# Omg i dropped my hedgehog



## Dgameman1 (Oct 18, 2014)

So, i was holding him and playing with him for about 30 minutes and he was completely fine hanging out with me. 
All of a sudden I felt a bite and by reaction i lifted up my hand. My poor hedgehog fell about 2 feet. holy **** I want to die.
He fell on his back sprawled out
Please tell me everything is going to be okay.
Holy ****.
I've only had him for a day now


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## ashleyyy (Sep 22, 2014)

Did your hands smell like yummy food by any chance? Regardless-- I am so sorry!!  I'm always nervous about dropping my girl or hurting her so I can only imagine how you feel. 

I would think you should just keep doing your daily routine with your hedgie. Pretend like nothing happened, and don't let it discourage you! Hedgies are good at sensing emotion, so try to keep nervousness to a low. Anyway, this happens to the best of us. Just monitor their activities to the best of your ability just to make sure they're not hurt  ie walking fine!


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Make sure to monitor his habits, food intake and poop and pee. Blackish (tar) poop may indicate internal bleeding as well as blood color in the stool and blood in the urine. Monitor his wheel and make sure he is wheeling. Landing on his back might have been painful but most of the time they are fine. I drop a slippery wet hedgehog yesterday as well. My first drop too but thankfully it was in a tub and the water broke most of his fall. 

It does happen and as long as you are diligent in spotting any health concerns your little guy is probably less freaked out then you are. 

Also with the biting, I can't tell you how many times I have been bit by putting my fingers in their face or eating chips before handling. Sometimes I'm not smart but it happens. I would make sure to wash your hands before handling and try not to put your hand in front of his face. I know mine don't like it. 

I would try to handle him sitting as much as possible until you can check your reactions just in case. Excluding biting, a loud noise (or anything) could make them jump and prick you and I can tell you, I have bled more from quills than I have from bites. 

Again, keep an eye on him for a few days and check for bleeding or signs of injury, not running, not drinking, not eating or lethargy but other than that, handle him like normal.


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## Dgameman1 (Oct 18, 2014)

When he bit me, he was just chilling on my lap. So I put him back in my cage, my friends came over and he was still just chilling on my lap and he bit me again! Do you guys suggest I just leave him in his cage for the rest of the day? And how long should our play sessions be?


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## Teddi4211 (Apr 30, 2014)

Hmm...if he bites then DO NOT put him away. That is teaching him that biting gets him to be put away. To us that is a punishment. To them it's a reward. Even after her bites when you go get him, get him anyway.


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## Dgameman1 (Oct 18, 2014)

Teddi4211 said:


> Hmm...if he bites then DO NOT put him away. That is teaching him that biting gets him to be put away. To us that is a punishment. To them it's a reward. Even after her bites when you go get him, get him anyway.


Okay I'll keep that in mind. That makes sense. So how long should I keep his play sessions to?


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

How long have you been doing? Are you allowing him a place to sleep while he's out? Sleeping on you is considered bonding time as well. 

A half hour is a minimum time, if you are allowing him to sleep on you as well or it's late and he's active, as long as he has food and water you should be fine with a couple of hours to an hour.


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## Dgameman1 (Oct 18, 2014)

DesireeM81 said:


> How long have you been doing? Are you allowing him a place to sleep while he's out? Sleeping on you is considered bonding time as well.
> 
> A half hour is a minimum time, if you are allowing him to sleep on you as well or it's late and he's active, as long as he has food and water you should be fine with a couple of hours to an hour.


Well I've had him for about 24 hours now. He hung out with me from 7:30pm to 8Pm. 8:30pm to 9pm and now 10:20pm until further notice. Is it bad that I'm with him for a long time?
Is it okay if hes just sleeping on his blanket on my desk while im on the computer?


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## Prickerz (Sep 17, 2014)

Well I wouldn't suggest putting him back and taking him out multiple times a day. You want to keep a pretty consistent schedule with them... It would be better if he was in your lap rather than on the desk. And NEVER leave him up there if you leave the computer! Even if you think he is sound asleep.


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## Katten (May 10, 2014)

If you have your hedgie on your desk, put him in a snuggle sack between your chest and the keyboard, and put your arms on either side of him. Face the snuggle sack towards your keyboard, so that if he gets up, he has to crawl across the keyboard. That way, you'll see him and he won't be able to get into any trouble.

If I'm going to have my hedgie out for extended periods of time, I usually put her back in her home whenever I get up for the washroom or to get a drink or snack, so she has a chance to do the same if she needs to.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

I take my hedgehogs with me when I go somewhere (in my house). This gets them used to being picked, moved around and held. I normally keep them in their bonding bags while I do this. 

Your lap is probably a warmer place to put him than the desk. Its probably more comfortable too. 

As Prickerz said, I wouldn't take him in and out that often. Just leave him out with you until you are ready to put him back for the night or the day. I sometime do two bonding sessions a day one in the morning for sleep and cuddles, and one at night for cuddles and insect feeding. But taking him in and out within that short period of time might be very stressful.


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## Dgameman1 (Oct 18, 2014)

Okay guys. You're actually the best. Thank you all so much. 

So what I've learned is to never put him in his cage right when he bites me. 
Blow his face when he bites me. 
Don't keep taking him in and out. 
Not the end of the world if I dropped him. 

How long do you guys suggest I keep him out with me for a period? Like I'm down for him to hang out with me for hours but if I shouldn't then I won't.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Don't blow on his face when he bites. Often it either scares them or makes them mad and just makes the situation worse. Try to avoid reacting as much as you can (though most people probably do shout or at least a loud "ouch!") and wait for him to let go. Try to figure out the reason for the biting and until then, do your best to keep fingers & skin away from his face and mouth to give him fewer chances to bite.

