# About his mood swings...



## ShelbyRay (Jan 20, 2014)

My little Hogsmeade sleeps all day except to come out and have a bite to eat every now and then, and is awake all night. Since I'm only home at night because of my school schedule, I try to get him out for AT LEAST 30 minutes a day and hold him and play with him. Sometimes I'm home over the weekend and I take him outside to play around in the grass (we've never used pesticides and we live in the middle of nowhere) the only question I really have is, how do I get him to not huff up every time I move? I've had him since February 7th, when he was 7 weeks old, and since he's still in the "quilling process" I thought that might be the reason he's so moody. Once I have him out for a while he gets used to me, but if I'm just getting him out, he puffs up and jumps. He doesn't ball up completely like my last hedgehog did, so I guess that's a plus. My last hedgehog was 4 years old when I got him, and he was never played with because his whole family was afraid of him. No amount of playing ever got him used to me! So how long should I focus on my hedgie to make him like me?


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## Nikkinak44 (Mar 19, 2014)

Just make sure you are handling him every day. Atleast 30 mins. So you are doing pretty good. Do you have a snuggle sack, or a sweatshirt with the PC
Octet that goes all the way through? When you are DOUNG homework or if you are busy you can put him in your pocket as long as you aren't moving around too much. It is so cute when they snuggle up to you and they get used to your scent so you are bonding and don't even realize it! Hope I helped.


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## ShelbyRay (Jan 20, 2014)

Yes, I have a snuggle sack that I made when I first got him, but he digs and digs for some reason. I hold him when I'm watching the walking dead and when I'm doing homework (I hardly ever have homework though...) and he won't eat fruit unless I'm holding it. Is this weird?


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## knikkole (Jan 21, 2014)

I had this same problem with my hedgie, I thought he absolutely hated me because he was always so moody and would jump and hiss nonstop. Turns out he was grumpy because he didn't have enough space in his cage. We bought a big fenced in play pen that he runs around in at night and he is the friendliest hedgie ever now!


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## rodanthi (Feb 7, 2014)

From what I've heard, a lot of hedgehogs are always grumpy when you first wake them up, and a lot of them will flinch instinctively even when they're not really scared. It seems to be true for my Hector, anyway. I've had him about a month and a half now (got him at 3 months). He always hisses and huffs and usually curls up when I wake him up. Given time to wake up and calm down a bit, he is an absolute sweetheart. If he hangs out with me for a couple of hours, then by my bedtime, he's usually very relaxed, but even then sometimes a noise or a hand motion will just trigger his flinch instinct again.

I know he has got used to me because the reactions do not last as long. When I first got him, a cough would ball him up and it'd take him half an hour to come out again. Now his head always tucks in and his spikes always go up if I cough, but he comes out again in a second or two.

So don't be disheartened if he is always easily startled.


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

Remember that they are prey animals and these instincts are totally normal. They are easily startled by movement and sound. 

They are not "moody" and they don't hate you. They are hedgehogs.


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