# Grumpy Hedgie Attacks



## AnaCampos30 (Sep 13, 2013)

Guys, guys, GUYS. Help me please. I've recently got my baby Bilbo. He's about to be 4 months old. The first day I got him, he was all sweet and such a cuddler, but days have passed and he has started biting me. I've been desperately searching problems, causes, soultions, etc. But none of them seem to help. Everyday I wash my hands before handleing him and I make sure he has ate something before handleing him, but it doesn't seem to work. He doesn't even licks my fingers, he just throws the bite and tries to run away from me!! 
Does he hate me?? I'm still trying the blanket method to handle him or blow a bit in his face after the bite, but I'm afraid that if I keep blowing into his face, he'll lost the little trust he has in me. What do I do?? I LOVE him so much and with all the running and the biting, I'm starting to think Bilbo is getting hopeless. (Literally in tears right now). What should I do?? Why is he doing that??
Please help


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Blowing in their face rarely works and for some it makes the behaviour worse. 

Try and figure out why he is biting. Sometimes the bite is because we don't pick up on what they want. For example, if we are holding hedgie and he want's down and we don't pick up on the subtle clues. Or, if hedgie is hungry, or if he has to poop and we are holding. 

The best thing to do is keep your fingers away from his mouth until he realizing he can't bite you or that biting won't accomplish anything.


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## YourSoJelly (Jul 23, 2013)

Has be started losing his quills? Maybe he is quilling. What time are you taking him out at? If you are waking him up, he's probably tired and wants to go back home.


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## AnaCampos30 (Sep 13, 2013)

Nancy said:


> Blowing in their face rarely works and for some it makes the behaviour worse.
> 
> Try and figure out why he is biting. Sometimes the bite is because we don't pick up on what they want. For example, if we are holding hedgie and he want's down and we don't pick up on the subtle clues. Or, if hedgie is hungry, or if he has to poop and we are holding.
> 
> The best thing to do is keep your fingers away from his mouth until he realizing he can't bite you or that biting won't accomplish anything.


Thank you so much!! That seems pretty logic. I think it could be the poop part. He poops a lot (Wonder why didn't I named him Sir Poops 'Alot). I think he's an explorer. Today I let him walk around in my room and I found him biting almost everything he saw. He's unstopable. Maybe that's the reason why he doesn't like to be in my lap so much


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## zamxonk (Mar 6, 2013)

First, I want to say that I see this question a LOT on here, so you're not alone. I think it might take hedgehogs a day or so to realize that all this new stuff is permanent, so they might be sweet at first and then they start to freak out a little. I've seen a pattern of "my hedgie was sweet the first day and then became a huff monster" anyway, so it's normal.

My hedgie also started huffing and biting after coming home with me, definitely not tasting bites. He's four months now and he doesn't nip all the time, but he still does it if I give him the opportunity. Figure out what kind of circumstances tend to have him bite, and prevent them. For example, my hedgie usually bites at night when he wants to explore (aka jump off the couch) and I pick him up (to prevent a fall). So I keep a scrap or two of fleece (big enough to cover my hands) around during his playtime so I can grab him with those, so he can't bite me. He also sometimes randomly nips my fingers (they look like worms? smell like something that annoys him?), so I do my best to always hold him with his face over my palms, not towards my fingers. When I scoop him up, I do the same - put his face towards my palms. If he gets huffy during nail clipping and looks like might bite, I'll put some fleece over his face and around his body with his leg sticking out.

Basically, your hedgie may or may not come around, but removing the opportunity to bite is your best bet if you can't figure out why they're doing it. At least that way they won't get in the habit, and you don't have ouchie fingers.

I've tried four different soaps, plenty of different handling methods, and just about every suggestion on the forums, and still he nips. This is a boy the breeder said never bit anyone at her place (she invites others to come socialize the babies as well, so it wasn't just her), and never even rolled into a full ball before coming home with me. No idea why he's nippy and grumpy here, but he's my boy and we're working it out. Wouldn't trade him for anything.


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## AnaCampos30 (Sep 13, 2013)

YourSoJelly said:


> Has be started losing his quills? Maybe he is quilling. What time are you taking him out at? If you are waking him up, he's probably tired and wants to go back home.


Is it possible for him to still be quilling at his 4 months old?? Maybe that's the reason too. Well, I wake him up late at night. Around 3 o' clock and sit him in my lap, so we can start bonding while I do my homework. Is that ok?? He sleeps during the day.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

Quilling happens around 4, 6, 9, and 12 weeks. The adult quilling (12 weeks) can actually happen between around 3-5 months of age. However, if you don't see quite a few quills in his cage then chances are he's not quilling.

Yes- you can bond with him at pretty much whatever time you want. Just don't make him stay awake during the day (you can still handle him during the day though).


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## AnaCampos30 (Sep 13, 2013)

zamxonk said:


> First, I want to say that I see this question a LOT on here, so you're not alone. I think it might take hedgehogs a day or so to realize that all this new stuff is permanent, so they might be sweet at first and then they start to freak out a little. I've seen a pattern of "my hedgie was sweet the first day and then became a huff monster" anyway, so it's normal.
> 
> My hedgie also started huffing and biting after coming home with me, definitely not tasting bites. He's four months now and he doesn't nip all the time, but he still does it if I give him the opportunity. Figure out what kind of circumstances tend to have him bite, and prevent them. For example, my hedgie usually bites at night when he wants to explore (aka jump off the couch) and I pick him up (to prevent a fall). So I keep a scrap or two of fleece (big enough to cover my hands) around during his playtime so I can grab him with those, so he can't bite me. He also sometimes randomly nips my fingers (they look like worms? smell like something that annoys him?), so I do my best to always hold him with his face over my palms, not towards my fingers. When I scoop him up, I do the same - put his face towards my palms. If he gets huffy during nail clipping and looks like might bite, I'll put some fleece over his face and around his body with his leg sticking out.
> 
> ...


OMG! No, no, no. I didn't mean it like that. I wouldn't trade my Bilbo for anything either. No way!! D:
But yeah, I'll try to handle him with his face turned to my palms. Thank you very much!! 
Seems like almost every 3 or 4 month hedgie is a bit moody, don't they??


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

You'd be a little moody if you had spikey needles forcing their way through your skin while simultaneously having current ones pushed out !


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## zamxonk (Mar 6, 2013)

AnaCampos30 said:


> OMG! No, no, no. I didn't mean it like that. I wouldn't trade my Bilbo for anything either. No way!! D:


I didn't mean to imply you were thinking bad things about him! I've been in that "literally crying because hedgie possibly hates me" place before and just wanted to reassure you that you won't feel that way forever. Now when he bites me I just scold him and giggle.


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