# Fear!



## grins&needles (Sep 10, 2013)

I was bold with my baby hedgie and was picking her up and spending time with her, but now that I've read on here that they can bite I'm afraid! I can't bring myself to pick her up even though she didn't do a thing! I was under the impression a hedgie bite was extra rare. Reading on this forum has me scared because it seems like every other new member posts about a biter! How many people on here actually have biters? How common is biting actually? Please help me out! I'm a big chicken now!

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## ajweekley (Aug 8, 2013)

Steps for preventing biting:

Don't use scented soaps.
Don't hand-feed.
Don't let your hedgehog try to burrow under your shirt, or get near your armpits.
Don't touch food and then put your hands in front of hedgie's face. 
If your hedgehog is licking you, move away from her face, because she might be getting ready to take a nibble if she thinks you're tasty.

Just use common sense. If your hedgehog hasn't bitten you, chances are she's not aggressive and won't bite you without provocation. And honestly, even if she does bite you, it's not that serious. We're not talking about a gigantic dog here. She's a hedgehog. Yes, they can bring blood, but it's not like you'll be maimed for life.


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

It's rare for a hedgie to bite out of aggression. It's mostly just to taste you and get to know you and their surroundings. Because of that, try to stay away from scented soaps or lotions. They usually sniff-lick-nibble, so you typically have a bit of warning before they chomp.

Also make sure to handle her daily for at least 30 minutes. It's important to socialize her, and by doing that she'll also get used to you and be way less likely to bite.

I agree with ajweekley to keep her away from your armpit because she'll smell the deodorant, and ow, I can tell you from personal experience that is an unpleasant place to be bitten.

But if it's any consolation, I've never bled from a bite. It's sharp, it hurts a bit, but it's nothing you can't handle.


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## Kizzynicole (Mar 5, 2013)

It seems to me bites are more common (but still rare) in hedgies that are quilling. They're uncomfortable and rightfully so! If your hedgie is past quilling though and hasn't bit then i agree that they probably won't unless maybe it a high stress situation or maybe sick/in pain. I wouldn't worry too much but just know where your hedgies muzzle is and use the above advice to avoid any taste testing =).


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## zamxonk (Mar 6, 2013)

My hedgie bites occasionally. I have an automatic reaction to pull away that usually gets me out of it without actually feeling pain (and I immediately handle him more so he knows that biting won't make me go away). My hedgehog primarily bites me when I am picking him up - I think being on hands in general makes him feel precarious so he tries everything to avoid it - so sometimes if he is behaving like he might bite, I scoop him up with a scrap of fleece. Once he's on my hands, he's fine. He's also nipped my ear (metal earrings), nose (metal earrings), lip (smell?) and nipple (???) so...keep small protrusions away from their faces. Also most hedgie bites I've experienced and hear of tend to be on the fingers - when you handle them, try to keep the face over your palm.

Unless you get an aggressive biter though, most nips won't be bad. I was terrified that one day he'd bite me while perched on my hand and I'd jerk away and drop him. Then he did it, and I didn't. Haven't really been afraid since then, though I am more cautious.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

I just brought my girl home on Saturday. She's "bit" me once. But pretty sure it's because I had meal worm scent on me. But it didn't hurt and was definitely more of a little nibble than a bite. Don't be afraid!  Unless you have a very evil hedgie you have nothing to worry about. Just don't smell like food


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

zamxonk said:


> He's also nipped my ear (metal earrings), nose (metal earrings), lip (smell?) *and nipple (*???) so...keep small protrusions away from their faces. Also most hedgie bites I've experienced and hear of tend to be on the fingers - when you handle them, try to keep the face over your palm.


I'm a little scared this will happen someday. He sometimes like to settle under there and I always get a bit nervous while he fidgets around getting comfy. So far no bites there, but he did have a nightmare and blew up into a full ball-o-death just out of the blue. Everything was calm, then BAM! Like a pin cushion exploded into one of the worst spots possible. Then he stayed spiked because he woke up and got scared when I started shouting profanities.

