# Sweet baby, grumpy teenager



## gingergal (Sep 7, 2012)

I got my baby hedgehog about a month ago when he was five weeks old. He was the sweetest little thing I'd ever met -didn't mind being held, would "taste" me, fell asleep in my lap, let me stroke his quills, and never huffed or rolled up. Flash forward to now and he's the exact opposite. About a week ago he started huffing and balling up at the smallest things and he won't let me touch him or get near him without throwing a fit. The past month he's been losing a lot of quills so my best guess is he could be quilling. I knew his personality could change when I got him, but to go from an almost "affectionate" hedgehog (or as affectionate as a hedgehog can be) to refusing all forms of handling within the span of a week seems so weird. Any thoughts?


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

He's 9 weeks old now which is the time they go through their major quilling. This can be quite painfull for them and because of that they don't like to be touched. Try just holding him in your lap with a light blanket over him and see if that helps. Think of quilling like a baby teething, not happy campers. He may go back to his sweet self once the quilling is all done.


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## gingergal (Sep 7, 2012)

nikki said:


> He's 9 weeks old now which is the time they go through their major quilling. This can be quite painfull for them and because of that they don't like to be touched. Try just holding him in your lap with a light blanket over him and see if that helps. Think of quilling like a baby teething, not happy campers. He may go back to his sweet self once the quilling is all done.


I've been giving him warm baths with unscented oatmeal wash to help with the quilling, poor little guy. I hope it helps. Thanks for the advice!


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## ktdid (Aug 7, 2012)

When I got Fitz he was at the beginning of his quilling. The past few days he has been losing very few each day and is coming to the end and his personality is so much different. He only huffs at me when I wake him up or startle him/grab him too fast. Before it was every time I touched him and or even acted like I was going to. Warm baths helped him a lot when he was his grumpiest. Then I wrapped him in a towel and laid him on my lap to keep warm and still have some bonding time without touching him.


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## OllieTheHedgie (Aug 4, 2012)

How long do they usually quill for? Ollie has been going through quilling for maybe 3 weeks now?


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

OllieTheHedgie said:


> How long do they usually quill for? Ollie has been going through quilling for maybe 3 weeks now?


It can go for a while. Some will only be grumpy for part of it, around the 6/9/12 week marks, and some will be grumpy all the way through and then some. In my experience so far, the longest was until 15-16 weeks old. Totally depends on the hedgehog. I've had some that get it bad for short periods, some that get it bad for a while, some that aren't too bothered by it, and two that literally didn't change demeanor at all while quilling.


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## danilious (Dec 14, 2010)

My girls a year old and does that does this mean she has a fungus infection ? She lose quills sometime and has thining of the back area but she does that with noises too


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

If she has excessive quill loss with thinning, it's most likely mites. Is the thinning visible when her quills are flat or only when they're pricked up? Some hedgehogs have denser quills naturally, and others have the skin more visible when they're balled up. A precautionary mite treatment is a good first step.


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## danilious (Dec 14, 2010)

When she balls up they are thiner . She doesn't lose a lot of quills . Maybe she's forever grumpy .


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