And like Desiree said, though it's not the end of the world because he was dropped, do keep an eye out for health concerns for another day or two. Sometimes issues like internal bleeding don't show up right away.

I would draw the time limit at 3-4 hours, depending on what time you have him out. Sometimes I'd get Lily out around 8pm & have her out until 11-12pm, when I got ready for bed. Pay attention to his behavior though - he may get hungry & want a snack if you have him out for a long time, or may get antsy because he needs to potty or wants to move around. More time is generally better, but it just depends on the hedgie and what time of day it is.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Like Lilysmommy said, please don't blow in his face that will just make him defensive and more nervous while being held. You want him to feel safe and secure and punishing him by blowing in his face is going to do the opposite.


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## Dgameman1 (Oct 18, 2014)

So you guys suggest I just let him hold onto me..?


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## Dgameman1 (Oct 18, 2014)

So if he bites I'll just let him hold on? That doesn't sound very right. 

Is it okay if I'm laying down and he's just chilling on my stomach? 
Last night he was running everywhere and wouldn't stay still! Now he constantly tries to dig his head into something and like sleep. What's his issue? 

Like I can pick him up without him turning into a ball but all he does is occasionally bring his head up to shift and then stuffs his head back downwards


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

You want to try to not react when he bites and wait for him to let go. That way there is nothing reinforcing the biting behaviour.


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## Prickerz (Sep 17, 2014)

Listen to them, they know what they're talking about. 
You can let him do whatever he wants as long as he isn't in danger. If I am going to get up, I always have Pepper wrapped in a sack so she cant get dropped or jump


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## Dgameman1 (Oct 18, 2014)

Last night, he bit me again but not as hard cause it didn't make me bleed.

He also then bit my girlfriend today who did the same thing I did, which was just take the bite until he let go. He also bit me and I just took it.

Why do I feel like he's starting to bite me more and more often?
Oh and on the hedgehogcentral wiki, it says to blow in their face =/

When I first got him, he was super playful around me and kept running around. Then when me and my girlfriend were playing with him, he was having the time of his life, but then when my girlfriend left and it was just me. He kept freaking out. He never went into a full on ball but he was never super comfortable either when it was just me.

Any suggestions?


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## bluegie (Feb 23, 2013)

Dgameman1 said:


> So if he bites I'll just let him hold on? That doesn't sound very right.
> 
> Is it okay if I'm laying down and he's just chilling on my stomach?
> Last night he was running everywhere and wouldn't stay still! Now he constantly tries to dig his head into something and like sleep. What's his issue?
> ...


Yes you can just let him lie on your stomach. Sometimes I just wrap my bro's hedgehog inside his fleece blanket, and lay it on my stomach when I'm sleepy. And like others suggested, you can put him on your laps. Roll (our hedgehog) usually just lies flat inside the blanket while he's on our stomachs/laps, and occasionally move his body to the opposite direction several times during the bonding time. Usually we hold him for about an hr before putting him back into the cage.

You should set your bonding time around the same everyday. Or else it may affect his biological clock.

There are many experts in this forum and you can rely on them. When we got our hedgehog about 20 months ago, we got so much information from this website. I'm so glad that this forum exists .


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

I would definitely stop giving him access to your hands while he is in his biting stage. 

Is he licking before he starts biting? I have a mouthy hedgehog, not a biter per se, but my boy anoints with everything and he will lick and bite me if I let him. 

While your going through this bitey stage, pick him with a piece a fleece. You can cut a 12in by 12in piece and use this. Always keep this between your hands, legs etc while holding him. This will basically keep your fingers and other squishy parts from being bitten. Hopefully with time he will get over this stage of biting. 

Wikipedia is not the best source for most things and I wouldn't rely on them for hedgehog care at the very least.


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## Dgameman1 (Oct 18, 2014)

DesireeM81 said:


> I would definitely stop giving him access to your hands while he is in his biting stage.
> 
> Is he licking before he starts biting? I have a mouthy hedgehog, not a biter per se, but my boy anoints with everything and he will lick and bite me if I let him.
> 
> ...


I don't believe he is licking before he starts biting. But he isn't tense either.
I have this like sleeping bag thing he loves to be in, should I just take him out with him inside? Or should I actually take him out of the sleeping bag and put him on a shirt or something and let him roam around like that?


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## Prickerz (Sep 17, 2014)

Just pick the whole bag up! Less stress... I do the same thing! She loves having a snuggle sack in her igloo to burrow under.


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## Dgameman1 (Oct 18, 2014)

Prickerz said:


> Just pick the whole bag up! Less stress... I do the same thing! She loves having a snuggle sack in her igloo to burrow under.


Oh I wasn't aware that that was an option 
I heard that they need to get used to your scent and such but if his head is always facing inwards and his butt is facing the outside then I thought he wouldn't be able to smell me. But I guess this is a lot better!


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## Prickerz (Sep 17, 2014)

I pick her up out of the cage while she is in the sack, then go and sit with her while I watch tv. In five mins or so, she will poke her head out and start exploring. 
I never worried about the scent thing too much... not to say it isn't important, but she is beginning to know my voice and my movements.


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## BellEll17 (Oct 18, 2014)

Wash your hands before picking him up! My hedgie used to do it too + they need to get used to ur smell  but keep a close eye on him to make sure he is not injured!


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Your hedgehog can smell you even if its buried in its hedgehog bag. They have an amazing sense of smell.


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