# My Hedgehog From He-- (Kidding, but I need help..)



## myhedgefinn (Dec 24, 2015)

*Okay this might be a lot to read but I really need help. Bolding information for anyone who skims, there are probably errors and a load of unneeded information but I really want to fix this.
*
I got my hedgehog *Finnick on August 1st, when he was 6-8 weeks old *from an exotic animal store, the only breeding place in my area, and the lady working picked him out and brought him to me and told me he was the only one who didn't curl into a ball when she tried to pick him up. And I was told that you should want them based on their personality, not how they look so I was fine with it, and he didn't hiss at me in my hands when we bought him and brought him home. He was super small, so his quills didn't hurt and he was scared for a little bit but then began to run around and crawl on me and didn't hiss at all, so I thought things were going well.

But instead of staying nice and friendly and stuff,* he became mean, *and I'm not an EXPERT on hedgehogs but I'm also not an idiot(hopefully I don't sound like one) and my friend had gotten a girl hedgehog from the same place a year ago, who is the exact opposite of mine. *I thought gender didn't make a difference, but maybe?*

Finnick is hard to get out of his cage, *he's learned that curling fully into a ball and hissing and even growling makes me leave him alone* and if I somehow do manage to have him out he's* calm for a second but then starts biting me, *and my hands are always clean when I handle him. This might not have to do with anything, but I clean the cage once a week but sometimes when I take him out he'll have managed to get a brown or yellow stain on his quills that I clean off *so if anyone knows why that happens too that would be helpful.*

*He sleeps in one of my old t-shirts and I take him out 4-5/7 (sometimes 7/7) days of the week for at least an hour or two* to have him on my lap or running around in my kitchen but he still doesn't seem used to me at all. I feed him *mealworms every other day* and he's calm and not hissing when he eats them so that's probably the happiest I've seen him. But when I have him out, he doesn't like for me to touch him, but will sit on my lap but he gets angry and hisses and huffs if I move. He's bitten just about everyone who's tried to touch him (the first day I got him he bit one of my friends so that she bled but I don't trust her with him so she hasn't seen him since). He bit my other friend, the one with the girl hedgehog but it might've been her hedgie's scent, or something, and he's bitten me when I've held him in my hands.* Is he just really aggressive? Or is he scared of me?*

He has a wheel he runs on at night, he also has an igloo he hides in when I put him back in the cage but he later goes into the shirt he sleeps in, and I fill his food and water every night. Sometimes he lets me pet his forehead or his back (the ONLY places I'm allowed to touch) and will be calm in my hand or on my stomach but other times he acts like I'm Satan or something.

Now I think I'll get responses (if any) that say *he's just scared of me, and I think that's possible, but it's been almost 5 months* of me holding him and feeding him and letting him play and run that he's still scared of me and hating me. I understood that they're not anything like a dog when I got him but my friend's female is the opposite, is even friends with her male guinea big and shares its cage and runs around and nEVER hisses or goes in a ball.* I've thought about getting him a friend* because he's still only 6-7 months (young, by my standards) but read over and over that males shouldn't be housed together so that's out. Could he be mean because he is quilling? *It could be his genetics, *I heard that if the father is mean it can be passed on, but I don't know. *I've even thought about going back to the store and asking what I should do *but my transportation is limited (I am 16 with no license and parents who are constantly busy).

Other information that might be important is *he's never been to a vet *while I've had him, my parents said "oh they aren't required for checkups or shots" so they've said no when I've asked* but if the vet would know what would help I could again try to convince them.* I have two dogs and four cats but he's only met one cat and sat next to her for only a few minutes, he's met both dogs who sniff at him but usually keep their distance but even when they're not around Finnick is angry.

I know I should have more patience but I am getting fed up with him, I understand hedgehogs are solitary and replies might tell me to just stop touching him and taking him out but that doesn't sound right because so many others play or sit with theirs. *I have even considered reselling him or asking for the store to take him back if he's so unhappy with me. *

*I just really need help to understand what I'm doing wrong with him.*


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

The short answer is yes, he is scared of you. 
Get him out daily. Every day. If he hisses and balls up at you, you pick him up. You say it's been 5 months and he isn't making progress. He's trying to figure out how to finish training you to leave him alone. Teach him that no matter what he does, you will still pick him up, hold him and put him back only when you choose to do so.
There is a possibility your hands have a smell... Food, body wash, soaps, sanitizer, or perfume.


