# Hedgehog Puberty/Biting



## justminick (Feb 20, 2013)

[attachment=2:31pb814u]sonni2.jpg[/attachment:31pb814u][attachment=2:31pb814u]sonni2.jpg[/attachment:31pb814u][attachment=1:31pb814u]sonni1.jpg[/attachment:31pb814u][attachment=0:31pb814u]sonni3.jpg[/attachment:31pb814u]Hi everyone,

I know topics are constantly posted on this, but as this is pretty urgent, I wanted to post a new topic on it so my question isn't way down on a thread.

My hedgehog, Sonni (pronounced like Sunny) just started biting in the past two-three weeks. He's just over 17 weeks old and since I got him (at six weeks old) he was an angel and never bit. He'd lightly nip if he thought my hand was food, and then stop. But recently, he's been biting and latching on PAINFULLY. I try to keep my hands away from his face unless I'm rubbing between his eyes (which he loves), but my breeder told me when I first got him to get him used to touching everything - face, belly, legs (so I can inspect for abnormalities.) The times I've gotten bitten were when he was just standing on my open palm, with my figures at a natural slight curve in the upward direction towards his face.

I don't think it's because I taste good or because of hand wash or anything. It's very aggressive and out of nowhere. I've been on lots of forums and threads about it, and a lot of people say it could be hormonal and related to the puberty he's currently going through. In fact, 2 of the times he's bitten me, he ejaculated shortly after. It was a very odd sight, because one of the times, he was laying on his back, in my palm (post-bite -- didn't put him down because the breeder and forums also say it will teach him that biting will get him his way) and he squirmed around then suddenly he was clearly ejaculating.

I've been worrying because I thought the biting might have been because he was sick (his stools are normal, but were not probably around 5 weeks ago). He's losing a couple quills a day, which is normal. He's been more antisocial, and less likely to run on his wheel. Sometimes he runs on it for hours, then doesn't for weeks, even if I try to persuade him to.

Basically I've scoured a ton of forums and they all tell me what possibilities there are - and I'll probably end up taking him to the vet in a week or so if he doesn't stop (in case something more serious).

But I want to know, how did you train your hedgehog to stop biting? A lot say they do naturally, a lot say don't put him down, and a some say put rubbing alcohol on a q-tip and lightly tap his nose to associate the behavior with a bad scent. I want to continue being able to hold my hedgie, but I am scared no one else will be able to or he'll bite them. And this kind of bite is the blood drawing kind - he even pierced my finger nail and drew blood from the middle of the nail bed.

I let him free-roam a lot, and also hold him, so I don't know what I could be doing that is annoying him, if not hormones.

Thanks,
Nicki

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## shmurciakova (Sep 7, 2008)

My first hedgehog went through an adolescent biting phase. She only did it for a short while and then stopped on her own. She really chomped down and bit my husbands wrist one time and he actually lifted her up off the couch, and she finally let go and dropped down on to the sofa! Fortunately, as I said she stopped doing it and went back to her normal self.
I am not sure about his association with biting and the ejaculation... :| Maybe it is related, maybe not.
I have heard that you can blow in their face when they bite to teach them not to do it, but I never tried.
Anyway, hopefully others will put their 2 cents in.
Good luck, he is very cute....maybe he thinks of your fingers as meal worms?
Susan H.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Kashi also went through a teenager biting phase. I just kept bare skin away from his face during this time. He eventually grew out of it


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## Aerial_Luau (Dec 18, 2013)

I am so thankful I found this thread! My boy is at 19 weeks and has just started the same behavior. He'll sniff me and latch on, and man does it HURT. He broke the skin on my cuticle a few days ago and I had to bandage it, and it's still a bit sore. It made me sad because I was also getting a bit nervous about holding him, and until now he's been so incredibly sweet. He's been doing this weird humpy thing on occasion and I'm wondering if that isn't when he's having "boy time" - he's on a blanket or in his sleepie sack and I haven't examined it after he's done this to see if it's the case.

Puberty seems to be the likely explanation for this - glad to find this out! Hopefully I'll get my sweetie cuddler back soon. Taking him to the vet in a few days for a wellness check up, they'll be able to rule anything out. Also, with him being a Bitey McBiterson, I'll be happy to have the vet clip his nails for me this time.


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## Tree (Apr 30, 2013)

Hi! I see this thread is pretty old, but I must know: 
Nicki, I see that you are from Boston. Me too! Do you mind sharing with me where you bought your hedgehog? He has similar coloring to my super meanie bitey Krampus, so I'm wondering if they are related or came from the same breeder. I brought him home in January 2013, so the timing is about the same as well.

Also, did Sonni ever grow out of it? Krampus has not, but I'm still dreaming....


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## kimpossible88 (Dec 16, 2014)

*My hedge hog is just over a year old and still biting*

When he first started biting (during his "teenager" stage) I started researching like crazy how to get him to stop biting. I never found anything helpful --

I never put him down when he does it, so he doesn't think he's getting his way.
I've tried blowing in his face but he bites harder.
I've tried flicking water in his face but he bites harder.

I still handle him everyday, but it's pretty much just in his sleeping bag. After so many months of not being able to get him to stop, I have become deterred from handling him with my bare hands because he bites so hard that he draws blood and it's incredibly painful.

I am so saddened that I have not bonded with him because of this horrible biting habit. Does anyone else have a hedgehog whose biting habit has persisted well into adulthood? Does anyone have a hedgehog who had a biting problem and was able to train them to stop (as opposed to the hedgehog just "growing" out of it)?

I wish I could undo this habit of his!!


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