# I’m new and posting a lot sorry



## SonicTheHedge (Mar 13, 2019)

Me and my girlfriend have very different ways to handle sonic, she’s our first hedge and I’m sure we both are doing things wrong, but she says I am to fast and impatient with her but that is because I don’t let her ball up and run away from me in her cage, if I’m trying to do time outside of her cage I will pick her up while she is balled up to take her out, any help, or information would be greatly appreciated


----------



## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

A lot of people do it It differntly. However slow is the most preffered way as they dont like fast movements. 

When Holl wasnt used to me so much, I went a lot slower and scopped her up in my hands while shes in a ball. 

Now I let Holly unball and then as fast as I can without scaring her I scoop her up without her being balled up. 

As mad as it sounds but both times I spoke to her telling her its only me and that its just time for cuddles and stuff like that which once they get used to your voice does help a lot as they stay calmer.


----------



## SonicTheHedge (Mar 13, 2019)

appreciate the advice just wondering, if she hisss and ball up should we stop and give up or do we continue our schedule, we haven’t agreed on which is the proper way and she thinks I’m being too rough by forcing her out of her cage.


----------



## Brooke Lancelot (Jan 30, 2019)

I personally think its necessary to take her out even if she huffs. 
Her cage is here safe haven. Its her territory, her house, home, bed, eat place, ect. 
But in order for you to actually bond with her, you'll need her out of her safe haven, and get her use to you, and soon enough (or over a long period of time 😂.) she'll recognize you as her second safe haven. 

And if you take her out while she huffs, it'll teach her that you don't take no for an answer. 

My boy balled and huffed all the time for the first couple of weeks I had him. Slowly but surely, he started realizing huffing and balling up doesn't help, and I'm not a threat. So now we're at the stage were he make engine noises and huff (meaning he's irritated with me and my presence, too bad, I love him, and he can't do anything to stop it lol) 

She'll get use to you eventually. But I don't think you'll get rid of the huffing, since they're frightened by sudden hands. But as Ria said, her voice calms Holly first, so maybe her huffing problem stopped. 😂


----------



## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

When we are taking them out we are actually waking them up to be fair, and like people they will always be grouchy about that. 

Holly will still huff at first when I lift up her hide but I'm talking to her the whole time so after that inital short huff of being woken up, shes not huffy anymore. I used to get huffed loads even after picking her up. Now I just get huffed at a little bit for waking her but she stops after like a minute.

They are prey animals. If you can imagine being small and asleep in your safe place and then suddenly theres two giant hands come and disturb you you'd be scared right ?? Huffing and spiking up is their defence, and yes it can take a while to break but you have to be persistent.
No hedgehog, even after owning it for years, no hedgehog will never not huff at the inital wake up and picking up part. And if that does happen its an extremely rare thing.

Worst thing to do is give up honestly, you should never give up. Some hogs are naturally grumpy and dont get better. But others arent like that.

Most people find this has helped, put something in her cage that smells likes you, this helps them get used to your scent fast and as its in their safe place they will recognise the scent with safety. 
Talking/singing to them. Even if you just say hi as you walk past them and they are asleep. Talk to them at any point, I cone home from college go to my room and just tell her about my day. Even though shes asleep, she still hears, and that still helps getting used to your voice. Also talk to her during bonding sessions, this helps really well too.
Another thing is when you have her out for bonding you need to have a place she associates with safety. Like a bonding bag or scarf or whatever. I wear this cardigan and Holly lays in the crook and sleeps, we only use bonding bags when shes with other people. But having the safe place they can hide helps with bonding and having it smell like you (sleep with it for a few days works best for getting you scent on it) really helps. 

Problem is yes it may seem like your forcing them to do something but unless you want a forever grumpy hedgehog, you have to. Like stated before you cant bond with them properly unless they are out of their cage, and you also get a hedgehog you can interact with and theres no fun in that. 

It took me a lot of work with Holly but she bonded with me in a day, and then fully trusted me in a week before I put in a lot of effort in though, i'd say we have a really strong and close bond now, she even responds when I call her by name !! That took work too haha.


----------



## Aj.t (Jan 29, 2019)

When I wake up Christina, I start talking to her, uncover her, give her a minute to cuss me out, scoop her up, and actually take her on a little walk. The “bounce” gets her up and moving then I place her on my bed for another minute until I start hanging out with her


----------



## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

Haha I just talk to Holly from the moment I am in the room, because I dont have time earlier in the day I clean the wheel a bit before getting her out, so I'm talking to her when I do that (mosly complaing about why she has to make it so dirty) sometimes she huffs in response😂
I always take her out differnt every day, depending on her mood. I have had some days where she hasnt huffed. But 99% she does huff. Some days shes worse than others too. Some days if theres extra loud noises around she gets more jumpy. And if I ever have to wake her up early she gets right huffy.

