# 3 year old hedgie



## TimmG (Jun 10, 2012)

Hello,
My name is Timm and I am new to the forums but not new to Hedgehogs. I adopted Mimi on 07/03/09. Her birth was 05/01/09. She is now 3 and doing fine. I have read lots of posts on here, but most of the ones concerning behavior are related to 11 weeks-12 months. I have just accepted the fact that Mimi does not like interaction. Even when I first adopted her up to the year mark I held her daily, and to no avail. My friend an I are each considering adopting a hedgehog and I was wondering in what ways could I handle Mimi to get her more accustomed to being in the same room as another. Or since they will be in separate cages will it not matter? As of now I try to hold Mimi 2 times a week and I bathe her bi-weekly with a clipping tri-weekly. _I don't hold her so little because I don't want to, I hold her so little because that is what she wants. She despises being touched in any way _ Any helpful comments will be appreciated.


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

You need to be holding her for *at least* 30 minutes each day. She won't become socialized without it. If you don't hold her because she "doesn't want you to", you are teaching her that it's okay to ball up, humph, etc.

She will be okay being in the same room as another hedgehog, just not the same cage.

As for baths, I hope you aren't giving her a full bath twice a week. If you are, that is way to much. You should only be giving foot baths bi-weekly. Full baths dry out their skin, which is already dry.

By clipping, do you mean you are you clipping her nails 3 times a week?


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## TimmG (Jun 10, 2012)

Clipping her nails Tri-weekly. It means once every 3 weeks. And foot baths. The whole socializing thing....Her *personality* is "Hermit" I held her daily for I don't know how long for a whole year. She just didn't, and doesn't like to be held. She is not an adventurer either. She just wants to be left alone. And I accepted that fact. She likes to be left alone, and she does not want to have anything to do with anything but her wheel, food, and sleep. That wont change. And its not like I don't hold her. I do. I just don't do it as much as I used to because she doesn't like it.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

You aren't doing anything wrong. Some hedgehogs want nothing to do with being handled or touched in any way. Some of them, although they don't want to ever be touched, will be fine if left to explore on their own and that includes walking on their human as long as it's hands off. Others want no contact what so ever and all the handling in the world is not going to make a difference, in fact, with some, the more we try, the worse they get. 

Some are scared of the world and handling will make a difference with them. They are more likely to be rescues/rehomes and once comfortable in their new home will relax. You've had her from a baby so obviously that is not her issue and it's her personality.

Some touchy hogs love a routine and with a routine they do better and tolerate more. Some do far better when only handled a couple times a week. It's almost as if they realize they only have to suffer through being touched every few days. :lol: 

I've had a couple of hermit types that through treats became slightly more social, although never came to enjoy being touched. What I would do is set a treat in their bed each night for about a week. Then I'd start leaving the treat just at the edge of their bed. After a while, I'd move the treat so it was just a bit outside of their bed and over time would gradually move it closer and closer to the bars of the cage. I got one girl to come to the bars of the cage and wait for her treat. She still didn't want to be touched but with the bars between us, she became very social. 

Mimi won't care in the least if there is another hedgehog in the same room as her.


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## TimmG (Jun 10, 2012)

Nancy said:


> You aren't doing anything wrong. Some hedgehogs want nothing to do with being handled or touched in any way. Some of them, although they don't want to ever be touched, will be fine if left to explore on their own and that includes walking on their human as long as it's hands off. Others want no contact what so ever and all the handling in the world is not going to make a difference, in fact, with some, the more we try, the worse they get.
> 
> Some are scared of the world and handling will make a difference with them. They are more likely to be rescues/rehomes and once comfortable in their new home will relax. You've had her from a baby so obviously that is not her issue and it's her personality.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your advice.


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