# How to teach a hedgehog to ball up?



## Hedgehogger

I keep seeing all these cute photos of all these hedgehogs curled up in balls as happy as can be, but I haven't had any luck with trying to get Buttercup to ball up. We seem to be getting along pretty well otherwise. She's not the most sociable creature, but at least we haven't gotten pooed or peed on lately so I think she's fairly calm with us.

I almost had her in a ball for a half a second when she retracted her legs in, but they popped right out again as she tried to upright herself. I hold her in an upright sitting position, and support her back, but her little appendages never retract so she ends up more in an undignified position with arms and legs all splayed out.

Is there a certain age where they can't ball up anymore or have forgotten how to do it? I'd love to get some photos of her curled up in a ball, but it just isn't happening.


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel

Balling up is done when they are scared / offended / mad / defensive....if your hedgie is not balling up it is likely just super friendly and comfortable with you. I'd take it as a huge compliment  If they are real fat they apparently can't ball all the way up.

(of course hopefully there is no medical issue here right that you know of? I would assume there are also medical problems aside from being fat that might cause a hedgie to not be able to ball up)


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## LarryT

Sounds like she is annoyed when you put her on her back and wants to be uprighted, I have had a few act like that through the years.


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## Torston

The "relaxed half-curl" that's I've seen so much is in fact adorable. And totally unseen in my house. My hedger is not one to curl up at all and I actually haven't seen him in a full ball outside of sleep sometimes. I think that it's partially just a character trait, a lot like being an explorer hedgehog or a cuddler. Except it's a question of "baller or sprawler". Best advice? Enjoy the confident nature of your little guy, and if he's anything like my spazzy starfish hog, enjoy the hedgehog version of the thriller dance they do trying to get down.


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## Hedgehogger

After seeing many more photos of other hedgehogs over the weeks, I think Buttercup isn't overweight. She does have little pudgey haunches, but I think that's pretty normal (?). She isn't one that enjoys being held in hands for long so that might be it. We usually do the "infinite hand walk" where she's scampering her pudgey body hand over hand over hand walking away from me until I let her walk back into her poo station. 

After giving her a break to relax a bit, I'll pick her up gently again, and then slowly plop her on her back in one hand and support her upper body with the other and quietly encourage her by saying "baaall... balllll...." Sometimes she'll stop her frantic flailing of her limbs and just stare at me. My wife gets a good laugh out of these training sessions. Buttercup then usually just tries to flip back over. It's not like I'm holding her flat on her back or anything - I actually have her in a more upright sitting position so it should be fairly comfortable I'm thinking.

Oh well, I read people asking the exact same question but vice versa (ie. How can I get my hedgehog to UNball) so I guess I should count myself lucky I guess. It's just so much cuter when they are all rolled up in a ball for photos though.


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## PJM

How is she at the vet? The vet freaks out my Cholla like nothing else. So...when you take her to the vet, I'd take a camera too. May be the only place she will ball up.  
But then again, after you see her scared & nervous, all balled up, it will make you love her star-fish ways even more. She sounds like a treasure.


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## Hedgehogger

Well I haven't actually taken her into the vet yet as she seems quite healthy with normal eating and outputing of products. After taking my cat into the vet and seeing her scared reaction there, I don't think I want to compromise the trust we've built up so far.

Yeah, I accept her the way she is, starfished out or not. She'll sit still sometimes listening to me, trying to figure out what the heck I'm trying to do, but the little limbs just won't retract into ball mode. She will kind of retract a leg if I tickle it a little, but it only goes in halfway and pops back out right away. Oh well, she doesn't seem to like sitting upright anyways so I won't push it. It is neat to see others' hedgies on their backs in little balls eating or just relaxing or having their limbs played with on Youtube. I think maybe mine might be too old in her ways to do that any more.

I have noticed that she sure likes eating live mealworms rather than the can of dead ones that came with her. I put a small slice of apple into the bug tub overnight, and they ate it all up making them much tastier I think as Buttercup just gobbles them right up. Before she was eating half of them and leaving half lying around. It was pretty gross. It's much nicer when she eats everything nice and clean.


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## jerseymike1126

i had a similiar problem. i posted pictures of my hedgie on HHC forums and someone requested one next to the 8ball on the pool table with him balled up. only problem is my hedgie isnt afraid of me and unballs after i wake him up...i also had problem getting the half balled up photos that are so cool. u just need to have everything ready to take the photo when you wake him up and take it real fast. trying to make him ball up would involve scaring your hedgie so that shouldnt be an option.


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