leave her alone, she doesn't seem like she wants any one around her at all. When I went to pick her up she wasn't even balling up, she was turning around quickly and lunging slightly towards me until I backed off.


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

I'll put her dish back in when she's sleeping. Maybe she won't bite it when she wakes up.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

That's soo strange @[email protected]
Sounds like she's scared/aggressive.
As for the bowl, maybe she doesn't like that kind. Could you perhaps try putting another bowl in her cage?
Kashi was like that for a brief amount of time. Just remember, if she bites, don't flinch. Just ignore it. I know it's human instinct to pull away and yelp but that will probably scare her more.
Maybe you could try not petting her right now but keeping her in an enclosed space with you around and then slowly start working to having her in your lap, and then having your hand on her back, so on and so forth.
I hope that helps :|


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

She does sound challenging. 

I agree with Shae. Keep trying to pick her up with the towel. I would just hold her to move her quickly to the play pen and then put her down. If you sit far away from her when she comes to explore you she might not bite so aggressively. I wonder if she wants to play tug of war?


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## mtnwmn (Nov 25, 2010)

This thread makes me feel thankful for my little Shocktop!

That biting does sound like a nuisance! Shocktop has nipped me a few times, but they were just little love nips. She never latched on, it seemed to be more of a curious "is this tasty?" thought. It sounds like you aren't experiencing that at all, so I hope she doesn't get skin  .

The first time I really felt like I bonded with Shocktop I put her in her travel carrier without the top on (the top comes off), so she had more limited space to roam around and fewer things to hide under. I gave her food there, and just held the container on my lap while she ate. She was not bothered at all by it, and it made me feel great. You could even put the food on the floor of the container so she's not attacking the food container, and this would give you an opportunity to be near her without fearing her bites or wearing gloves. It's also perfect for easy poop detail.

If you don't have a travel carrier that lets you do that, you can also let her burrow in a tissue box. I use one to help Shocktop transition between cage time and playtime-- that way, she can come out and explore on her terms, and go hide when she's done. That way, she doesn't even get to the annoyed "huff, I'm tired and you're bothering me" stage.


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

Okay, so I'm handling her a little more regularly, and I bought her this little snuggly thing. It isn't fleece but she likes to be wrapped in this t-towel and then put in there. I cradled her for 20 minutes today and she just kind of stayed in a loose ball and didn't try to bite or escape. However, she's got dry skin on her little ear, I have vitamin E capsules, can I put that on her ear??


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## Country_Girl (Aug 9, 2010)

When I rescued my guy he was not handled by humans for almost 3 months, he had very similar behaviors and would attack, hiss, chirp etc! I have had him for a year and a half now and with constant patience he is the best boy i could ever ask for! The thing that helped me the most was getting a pet fleece blanket and sleeping with it to get my scent on it! I then put it in his cage and when I handled him I only did so with that blanket! I was his comfort zone! Maybe something similair will help your girl! If you have any questions that you think I may be able to answer dont hestiate to message me! 
Good Luck with her, hopefully she will be a friendly girl as time progresses!


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

I am definitely going to have to invest in fleece then, lol. I got her these chewy sticks and she's only chewed it a couple of times.. However, she really likes water bottle caps? They're big enough for her not to choke.. and she really really love it, is this okay??


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

I am definitely going to have to invest in fleece then, lol. I got her these chewy sticks and she's only chewed it a couple of times.. However, she really likes water bottle caps? They're big enough for her not to choke.. and she really really love it, is this okay??


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## NoDivision (Aug 29, 2010)

It's possible that the repeated biting of the towel could have been exploring. Sherlock will often bite things before annointing, and sometimes he finds things that are REALLY new and interesting and will just bite like crazy for a while before he just gets tired of it *shrug* I'd leave the towel or whatever it was with him for a while so he can do what he wants with it (assuming it has no loose threads that could hurt him) 

Also, what is the food bowl made of? Is it plastic or ceramic? I cannot imagine a hog biting like that on a hard ceramic bowl like I have for my boy, it would have to hurt his teeth.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

sway said:


> I am definitely going to have to invest in fleece then, lol. I got her these chewy sticks and she's only chewed it a couple of times.. However, she really likes water bottle caps? They're big enough for her not to choke.. and she really really love it, is this okay??


