# How often do you play/bond with your hedgehog?



## pattersj

Hi Guys,
I just got my hedgie almost 4 weeks ago. I was told that she was 3 months old(could be a little bit older but definitely still a baby) but the vet told me otherwise. Anyway, My question is how often should we play and get them out of the cage? In almost 4 weeks that I got her, there was probably a couple of nights (in a row) that I did not play with her for a long time (maybe 5 mins or less) but before that I would take her out almost 2 hrs up until my bedtime. Do they require constant attention so they don't hiss or puff at me? I just noticed that she is more scared than normal esp after taking her to the vet last friday :-( Pleas help! Any advice will help. I am afraid that she will hate me after a while if I don't play with her for a long time.

Thanks!
Sookie's Mom


----------



## AngelaH

I've always heard that it needs to be at least a half hour of bonding/handling every day, with my busy schedule somedays are a little less so I make up for it a different day with more, but definitely try to do it every day.


----------



## w1th_l0v3

I normally take Dexter out at least once a day often until he's all tuckered out from playing in his ball. He's usually out about a half hour, sometimes longer if he sleeps on me while I study/watch tv. If I have time he naps for a few hours and comes out again. I also have room mates who handle him regularly, so he's handled quite a bit.
I definitely noticed a difference if he wasn't handled for a day or two.


----------



## Lilysmommy

You want to at least check them over every night, looking for any bumps, bruises, etc. and make sure they look healthy. As far as handling after that....the more the better, and trying to keep somewhat of a regular schedule helps as well. That's best-case scenario though, and not everyone can devote two hours every night at the same time! Try to do what you can - aim for at least half an hour most or all nights, if possible. But don't panic if you can't take her out for longer than a quick check-over for a couple nights. She'll probably be a bit huffier the next time you get her out, and it probably will slow the bonding process a little if it's a regular occurrence. But once in awhile isn't going to make her hate you.  And being huffier after a vet visit is completely normal...give her a couple more days and hopefully she'll get over it!


----------



## AnnabellasMomma

Every day atleast a half hour. Preston is out every night at the same time for an hour and a half


----------



## ktdid

As often as possible. I think the the few months I have had Fitz there has only been one day that I didn't/couldn't have him out. But in the past week I have making a conscious effort to have him out more and have been taking him with me lots of places, especially shopping. He went to Target and Goodwill and the fabric store and just on whatever errands I have had to run. He just sleeps in his bag and no one even knows he is there. I can definitely see an improvement in his temperament and skittishness already.


----------



## moxieberry

ktdid said:


> As often as possible. I think the the few months I have had Fitz there has only been one day that I didn't/couldn't have him out. But in the past week I have making a conscious effort to have him out more and have been taking him with me lots of places, especially shopping. He went to Target and Goodwill and the fabric store and just on whatever errands I have had to run. He just sleeps in his bag and no one even knows he is there. I can definitely see an improvement in his temperament and skittishness already.


Carrying bag + frequent trips. It's the single best socialization method, in my experience. 

In reply to the OP's question: as often as possible. We have quite a few and give them handling on rotation. They all get at least a few minutes a day to look them over, make sure everything is still attached, and every 2-3 days (at the very most, usually more often) we give them individualized time for a few hours. Our females get pretty regular playpen sessions to interact and bump into each other and sleep in a big ol' hedgie pile. My fiance and I each have at least one hedgehog in a carrying bag with us whenever we go out (the exception being when he goes to work) - stores, errands, even movie theaters when we occasionally go see a movie.

For people who have one or two, daily handling is the most important part of making (and keeping) your hedgehog friendly and well socialized. However, since they're not social animals like dogs or ferrets, they don't require handling to be happy or fulfilled. They're perfectly happy alone. Missing a day here or there isn't something to feel bad about - it doesn't do them any harm, they don't crave your presence or attention. Just understand that the more handling a hedgehog has, the more it will be happy to be handled and have you around. As long as you're home for a few hours a day (other than when you're asleep), it's not at all difficult to do. Hedgehog + sleeping bag + lap is all it takes, and you're giving the hedgie the necessary out-of-cage time even while you do other things. Carrying bags, in addition to the trips mentioned already, are great for just carrying your hedgehog around with you during the day while you do things around the house. Hands-free socialization that doesn't require your full attention (or even very much attention at all). You also can't "overdo" the handling/socializing that involves having your hedgehog in a sleeping bag or carrying bag, because as long as they're comfortable and can sleep when they want to, they're happy. Back when we had fewer hedgehogs, I would regularly carry a single one of them around with me for a full day - 6-8 hours or sometimes more. Obviously that amount of time isn't required, but if you can use a bag to make more bonding possible, definitely do it.


