# bonding with him...



## cassied1986 (Mar 22, 2010)

I got my hedgehog from a friend who bought him from a pet store. He wasn't a friendly as she thought he would be and she didn't have the time to get him to be so she gave him to me. I have had him a lil over a week. I have spend time with him very day about 10 mins a day. He is responding well to my voice and calms down but if I try to pick him up he balls up and I can't pick him up so I use a tshirt of mine so it smells like me. Is that bad or okay??

And when I do finally get him in my lap he relaxes but then just trys to run from me so I spend the whole time picking him up and bring him back to me and today I was straighting his bed after I put him back in his cage and he bit me but he let go after he heard me talk.

I just don't know what to do cuz I want to bond with him.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Well, you've only just had him for a week or so, so just try to slow down a bit. Some hedgehogs can take up to months to fully calm down with their owner, and some may never warm up to being held or cuddled.

Using the t-shirt is a good idea, just make sure that there's no loose threads or strings that he could catch a nail or foot in. If it's safe, you can leave it in his cage to snuggle in, and he can get used to your scent faster.

You may want to try spending more time with him. At least half an hour a day, with some form of contact or interaction with him. It may still take a long time for him to warm up, but just hang in there. A lot of hedgehogs on here have taken time to calm down with their owners, even if it seems like everyone's hedgehogs were just magically okay with them.

If he's trying to run away from you, it may be either that he feels exposed and wants to hide someplace, or that he's an explorer-type hedgie and wants to be moving around. Try putting a blanket over him in your lap and see if he settles down more. My hedgehog Lily doesn't like not being covered, though when she has a blanket or something over her to snuggle in, she's the cuddliest little girl.

If he doesn't settle down and cuddle with a blanket over him and still seems to want to move around and walk, try getting a play pen, or hedgie proofing a small room. You can set out toys, his wheel, and things around the area, and just lay down with him. He may ignore you and just play with the toys, but he knows you're there and he'll still get used to you gradually.

Good luck with the little guy, and though it's hard, don't get too discouraged! It'll just take some time.


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## cassied1986 (Mar 22, 2010)

Thanks that is great adive, I don't think we have a room that would be good for him to run around in so what kind of pen should I get cuz I know they r good at working there waay out of things lol


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## kyararahl (Mar 15, 2010)

This is the pen I have been thinking about getting.

http://www.petcratesdirect.com/small-an ... 10015.html

I have two new girls and the one is just a spitfire of quills and hate. :lol: She huffs and clicks and balls and seems to hate my guts. I use a tshirt to get her out too, but my problem is once I put her on my lap she stays in a ball and goes to sleep and does not move one inch. In her cage she is fine and runs around and eats so she is not "cold".

The second one I also use a tshirt to get out but once I put her down she is off like she is in a race. I think she really just likes to explore more then running away from me. I have to be careful because she did manage to get under a bed but she actually came out. She is also way messier then the other one. It is neat how they are so different in personality.

goodluck with bonding with your hedgie. Mine have never bit so I am unsure what to do with that.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

The pen kyararahl linked to is perfect. The sides are high enough that they cannot climb over.


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## kyararahl (Mar 15, 2010)

Would that pen fit inside of one of those kiddie pools? Can they lift it up?


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

It looks like the panels are only 9" high. A hedgie might be able to stand on the lower bar and grab the one second from the top, and escape. I think the pen looks bigger in the pic than it is.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

LizardGirl said:


> It looks like the panels are only 9" high. A hedgie might be able to stand on the lower bar and grab the one second from the top, and escape. I think the pen looks bigger in the pic than it is.


It's 15 inches high.


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## Mallasfamily (Feb 6, 2009)

We got something similar (though not sure of the height) and our little girl could stand on the bottom one and reach the top (luckily we were always watching her). Someone on here recommended putting paper towel/ toilet paper rolls on top that go over the top bar. Nothing to grab on to now! That stopped her for sure. Not sure what to do about lifting unless you weighted it down. maybe with fishing weights? If you put a couple on it would make it pretty heavy plus they should be relatively easy to attach. The problem I couldn't ever figure out was that our little one would push it with her nose. so suddenly the cage was a good distance from where it had started out at. Lol.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

It says that the panels are 9x15, but in the picture they are obviously either not 15" tall or not 9" wide- they are wider than they are tall. Maybe the picture is of a different product, but the particular one shown, the panels do not have those dimensions.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

It says $22.99 model 100-156 panels 15 H x 19 W in one spot.
And here it says 
Recommended For:
•Hamsters
•Hedge Hogs
•Gerbils
•Guinea Pigs
•Other non-jumping small animals
modelsizebar spacingwire guage100-156 Panels 15 H x 9 W3/8"11 and 13

Judging by the pictures i'd say it's 15 inches high and 19 inches wide.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Ah, I see. I was looking under Specs and it says : "6 Panels 15 H x 9 W". I didn't see it had different dimensions on top. They should fix that!

Silly typos. :lol:


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## CoxMD (Apr 30, 2010)

I got a male salt-and-pepper yesterday and he is very huffy. I've got him sleeping on my shirt which he loves. Is there any other key points to acclimating my new hedgehog?


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## CoxMD (Apr 30, 2010)

My bad. Basil's actually a dark grey.  I picked him up in his sleeping tee and put him in my mom's lap last night and she just stroked him until he stopped huffing. I think he's going to make a very sweet hedgehog!


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