It's great that she loves them but I would be concerned. Bottle caps tend to have little pointy bits around the edges where the safety seal was broke, which could poke her in the eye. I'd also be concerned about breaking a tooth from chewing on something hard (hedgehogs aren't rodents and so don't grow their teeth back)

I wonder if you could try one of those cat balls - supervised. There's been concern about if they're a hazard but there's footballs which are a smaller size in diameter and easier for hedgehogs to get in/out of their mouths without locking their jaw.

Could also let her 'chew' (read eat) some unseasoned, cooked chicken.


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## sway (Dec 2, 2010)

This cap doesn't have any pointy edges on it, and they're about the same hardness as these sticks that I bought her - that she doesn't even like. As for her dish, it is ceramic, that's why I was concerned that she was biting it. She mostly just throws the bottle cap around, shakes it, scratches it and bites it a bit. She definitely hasn't broken any teeth, I watched her yawn today.. They were all there, big and scary.


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## isosceles_kramer (Dec 22, 2010)

Hi sway 

I'm a pretty new hedgehog owner so i don't have the experience of most people here. But being that i AM a new owner, I'm in a similar position of having to socialize him too. So hopefully i can be of some support.

I started aggressively socializing Hodge right from day one. Well, day two  Day one i sat next to his cage and talked to him softly. Day two i started letting him sit on my lap, etc. Hodge was pretty typical right from the start. He'd snuffle and roll into a ball. He DID bite me once but not aggressively.. i smelled like cat treats and i think he figured i was edible.

Do you know how he was treated before he came to you? I'm not suggesting abuse or neglect but perhaps he came from a home with a standoffish adult BUT lots of handsy kids or something. And maybe he's just learned to find humans annoying before he came your way.

Talk to him. Give him things that smell like you. Pick him up in a blankie and just sit him on your lap if he'll stand it. Once the aggression level goes away, try hand feeding him, if you can. And make sure he has something snuggly to hide in. Hodge LOVES his hedgie bags that i made him and i always take his bag with me when i try to play with him. Just to have something familiar for him, and something thick for me so he doesn't prickle me 

Per his nails.. do what i'm thinking about. I'm looking around my area for other owners that can help me with the first trim so i'm not going in blind. Lots of seasoned owners would respond to an ad asking for assistance with the first clip.

I'm pleased to say that in the last three weeks, since he arrived, we've become much better friends than we started out being. He even lets me rub his belly when he snoozes in his bag. In fact tonight he EXPOSED his belly for a tickle which was so miraculous to me i'm half afraid he's sick or something lol

It really does take a saintly amount of patience. I've been lucky in that Hodge is such a good, sweet natured little fella. And it sounds like your little guy is way more of a handful than hodge is. But.. although i'm not a seasoned hedgie owner, i AM a seasoned pet owner. And even the meanest tempered amongst them WILL come around with patience, love and empathy. 

If he seems really upset for a long time.. he also could be ill or uncomfortable. And maybe a vet visit would be in order? Just to rule out anything non-human related.

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes!


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

isosceles...you raised a good point. Snarf will sleep on Jamie's chest and Jamie can snore (he scares ME for pete's sake); talk normally, move around and Snarf barely reacts.

Snarf spends most of his day with me as I'm not working these days. When he sleeps on/near me, I'm not allowed to breathe near him, speak or move. My voice scares him mush more than Jamie's even tho' I am the one he wants when he's scared.

I think it's a male/female thing in this case and he's more used to males voices (we got him two months ago at 1.5 years old)...so maybe it IS a reaction to something that happened before he moved in with you??


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

It is actually not recommended to hand feed hedgehogs. Especially if they have a history of biting. They will start to associate fingers with food and bite at your fingers. This can result in a very unpleasant experience for the owners fingers. It is better to put the food/treat in a dish or on a utensil of some kind. You can still feed the hedgehog while he/she is on your lap but using the dish or utensil.


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## AleishaMarie (Sep 24, 2012)

How is little Cashew doing?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Please look at dates before you post - this thread is over two years old. I doubt the OP is still around.


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## AleishaMarie (Sep 24, 2012)

Yea I saw the dates, I posted because I wanted to see how things were now. Sorry if it bothered anyone. I guess I hope people stay on here to update on their little ones and keep touch


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

If you want to ask the OP about the hedgie you can send her a pm if she's still on the board.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

The last time the op was on here was July 2011. 

If you click on the persons "User Name", then "View Public Profile", then "Statistics" it will say when the person last logged in. 

The issue with dragging up old posts is often people will reply as if its current and it gets confusing. :lol:


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