# adopted, scared hedgehog



## coraline_jones (Sep 18, 2009)

A little over a week ago I adopted a 6 month old hedgehog named Pheobe. The previous owner warned me that it would take a little bit for her to warm up to me and get used to me but no luck at all yet. She goes into a ball and huffs everytime there's any noise around her at all or if she hears someone go close to her cage. I put one of my t-shirts in there so she can try and get used to my scent and she does like to sleep in it. I try to take her out and let her walk around/try and get used to me and her surroundings 1-2 times a day but it hasn't helped at all yet. Everytime I pick her up she freaks out, goes into a ball, shakes and huffs really loudly, it's really upsetting . Once I get her out of her cage it takes her awhile to come out of her ball and walk around and once she does she goes back in if you get too close to her so its hard for me to actually hold her and try to get her used to me. I try to feed her meal worms but she either won't come close enough to get them without getting too scared or she isn't interested. I don't really know what else to do to try and get her used to me but i'm worried she'll be like this forever.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

A little over a week is not that much time for her to get use to you or her new environment.
I don't know if it will help any but i leave the radio on all the time for my hedgies they like talk radio and classical music :lol:


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

Hang in there! I also have a little spaz who is in a ball more than he's out but he's making progress, its been over a month. 6 months is still young, my Whyte is guessed at 3 months old (four now) so I just tell myself that hopefully he will live a few years and warm up eventually during that time. I do not expect him to ever be to the comfort level of Riley, my love-bug, but here's hoping! Just keep handling her consistently and gently. 

Whyte seems to prefer dim lighting, and has started acknowledging my voice. When in a ball, cradled in my hands, if I coo to him with baby talk he actually comes out of his ball now instead of huffing louder, it is awesome!! Last night he did that again, I was so touched. Granted, at the first sudden noise he balled up again but each time he comes out a little sooner.


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## Whiffle (Sep 15, 2009)

I'm in a similar situation - just adopted a 1-yr-old female hedgie last week. She doesn't curl into a ball so much (other than when I pick her up, but she uncurls quickly and tries to RUN :lol: ), but she DOES huff/hiss and raise her quills a lot. We call the raised quill action "porking." As in, "Oh, no, you made her pork [verb] again!" :lol:

So I guess I don't have any great suggestions for you... just commiseration. The folks here have been very encouraging, though, so I am hopeful that eventually she'll warm up to me/us.


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## Pipkin (Aug 26, 2009)

aw bless the little hedgie. I wouldnt worry. They are naturally timid creatures, especially with new owners and new environments. If she wasnt handled much with the last owner then that would explain why she is more timid than most. She will come out of her ball eventually, just be patient and stick in there with her. She needs your help and you will be rewarded when you eventually see her little face, maybe a bath would help aswel, that certainly wakes my little guy up, hes then too determined to get out of the tub than to worry about anything else :lol:


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