# Twitching/muscle spasms?



## cosmicsans (Oct 7, 2015)

Hi all!

We've had sweet baby Olive for over a week now and everything is going just great.

I've noticed her do this more than once now and was wondering if anyone could provide an explanation for me.

This seems to happen only when I introduce her to a new piece of fleece to burrow in while we're having bonding time, or if it's a freshly washed piece of fleece or blanket. She'll burrow into it, and then I notice her kind of stare off into the distance and her body twitches for several seconds. Then she stops and goes to sleep. Any guesses as to what she's doing? I haven't seen her anoint yet, but I wasn't sure if this was part of that process. We use unscented detergent for her stuff, by the way.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Check out some YouTube videos of hedgehogs self anointing. That way you can decide if it's similar to what she is doing and you'll become familiar with what it looks like, it's kind of a freaky thing if you don't know what it is.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

It doesn't sound like annointing, but I do know what you're talking about. I don't think anyone's figured out what it actually is or why they do it. But it seems to be just babies, if I remember right. They do a little twitching/hiccuping thing as they settle down to sleep. Not all the time, but enough that we've had multiple people comment on it & post about it.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

We call that getting the wiggles out


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Some speculate that its the big muscle that is responsible for their quills being erect finally relaxing down and twitching when it does so. I've seen it with hedgehogs who tend to be a little defensive and keep their quills just slightly raised than with those that keep their quills fully relaxed. And it only has happened when they are finally relaxing down.

In my house, its the happy twitches.


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## cosmicsans (Oct 7, 2015)

I am so glad that someone actually knows what I'm talking about because I'm pretty sure I did a terrible job describing it!

And all of these theories make me happy  Glad to know Olive is just getting her wiggles out.


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