# Agoraphobia?!



## Jaibee (Apr 5, 2010)

I have had my hedgie for a week now (and can't imagine how I spent my life before). She generally seems to have settled in quickly and she always seems very busy and keen to explore. However, she then seems to stress herself - she will happily wonder and get very impatient if I try and pick her up whilst doing her laps of the room, but then suddenly her attitude will change and she moves a lot quicker, huffs at me and gets very agitated if I come near. Yesterday after she was out for about 20 minutes, her poo had gone green and odd like it was on the day that I had bought her back. Also, if I get her out in the day, she seems content to carry on sleeping on me. But if I get her out once she has woken up in the evening, she is always very agitated and hard to get out and when she is out it just seems to completely stress her, whether she is on me or allowed free reign. At this point as well she gets a bit nippy, she hasnt bitten hard, but she makes it clear she is distressed. Her cage is quite large, but she doesn't seem to use the wheel very much, she just paces round, so I am concerned she isn't going to get enough exercise or get bored. 
I don't know what the best thing to do is, how should I get her out? She seems to want to both run around and to not?! I really don't want to stress her out when she is getting used to her new home!


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

How old is she?

Breeder or petstore? I ask because I'm wondering if she could be pregnant. Nesting, nervous when you are around. Just at thought. When you got her was she with a group of other hedgies in the same cage?


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

This could also be normal huffy hedgehog behaviour. You two are still getting to know each other. read some posts in the behaviour section for tips on taming her. I really hope you don't have to deal with a pregnancy.


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

When you get her out in the evenings has she had time to eat, drink and use the bathroom. The reason I ask is if she seems to be doing this more in the evening she could be upset because she didn't get to do those things yet and would explain why she is acting like that. If this true than you can always bring her food, water and potty out so that she can get at them while you guys are playing. Just an idea


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Her behaviour sounds perfectly normal to me.

The main reason why she is more content with falling asleep on you when you get her out during the day... is because she is exhausted and just wants to sleep. Since they are nocturnal, you're basically taking her out in the middle of her deep sleep, and allowing her to continue sleeping. So it makes a lot of sense that she'd be more compliant to sleep and cuddle when you have her out. It'd be like someone waking you up at 3am, moving you to the couch, and I'm sure you'd be back to sleeping if they let you lie there. ^_^

When you allow her free reign at night, what does she do?
It does seem like she's more the exploring type, rather than the cuddle type. 
But that being said, it's only been a week. I've had my boy for over a year now and he still huffs at me. But he settles once he knows it's me. But if he's sleeping in my lap, god forbid I move a muscle and disturb his beauty sleep :roll:


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## Jaibee (Apr 5, 2010)

Ithink she is 11-12 weeks, however I don't know exactly. She came from a breeder, but the age he told me she was changed a couple times, I get the impression he was in it for the money tbh or just didn't have a clue. When I went to get her, he was very disapproving that I didn't have a glove, and when handling them he would always use a thick gardening glove, and he would just let them out in the conservatory to wander around - not really interacting with them. Which might explain her independent attitude. When I actually got her he had separated males from females for me to choose, but I don't know how long they had been separated for - I got the impression it was literally just done for me.
When I get her out in the evening I tend to have made sure she has fed and watered herself and used the litter (which she is amazing at - I am still shocked and proud everytime!!!) because she does it pretty promptly when awake, and deff does not appreciate interruption!
I am really happy to have an explorer type, its really lovely watching her mosey about and messing with my stuff! Which she seems to love doing for the about first ten minutes (usually not that long), and will just happily wander about ignoring us, other than as climbingframes! 
But then she will suddenly panic and trot really fast, only run along the walls and mostly try to get behind things she should - like the book case or the desk. If she can't get behind them (I have blocked most places off) she gets really prickly and keeps running until she finds something else. I dont know whether at that point I should put her back, as she really has only been exploring for a few minutes? 

I know bonding won't happen quickly and that doesn't worry me, I have always had many animals, and I know there is no rushing these things. I just want to avoid stressing her as much as possible really, but make sure she stays happy and healthy..!

I realllyyyyy hope she isn't pregnant - its not too early is it?


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

She might get all huffy when she's exploring because she's looking for a hiding spot. They need a hiding spot to feel safe. 

When Quigley is in the hallway playing he likes to hide behind or in shoes but I always have something else for him to hide in (fleece blanket, brown paper bag, cardboard egg carton open and turned upside down, snuggle sack, or kleenex box with one end cut off) 

If I try to block him from exploring somewhere he gets really huffy and runs away from me with all his quills up around him. He also does this to inanimate objects that he thinks are in his way. If his blanket falls on him a certain way he hisses at it, if he's having trouble climbing into a shoe he hisses and lunges at it with his visor quills down.


