# Mood swings?



## eskye (Oct 5, 2012)

Hello. 

I have a little girl hedgehog who is darling, never puffs up unless I surprise her, and can be picked up with ease. She's never grumpy when woken, and sits calmly on my lap for snuggle time, or explores when she's out. She seems to fit the "hedgehog ideal".

On the other hand, my little boy Winston Churchill (They're both 7 1/2 months now) is just an ornery feller. I'd figure this out to be just personality, but some times he absolutely will not be touched. He pops, clicks, headbutts, etc. If I pick him up at those times the only thing that works to get him in a more pleasant mood is to take away the towel and set him on the floor. If I give him a place to hide, he will not come out (I've tried, he was sitting under something for an hour and a half). Once he's relaxed from being on the flat surface, he will allow me to hold him and snuggle him, etc. But then there are some nights (the same times) that he wakes up and while still being crabby and unexpectedly poky, he will be running around. At those times, I can't hold him because he's just too energetic. It's hard to keep him just contained in a play area, because he will start headbutting the sides. The only thing that works for him on those nights is his wheel.

Is it normal to find such mood swings in a hedgehog? He rarely allows me to hold him, which is fine as long as he's happy. I just don't quite understand how his personality can be so different on one night than the next. If he's in his energetic mode, he'll even go so far as to bite and tug at my clothing. He'll pull my socks off and run around with them. If he's in his ornery mode he will headbutt me so hard that the quills prick my fingers. I love both of them dearly, I'm just a little confused. Maybe my judgement of his behavior is clouded by the fact that the girl is always sweet, no matter the situation?


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## shmurciakova (Sep 7, 2008)

I guess they just have very different personalities. Also, I have never owned a male so who knows what little raging hormone issues he may have, or what is going on in his head! In my experience, my first hedgehog Snoball only wanted to be handled on her own terms. She would go hide somewhere and stay there for hours if I would have let her and other times she would chew on things, play, etc. but she wanted to do what SHE wanted to do WHEN she wanted to do it!
There was no forcing her to do anything! Anyway, I think they can have mood swings just like people. If you can try to figure out what he wants, that would be great, but it might be difficult to do.
Good luck,
Susan H.


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