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

Ok, lets start here:

http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...lity-behaviour/10-behaviour-expectations.html

and then after you read that, go here to address the biting:

http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...r/100362-so-your-hedgehog-biter-now-what.html

You've only had him for 5 months. Believe it or not that's a drop in the bucket when it comes to hedgehogs. They can takes months, a year, or longer to start trusting their care takers. These are animals that require the utmost patience and understanding. Some hogs are very sweet and trust their owners right away, but this is the exception, not the rule.

After reading what you've said so far, here's what I think. You need to be more consistent. Step one for you is going to be to take him out of his cage regardless of his behavior every single day for a half hour at minimum. No skipping. Every day. Make yourself a hedgehog schedule for all the things you have to do to care for him and follow it. Take him out in the evening at the same time every day, clean his cage at the same time, change food and water at the same time, everything. Schedules are amazing tools if you'll use them.

Next, do not under any circumstances let him bully you into leaving him alone. You _*have*_ to handle him. He won't get used to you if you don't handle him. He's going fuss and make ungodly noises at you, he's going to poke you, he's going to try to bite you, but you can't let him decide if he gets taken out or not. You said yourself that he's learned that if he's mean he gets left alone. Now it's time for him to learn that if he's mean he still gets played with.

As far a never going to a vet: He's a living being. All living beings will need medical care at some point or other. Hedgehogs might not need vaccinations, but just like any other pet, they absolutely need to get regular checkups to make sure they're still healthy, and to hopefully catch any issues early. That's just pet care 101. Since you're a minor, that responsibility falls on your parents. Let them know it's not any different than not taking a child to the doctor for regular visits. They depend on you 100% for their care. It's also easier on everyone if you already have a relationship with an experienced vet before you have any sort of emergency situation.

Ultimately, how you handle this situation is up to you. But if you'll persevere you'll be rewarded. Hedgehogs don't trust easily, but when they do, they're amazing companions to have.

If you truly feel that this is something you can't handle, you can relinquish him to the Hedgehog Welfare Society and they'll find the right forever home for him. But I would urge you to be patient and try to understand his needs. In the end I think you'll find it worth the effort.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Great advice has been given, not much else to add, except I don't think anyone touched on this line from above:



> I've thought about getting him a friend


Won't help the situation. Hedgehogs are solitary creatures. A male friend will likely result in a badly injured or dead hedgehog or hedgehogs. A female will only result in babies.

Otherwise, follow the advice above. It can take a long time to break bad habits.


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## octopushedge (Apr 26, 2015)

Everyone else has given great advice. I've had my hedgehog about 10 months now. I've handled him every day, usually twice a day totaling between 1-3 hours. He still curls up and hisses. Some days it's only briefly, some days he takes his sweet time unrolling. That's what hedgehogs are like. You're a big scary animal and they don't see well. Imagine being half blind and suddenly getting picked up by Godzilla. You'd freak out too, and it'd take a long time for you to realize Godzilla just wants to hang out.


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## Mylo1607 (Dec 4, 2015)

I'm having the exact same problems with mine. He was so happy and chipper but now he just hates people and is scared of everything. Don't mean to be negative but it's been a year with mine and have no improvement. I have had him stay at a friend's house a few times and each time he's a little better. Beginning to wonder if it's something in the house, like other animal smells or new sounds maybe. Some hedgehogs are just shy but maybe try changing his environment or play some sort music or new good flavors!


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## shmurciakova (Sep 7, 2008)

I agree that you need to convince your parents to let you take him to the vet, not just any old vet, but an exotic pet vet. You can look at the vets list on here, or at hedgehogwelfare.org. It is very important because hedgehogs do not live very long (3-5 years usually) and so 6 months is a very long time for them. It may just be quilling, or his personality, but whenever I hear of a hedgehog acting like this I wonder, is something physically wrong w/ him?
He also might be picking up on the fact that you are "fed up with him". He can sense what you are feeling. Try to be calm and patient. Feed him mealworms every day, not just every other day. 
One more thought is that if you are using any unusually scented soaps or lotions that could be why he is upset. They do not like scented anything and I had one hedgie who acted like i was killing her if I used any lotion or anything like that, which could be why he bit your friend.
Anyway, good luck with this and if you truly feel you can't deal with him, please consider giving him over to the Hedgehog Welfare Society rather than reselling him. They will ensure he goes to a good pre-screened home.


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