----------



## MurE

I take Poggles out every day to hang out on my bed in his pouch. I don't really "play" with him the way other owners do because I am allergic to him. However, I turn around a lot to look at him sleeping on my bed, I feed him cat kibble and other snacks while he's on my bed, and I give him spoons of water if I notice that his nose looks a little dry. He gets most of his handling while snuggled up in a pouch or rolled up in a liner so that I don't get poked. 

During his weekly bath, however, he gets a lot of touching and petting. He even lets me pick up one foot at a time to trim the nails, scratch his chin, pet his head, etc. While he's in the pouch, he's pretty resistant to touching/petting. Occasionally, when he's really relaxed, he'll let me put a hand over his back on the quills. I'm not allowed to move my hand though. Only put it on his back.


----------



## PirateHedgie

I take Winston out every day for at least an hour but usually close to two hours or more. I like to take him out in an upside down pet-igloo with a scrap of fleece on the bottom and folded over him so he is snuggly and hidden, usually after about 10 minuted he pops out and crawls all over me. He will find a hoodie pocket or the hood and settle down for a while. I will leave him there napping or doing whatever till he decides to move - i watched a whole 4 episodes of a TV show once with him just hanging out. Once he is moving around i try and spend an additional 30 minutes just dedicated to me handling him or him exploring around the house. That way we have a good balance of him just sleeping on me and him actually interacting with me.
But thats just because its what he seems to like - after you have have yours for a while you will figure it out. Some days he doesnt want to sleep at all and just run around and climb everywhere, other days he is just into finding a spot and napping on me, i have to pretty much bother him to wake up and play with me. 

As long as you have her out and around you it really doesnt matter what you guys do together! Just be with your hedgie - if it was warm here and not FREEZINg i would LOVE LOVE LOVE to take mine with me places, but i am afraid he will get to cold  

Good luck


----------



## ponylover317

I take Layla out at least twice a day, on school days i take the time to give her a foot bath and play with her before i leave, after school in the late evening i'll take her out for 15 or 20 minutes minimum for bonding/playing time. On weekends i'll usually cuddle with her in ablanket while im on the computer, doing homework, watching tv, etc. I'll play with her and give her a bath  But i think the amount of bonding time depends on your hedgehog, i got layla as an 8 week old, and i tried the whole shirt thing, but she just pooped all over all my old shirts, so i took them out. Unlike many people, she warmed up to me and, well, everyone within 2 weeks, and she never EVER put her quills up unless i wake her up (when she a very VEEERRRRYYYY grumpy hedgehog) or she hears a noise she doesnt like. hope this helps!


----------



## Avarris

I'll be bringing Pippin home, and while I'm not the OP, I certainly appreciate this thread. I had pretty well planned on having Pippin out n about with a cuddle bag she could climb into if that was her choice. With what little time I've gotten to spend with her so far, I found that she likes to explore for about an hour, then she finds a spot to burrow into, curl up and go to sleep. Last time it was between the crook of my elbow and my uh... womanly curves... yeah thats it  . LOL. I actually have a picture of her sleeping there. She stayed like that for about an hour and a half and was ready to explore again.

"Hearing that its okay to slide her in a carry bag and get things done around the house (dishes, laundry, etc) sounds like more fun... and a need for more bags.... Glad Christmas is coming, those Christmas Cards are going to come in handy to feed my bag fetish!


----------



## JulieAnne

It's interesting to see how everyone socializes with their hediges .

Prim and I are working to getting back into our schedule. We've been remodeling our house so have had limited areas to "play". Usually she just sits in my lap in "our snuggle blanket" (it's a fleece blanket that is usually in my lap when I'm at my desk) while I'm watching TV or doing homework or at my desk. She also goes to class with me, runs errands, goes the the mall, almost everywhere lol. I only have class 3 days a week so she doesn't go out and about with me on a daily basis and I don't take her to class EVERY day.

I have started getting her out around 8pm, when I'm home at that time (I am 21 and do have a small bit of a social life lol so it's not always possible) and letting her run around the living room floor or the couch for an hour or so in addition to her hanging out with me during the day. 

