# Do hedgies only ball up when they're scared or upset?



## Mrs.Lovette (Mar 27, 2014)

I always see these pictures, on here it's especially people's profile pictures, where people are holding their hedgies with their hand under the hedgie's back while they're balled up. Don't get me wrong, it makes a cute picture! But when my hedgie is balled up like that, his quills really, really hurt x3 So how do people hold their hedgies like that?_?


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## lilsurfergrlsp (Dec 13, 2013)

Well, some hedgehogs are more comfortable being on their backs, and won't ball up as much as others. For instance, if a hedgehog is comfortable being on it's back, it's quills probably aren't up as high as they would be if the hedgehog was scared. I've held my hedgehog on her back before, and sometimes she's comfortable, sometimes she isn't; if you can see in my picture, I have my sweater sleeve pulled up around my hand so I'm not touching her quills directly. She was okay with being on her back while I took the picture, so her quills weren't really up. But again, it depends on the hedgehog, and in most cases, a hedgehog is not comfortable being on it's back.


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## Alex in Tampa (Oct 12, 2014)

Males might ball up into a ball to have boy time. :lol:


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## myky11 (Jan 8, 2015)

In my case, it was a matter of getting used to the quills. They do feel a little weird even if the hedgie is relaxed. My little guy hates being on his back anyway. I got this picture a couple days ago when he was being super nice because I he "saved him" from the bath. :lol:


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## tjcarver1987 (Dec 27, 2014)

I've only got him to go on his back a couple times, and he balls up but his quills are relaxed the entire time. There are other times he has balled out mostly the first couple days I had him and it was stressed and I didn't put him on his back then, I let him come out on his own on the palm of my hand. So nope, some will ball up when they're not upset. Mine does it when he's going to sleep too, but if I try to catch a picture of that he moves out of the ball before I can lol


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## tjcarver1987 (Dec 27, 2014)

I forgot to post the picture of him


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## ilovebailey1617 (Oct 9, 2011)

For me i got use to it, ik it sound weird but it doesn't really bother me.at first when she was little I used peices of fleece or her snuggle bag till I got use to it, but when they're little and still quilling thoes baby quills are even sharper.my profile pic she was still pretty young my Bailey doesn't Hardly ever ball anymore.she might do a half ball if my dog or boyfriend scare her but every once an a blue moon she'll ball but she comes out pretty quick.Most hedgies ball cause something scared,surprised,spooked them it's a way they protect themselves along with hissing,huffing and jumping.


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## Katten (May 10, 2014)

My hedgie really doesn't seem to mind being on her back as long as she's in my hand or on a pillow or in the grass. If she's on a flat surface, she'll immediately "right" herself, though. I imagine it hurts her spine (her actual spine).


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