# I need help, he's starting to scare me!



## tarjis (May 18, 2009)

Hello everyone,
I'm new to this forum but i found it very interesting and full of useful information. I have a problem with my recently bought baby. 

I got my hedgie on May 6th, we picked him up from the airport and even though he was a little scared on the ride home, once we got there he let me pick him up and was running up and down my arms and my fiancee's and being very curious and friendly. Once we put him in his cage he tried all his toys out and even ate and drank water! All this on his first night with us, we were VERY happy and thought we had the friendliest most mellow hedgie ever!

I've been holding him every night for an hour or so and he was very cuddly and curious, he even let me pet him and we both cuddle on the couch and watch movies. 

About a week ago I decided he was big enough (8 weeks) to try some treats, so I bought some live mealworms and live crickets. He lost his mind, completely LOVED them. I would feed him about 3 worms and 1 or 2 crickets throughout the night and he was very happy and growing fast. But since like 4 days ago he has changed a lot, i used to stick my hand in his cage and he will come near it smelled it and just wait for me to pick him up. Now, whenever I stick my hand in the cage he runs to it with his front quills spiked and makes huffing noises. He also bit me the other day while I was feeding him a mealworm but i thought that maybe my hand smelled like food, but today REALLY scared me. I was holding him after giving him a cricket and we were watching tv, and he was just walking up and down my arm when he walked to my hand and ran into my pinky finger, bit it and locked his jaw. I started bleeding and had to use my other hand to set myself free. I don't know what was that about and I'm very concerned.

What should i do?


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Sounds like he's quilling. If you do a search on this forum about quilling, a lot of posts will pop up about it.

It's normal, they're extra grumpy(imagine many spikes poking through your skin).

oatmeal bath, flax seed oil in water rinse or directly on back.

Wouldn't touch his back too much, because it does get sore.

*Edit* Here's a post very similar to your own experience:
http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2231&p=17935&hilit=quilling#p17935


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

I have been bitten a few times but have never bleed..It's never even hurt.
Immortalia is most likely correct he is quilling


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Are you holding the treat in your hands to give it to him? If so, don't. He might be starting to think your fingers always have food in them.


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## tarjis (May 18, 2009)

thank you all for your advice. At first I did think he was quilling but since I haven't seen any quills laying around his cage at all I thought maybe that wasn't it. I'll give him a soothing bath and will definitely stop hand feeding him.

Thank you again!


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