But the good news is that the more you bond, the less likely you are to get poked or bitten, with the exception of hedgie nightmares.


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## grins&needles (Sep 10, 2013)

this is the great beast by the way  I call her Ramona!

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## zamxonk (Mar 6, 2013)

Adorable! Love the picture.

I just want to say - your fear of the bite is probably a lot worse than a bite itself actually would be. Maybe try reciting the Bene Gesserit litany against fear? (from Dune, if you're not a geek like me)


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

She looks so ferocious!


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## ZeeMartin (Aug 5, 2013)

abbys said:


> ... but he did have a nightmare and blew up into a full ball-o-death just out of the blue. Everything was calm, then BAM! Like a pin cushion exploded into one of the worst spots possible. Then he stayed spiked because he woke up and got scared when I started shouting profanities.


 that is too funny!
had that happen once, although I was carrying junior back to his cage at the time. had a moment of juggling spike ball and thought I might drop him YIKES! now we go back to the cage in his favorite hand towel. just in case whatever that was that exploded him happens again.

hedgie nightmares... who knew?


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## grins&needles (Sep 10, 2013)

I've conquered my fears and I'm back to spending good time with her. She has been her very friendly self after she wakes up and no bites


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## OMGitsJenn (Sep 14, 2013)

My first hedgie only had one biting experience when he bit my ex husband's arm pit hair LOL.

The only other time he would bite is if I was wearing a certain purple ring and he would attack it. I still have no idea why he hated that particular ring, but why does any hedgie do what they do?


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## AnnabellasMomma (Oct 30, 2012)

Not every hedgie bites. Both my boys are not biters. The one and only time I have been bit is when Preston was very sick and I was trying to give him his medication.


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## Chihirolee3 (Nov 27, 2012)

The first thing Pindsvin did when we brought him home was bite my husband on his finger! :lol: 
It didn't draw blood or anything, He says it was similar to just getting poked by some quills. 

I think that's where Pindsvin found his love of anointing with metal, my husband's a welder, and smells of metal shavings and such. 

He hasn't outright bitten since then, though, I've learned that because he loves metal, I take off my rings before I handle him or else he try to bite at them. 
It's a potential problem with any teeth wearing pet. When my cat gets really playful, he pounces on my and bites my arms up, and though sometimes it draws blood, I know he doesn't mean to hurt me (sometimes after he calms down, he tries to lick them). 
Anyways, at least a hedgehogs bite definitely won't near as much as a cat, or especially a dog's bite. And like what's been already stated, a hedgehog will bite more out of curiosity than out of self-defence.


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## grins&needles (Sep 10, 2013)

Thank you to all who took the time to thoughtfully respond 

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## Dedalus (Sep 8, 2013)

She is super cute!

And I agree with everyone else. My kiddo took an exploratory/sampling nibble out of my hand the other day. It surprised me way more than it hurt haha. Don't let the worry keep you from love.


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## ajweekley (Aug 8, 2013)

Gertie bit me in the armpit once. I was wearing sweet-pea-scented deodorant and she wanted to anoint with it. She was very irritated that I didn't let her take another nibble.


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## grins&needles (Sep 10, 2013)

Had an excellent night with Ramona tonight complete with a snuggle and feeding her some worms (not handfed!). It has been a week and I think she is starting to know me 

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## Brittany (Sep 15, 2013)

Anything with teeth *can* bite, but it doesnt mean they will or want to. I have not been bit my my current hedgie. But i did get bit by my first hedgie that I had when i was 10 (it was my own fault though because i was being a bit too rough now that i look back on it). It didn't really hurt too much, just felt like a pinch. Ive been bit by a small dog, which hurt A LOT worse. It really didnt bother me at all, I continued to play with her and now have another wonderful hedgie that I am not afraid of either. I ven let him lick me a little, but usually not long enough to give him a chance to bite. I feel like you generally get to know their personality after a while and will get more comfortable. Real cutie btw!


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