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## Jaibee (Apr 5, 2010)

That could be possible - I will have to construct some more toys and see. The other behaviour I was unsure about was - she is a little bitey. Not when scared - she just rolls up, or tries to poke me with her spikes when scared, but more in a curious way, like she will be sniffing and without warning I get chomped. or other times she has just come over to investigate and bitten. I have tried with and without washing my hands - is biting behaviour normal for your guyses hedgies? She is happy to be handled, just isn't allowed to see my bare fingers anymore!


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## Jaibee (Apr 5, 2010)

Ps; thanks for all the advice - its been really great.


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

Alot of times hedgies will lick first then bite but even if its without warning Ive heard of some other possiblities. I've heard that people who smoke may see more nips because even after washing the hedgie can still smell. Does your soap have a scent? It may be that it smells interesting to them? Another idea is do you handle the hedgie after you are done cooking dinner? Reason I ask is because depending on what I cook for everyone that night and how many times I wash my hands, certain smells will linger on you. I've noticed a few times after I cooked certain things that my hedgie was sniffing the air by me as I was getting him out and was curious so I had to keep an extra special eye out to make sure I didn't get a chomp lol

Just some ideas


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Wow, what an awful "breeder"! As much as new owners hate to hear it it does sound very possible that she is pregnant. What type of cage is she in? You might want to put her on shavings/paper bedding versus liners if you are using them, to be safe. If she does have babies, you won't be able to bother her for a few weeks. I would move her cage to a low-traffic area of the house also, that way she won't be stressed by people.

You can wait out about 50 days from when you got her, to see if she is prego. Treat her as if she could pop at any minute. Once the 50 days are up you can safely assume she was not pregnant and put everything back to normal.


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## Jaibee (Apr 5, 2010)

If there is a possibility she could be pregnant, should I treat her any differently during this 50day limbo, or is it okay to continue handling her? Just as she is relatively new here, I want to keep her socialised as much as possible.


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## Jaibee (Apr 5, 2010)

Oh, and on the biting thing - the soap is unscented and I have tried to be really careful not to get her out after cooking or handling food. She doesn't do it to my boyf, she doesn't really seem interested in him at all, it is just me! I'm not sure why, its doesn't seem to be a scared or aggressive action at all, just testing the waters I guess?


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

I don't know about pregnancy (there is a breeding section that might help you). 

About the biting Quigley is the same. He definitely bites when he is annoyed or scared but they are much different than his exploring bites. He's gotten my chest just below my collar bone, my arm pit, my fingers, my boyfriends fingers (and made them bleed), my arm right above my wrist. I try to keep bare skin away from him. 

I've tried showering with unscented soap before handling him, I switched to unscented deodorant he seems only slightly less interested. I wear long sleeves or at least half sleeves and try to move him away from my skin if he starts licking. If he's in a squirming/exploring mood he tends to bite more. I usually put him in his playpen and sit with him for a while that way I'm not the focus anymore but we can still interact. 

Funny story. We recently spent the weekend at my Dad's house for Easter. Quigley came with us as he always does but for some reason this trip stressed him out a bit more than usual. He was in a funny mood the whole time and stopped eating. I started syringe feeding almost right away. 

One morning after syringe feeding we were sitting on the bed next to my BF who was still asleep. I was talking to Quigley about how much he ate and what "Daddy" is doing. I was saying things like "Where's Daddy, lets wake him up, go get him" Well Quigley is exploring and ignoring me (or so I thought) but when he comes across my BF's hand he's interested and sniffs and before I know it has taken a big CHOMP! Well it woke BF up alright. He shot up. Stared at me startled with his eyes and mouth wide open. I'm shocked and can't stop laughing at the expression on his face. I felt bad after wards though because his finger was actually bleeding but man that expression was priceless.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

You can definitely keep handling her just make sure to be extra gentle just in case.


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## Jaibee (Apr 5, 2010)

That is an excellent story (although James did not really agree reading it, he just felt sympathy)! On that note though, does Quigley always bite? Because whenever I put my hand in Mais cage, I will be sniffed for a couple seconds then bitten, if I move my hand, then put it back, she is then fixated on nipping it - to the extent she will follow my hand around the place, and she now does to everyone she meets. She also goes for toes as well when she is out exploring... We all have to wear thick socks and long sleeve tops! Is this something that she might grow out of a bit? Or are some hedgies just nippers?


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Quigley does not always bite. Sometimes he just sniffs. He is quite timid so would just ball up if my hand was moving instead of chase it around. Sometimes he bites to send a message "put me down" but often it's just an exploring thing. You're hedgehog doesn't sound like she is biting from fear so maybe you can train her out of it by blowing on her face when she tries to bite. Good luck, biters are not easy to deal with.


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