# Grumpy 10 Month Old African Pygmy Hedgehog



## rebiiels23 (Nov 11, 2014)

I have a 10m old African Pygmy Hedgie i got him about 3 days ago and he is very grumpy and im tryin to figure out what i can do to help him get more accustomed to me but he is a hisser popper and he nibbles and ik everyone says dont buy a hedgie you cant hold but he was given to me by a lady that didnt want him so if anyone has any knowledge to help me i would greatly appreciate it


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## sc2001 (Oct 12, 2014)

Hedgehogs will always be grumpy when first brought home. Right now your hedgie doesn't know who you are and what you are capable of. Im not sure where he came from but maybe his previous owner didn't give him the attention he needed. So he might need a lot more patience and attention from you. 

If you haven't already, try the t-shirt trick. Sleep with an old t shirt for 2 or 3 nights. Then place it in his cage so he can cuddle and sleep with it. That will help him get used to your smell and associate your smell with comfort. Also, the first few night just let him sleep in a snuggle sack on your lap or chest. Don't try to pet him or touch him. Just let him relax. Since he can smell you while on your lap. This will also help him associate your smell with comfort. 

Do that until your hedgie comes out of the snuggle sack on his own to explore. When he comes out on his own, just let him walk on and around you. 

Also, give him,his favorite treats when he is out of the cage. 

If he is hissing, popping or biting excessively make sure to not put him back into the cage. Wait until he is being somewhat good or he is relaxed. If you put him back while he is being overly grumpy, it will teach him that if he acts like this, you will put him back. 

Be patient with the hissing and popping. That will lessen over time with patience and further socialization. 

For the biting, make sure that before you handle him, you don't have any strange scents on your body. Like perfume/cologne, food smells, strong detergent smells, etc. 

When your hedgehog does bite. Try your best to not pull away. This may cause him to bite harder and will also teach him that if he bites, you will pull away and leave him alone. Instead of pulling away, try pushing into him. I've also heard you can blow air on his face to get him to let go... But I've never seen it work. If your hedgehog has a really tight grip on you or something you don't want him to bite, try putting him in water (make sure it's the right temp). Your hedgie will most likely let go. 

Hope this helps!!


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## rebiiels23 (Nov 11, 2014)

I just put the shirt in his cage and he actually came out of his igloo to sleep in it and he dose not really bite he nips so it might just be the smell thing cause he licks me alot before hand and when i hold him he comes out rather quickly but its in the process of removing him from the cage and he dose not really like to be held he just likes to roam around i'm just afraid of him falling off my lap and he likes to tug at my clothes not sure if that's normal or not either the lady i got him from was a breeder but she couldn't sell him to anyone so she gave him to me so i guess he has always been grumpy i do appreciate your help and you will probably hear from me again


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## sc2001 (Oct 12, 2014)

If he licks you a lot then yes it's probably cause he likes the smell.

The grumpiness when you first take him out of the cage is completely normal and will get better over time. My hedgie it's actually still a little grumpy when I take her out and I have had her for a while now! But it did get much better with time. 

As far as falling off your lap I usually sit on the couch or the floor with her so even if she tries to crawl of my lap, she can! 

And my hedgie also used to like to tug on my clothes but she doesn't do it anymore. It's pretty normal though.


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## rebiiels23 (Nov 11, 2014)

He has changed his attitude quite a bit i let him come to me when i woke him up this morning instead of just picking him up and he is more active and not as quick to curl up hiss i put a t shirt in there with him and he loves sleeping on it as long as he can still sleep under his igloo another weird thing is he crawls up my shoulder and nibbles on my face hair and the hair on top of my head


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