# MAJOR change in Kashi's behavior!



## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

So I've been handling Kashi everyday for the past 2 weeks that I have had him.

Tonight I saw a drastic change in his behavior!

Usually, he will huff and sometimes even roll up into a ball when I first take him out... and I usually handle him for around an hour or two in the evening (anywhere from between 6 to 9 PM).

Today I was out until late and I only came home around 11:30 PM. I looked into his cage when I came home (it was dark so he was already up and about), and when I saw that he was awake, I took him out of his cage and placed him on my lap.

When I took him out, there was no huffing whatsoever. He had his quills slightly raised, but after a little while of me talking to him and petting his back quills, they all went down. Afterwards he let me touch his visor quills, his face, his ears AND his sides without him huffing or getting spooked! He then attempted to burrow into the fleece blanket, rolled over onto his side, and gave my hand a couple of licks...

I'm kinda shocked at his sudden change in behavior :shock:
I have NEVER been able to touch his face and sides without him huffing!

I guess this is progress... but WOW what a jump!


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## jdlover90 (Jun 14, 2010)

Congrats on that! 
My little guy still huffs a bit, but he's pretty good about me coming near him.
Progress  

yay! lol


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## Amy1024 (Mar 18, 2010)

Do you usually have the lights on when you take him out? I ask because Hershi does the same thing, light vs dark. When the lights are out and only the laptop screen is on, she won't huff at me, and walks all around my table, etc. And the licking, I usually move my hand away from her once she does that because she has proven to me that lick lick = chomp. :lol:


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

Sounds like you've found a good time in his schedule for him to be friendlier. Try sticking to that time and see if it helps. 

I took Riley out yesterday too close to his eating time and he wouldn't settle down. Finally I set him back in his house and he pigged out then went to bed. Poor guy was hungry!


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Amy1024 said:


> Do you usually have the lights on when you take him out? I ask because Hershi does the same thing, light vs dark. When the lights are out and only the laptop screen is on, she won't huff at me, and walks all around my table, etc. And the licking, I usually move my hand away from her once she does that because she has proven to me that lick lick = chomp. :lol:


Usually I take him out with the lights on, yes, but I had the lights on this time too. I had my lights off before because I had been away all day (no one was there to turn on the lights once it got dark). I think maybe he preferred being handled this time because he had woken up by himself, as opposed to me forcing him awake :lol:
Yeah, he's done that to my sister and mom, so I was about to move my hand away, but he didn't bite, instead he licked, lost interest and decided to lay down by my hand haha



krbshappy71 said:


> Sounds like you've found a good time in his schedule for him to be friendlier. Try sticking to that time and see if it helps.
> 
> I took Riley out yesterday too close to his eating time and he wouldn't settle down. Finally I set him back in his house and he pigged out then went to bed. Poor guy was hungry!


Yeah, I think he prefers waking up at his own pace... I mean I don't blame him because I can be quite grumpy myself if I'm woken up from sleeping :lol:
I'll try handling him later at night again. Maybe I should darken my room (so that only one of my lights are on) and see if he feels less grumpy about being woken up?


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## jdlover90 (Jun 14, 2010)

Quilly gets grumpy when I wake him up randomly too. He prefers waking up on his own, at some point. But I can't help it, I just love playing with him! After a few minutes he isn't grumpy anymore...lol


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

I giggled a little when I noticed JD calls their hedgie 'Quilly.' That's my girl's nickname.

Anyway, well done on finding Kashi's friendly time. Sounds like you two are already becoming good friends.


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## jdlover90 (Jun 14, 2010)

Sela said:


> I giggled a little when I noticed JD calls their hedgie 'Quilly.' That's my girl's nickname.
> 
> Anyway, well done on finding Kashi's friendly time. Sounds like you two are already becoming good friends.


 :lol: That's funny! What's your hedgies full name??


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Sounds like he likes 11:30 much better than earlier.  Inky does the same thing, where he will huff and puff, but if you hold him while he was already awake, or at least very late, he doesn't mind at all. Of course, that only works for those of us who like to be up at midnight... :lol:


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Yeah... I definitely think it's the time I wake him up that makes him so huffy... because I took him out again half an hour ago (it's 12:36 AM over here in Montreal) and he did not huff at all. Now he is burrowing in his fleece blanket and getting all nice and comfy some more splatting time... I should probably put him back into his cage soon so that he can go for a run, and do what he needs to do... but yes, I definitely think it's at what time I'm handling him!

This time works just fine for me though, because I am usually not in bed until 1 AM the earliest


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

jdlover90 said:


> :lol: That's funny! What's your hedgies full name??


Quillamina. Dad's idea, as she was originally supposed to be his.


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## hedgiesrule (Jan 19, 2009)

Sorta reminds me of Freya... she used to get super huffy whenever I touched her forehead quills but I've been working with her and stroking her forehead quills alot so she sees it's not so bad and she's improved alot. She rarely huffs at all... well, except for when people she doesn't know as well stroke her head. Then she freaks a bit. But not nearly as bad as it was. I'm lucky Freya's so sweet. Haha, I have her in a shirt on my lap and she curled up and got still so I pulled up the shirt a little and peeked inside at her and she raises her head and gets all huffy and gives me a sleepy look. I better let her rest.
hr


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Hehe yeah, Kashi no longer freaks with his visor quills, but he still dislikes getting his side petted, as well as my hands going anywhere near his face, especially near his nose. I'll keep working at it though ^-^

Also, the little bugger is a pain when it comes to clipping his nails. He absolutely HATES it and will huff and puff. Usually it takes at least 20 minutes for me to do one paw xD


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

20 minutes is too long to spend trying to do nails. All it does is stress them and you out and makes it even more of a challenge the next time you go to do it. I try for about a minute, two and the most and if they are that resistant, I wait and try again in a few days.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I would normally have done that, but that one foot I have not been able to get for a while now, and it has been on the longer side ever since I got him... I just didn't want him hurting himself :/


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