Granted none of this happens EVERY day. But definitely try to handle her at least every other day for a significant amount of time.

Hope this helps.


----------



## EmyNemz

ktdid said:


> As often as possible. I think the the few months I have had Fitz there has only been one day that I didn't/couldn't have him out. But in the past week I have making a conscious effort to have him out more and have been taking him with me lots of places, especially shopping. He went to Target and Goodwill and the fabric store and just on whatever errands I have had to run. He just sleeps in his bag and no one even knows he is there. I can definitely see an improvement in his temperament and skittishness already.


What type of bag do you use to take him places? That sounds so great and I might want to do that someday with my hedgie Gracie


----------



## Lilysmommy

A lot of people use a sleeping bag tucked into a purse or similar bag, or you can get specific carrying/soft travel bags from people who make hedgie/small animal items (check the For Sale section on here, or Etsy). 

Keep in mind though, that traveling can be stressful for some hedgies, and more so during the day - they're meant to be sleeping during the day, and bouncing around in a bag with noise/smells/etc. going on around them disrupts a deep sleep, even if they're still dozing. Some hedgies tolerate it just fine, some love outings, and some downright hate them. They should also not be taken into any food-related places for any reason, even if they never leave their bag - it's not worth the risk to hedgehog reputations if they are discovered and there's repercussions. Past that though, the choice is up to you and how well she handles it. Good luck. 

(And to anyone reading this in general - I'm purposely leaving any other personal opinions out of this post to avoid having a huge debate spring back up - so let's please continue that...I have no wish to see the debate on this revive itself.)


----------



## AnnabellasMomma

Having 2 hedgies I alter the days, one day preston the next zeke and they each get atleast and hour of cuddles and play time also a treat


----------



## zamxonk

Ambrose either is still up or gets woken up after my breakfast (weekdays, he's often still awake at 6am, weekends, he gets woken up around 10am), gets a footbath (he noms his paws in his sleep, poop or no), and then snuggles with me while I drink coffee and write in my journal (45-60min). Then he goes back to sleep in his cage while I do other things, like work. If I get home early and want to do something still like reading or watching TV, he comes out and sleeps on me, often until it's dinner time (around 9pm, so 6ish hours), then gets put back for some wheeling and eating time. If I have enough energy after that, I'll take him out for some playpen time between 10pm and 11pm, but it's definitely not every night. And he mostly runs on his wheel in the playpen anyway, so... I do feel bad that I don't take him to run around more often, but I haven't noticed any increased huffiness on days after I haven't taken him out during his natural awake time.


----------



## Mel_W

I take Rosalie out everyday for at the most 2hrs. We snuggle & she explores.


----------



## ajweekley

So far I get Gertie out every day to play for at least an hour. I'm sure there will be days that I have to miss for whatever reason, but I'd like to keep her used to being handled daily.


----------



## nurulabdullah90

Just got 3months male hedgies for my bday, about 4days ago. Still scared to held him up. Is it ok to let him get used to new surroundings first? And i think i'm allergic to him cause i sneeze everytime i see him ?


----------



## Artemis-Ichiro

Please check the dates before posting. 

This thread is 3 years old, please start your own thread with your questions or they might get lost.


----------



## apeterson

We take Charlie out every night for at least 2hrs, usually 3-4hrs. I know this is a lot more than most people, but I think she really enjoys it. She is a "house-hog" in that she has free range of our apartment except for the kitchen which we block her off from. I don't have any other pets or children, so I don't worry about her getting into any trouble. I've pretty much hog-proofed the house as well. We have a Japanese style bed which is very low on the floor and she loves to crawl up and cuddle with us! I think it is very important to spend time with your little one. The more you do, the more they'll get to know and love you!


----------



## Artemis-Ichiro

This thread is from 2012, please check the dates before bringing old posts back.


----------



## SarahBella97

I've been taking Pickles out around 3 times a day at least 30 minutes each time in his snuggle bag. If he's in there he's pretty relaxed and doesn't mind it since he can just sleep  even after a couple of days of handling (I don't know how long it's been since his previous owners handled him) I can tell he's starting to realize I'm not a threat and uncurls a little more each day. I know it's not all hedgehogs, but mine is completely relaxed by water. He loves baths that's the only time I've been able to touch him without him curling up and huffing. Like everyone else has said you just have to make sure it's everyday if you can!


----------