I talk to Holly the whole time I'm doing anything like taking things out to clean. When I'm taking her hide off that I'm going to pick up ect 
Thing is though I never full wake her up, so she just snuggles down to go back to sleep in "her spot"
She doesnt actually wake up until 9 which is when she then goes to her play pen for half an hour because she doesnt really like it and spends mire time trying to get out to me then playing.


----------



## Celestia85 (Mar 2, 2019)

My husband has been great with taking out Celestia. He waits until she unballs then he lets her smell his hand then he will scoop her up. He's incredibly patient and it seems she is already bonded with him, or getting there. We have only had her a week and 3 days! I'm still too nervous to get her out of her cage or handle her lots, so I have a LOT of work to do with her. She huffs and balls up often, and she makes her engine noise. I can't seem to get past the fear of her possibly biting, so that's my issue. I know you shouldn't let them win, with all the threats of huffing to be left alone, so that's why I don't even bother. I think once I handle her more outside of her cage, my confidence will build and I will eventually be able to get her out of her cage myself. 
I definitely need advice though to help get me there.


----------



## Darcie (Nov 25, 2018)

I hope this helps. I got my hedgie 6 mos ago as a 4 yr old frim a family who didn't have time for him anymore. He's grumpy and doesn't like to be handled. He pops and hisses and balls up. But he never ever bites or has tried to! So I take it all with a little humor. He's probably never going to be a snuggler, when we try he poops and pees and wriggles away but I keep in mind he was middle aged when I got him and he's never even attempted to bite so despite his grumpiness I love him anyway. You are already ahead of the game and yours is young!!! Don't be afraid to try!! You will see the rewards😊


----------



## Celestia85 (Mar 2, 2019)

Darcie said:


> I hope this helps. I got my hedgie 6 mos ago as a 4 yr old frim a family who didn't have time for him anymore. He's grumpy and doesn't like to be handled. He pops and hisses and balls up. But he never ever bites or has tried to! So I take it all with a little humor. He's probably never going to be a snuggler, when we try he poops and pees and wriggles away but I keep in mind he was middle aged when I got him and he's never even attempted to bite so despite his grumpiness I love him anyway. You are already ahead of the game and yours is young!!! Don't be afraid to try!! You will see the rewards&#128522;


I LOVE this comment! Thank you for that! I feel a bit better and more confident now ❤


----------



## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Celestia85 said:


> I'm still too nervous to get her out of her cage or handle her lots, so I have a LOT of work to do with her.


I know this will sound easier said than done, but get over the nervousness! Set your mind that you are going to pick her up and just do it, don't hesitate. Hesitation and acting nervous will only make matters worse. Being scared and nervous makes them scared and nervous, and can actually encourage defensive behavior as it is confirmation that they need to be defensive.

To help you pick her up, place a hand on each side of her and scoop her up. Quills hurt yes, but you get used to them, and by scooping with both hands at once, it is equalizing her weight across both hands. If it still hurts too much, use a piece of fleece to protect your hands. Don't consider using gloves or anything really thick, you still need to have a bit of a personal touch.

Be confident! Their quills don't really hurt that much, and you really do just get used to it. There are far worse things to have to handle than a quilly hedgehog.


----------



## SonicTheHedge (Mar 13, 2019)

So sonic recently had her first couple vet visits and she was amazing at the vets but she won’t even sit in her blanket and chill with us she has to be moving, even if we wait until night when she is awake on her own to play with her, whenever she she’s us awake she hides from us, she still bites me. Would the fact I work everyday in a fast food resturant make me permanently smell like food to her? Just want to figure out why she’s biting me and why she has to do everything possible to hide


----------



## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

Some hedgehogs are pretty shy and wont play unless they know or think there is no one there. 
If your using pain soap to wash your hands well then they shoudnt still smell like food, though I work a lot with food, and find washing my hands twice with non scented soap is better than just once, I also then wash my hands with just water (helps to dull the soapy smell) I find doing this helps a lot more to not get bitten. Also changing clothes or having specific clothes you wear when handling your hedgehog helps a lot too. As it then only smells of you and him.


----------

