# Baby Hedgie- Bonding Advice?



## finnickhedgie (Mar 26, 2012)

Hi, I'm a new hedgehog owner and I just added a baby hedgie to my family. He's 6 weeks old ad his name is Finnick (for any Huger Games fans out there  ) He is very scared of me. The second day I had him, I stuck my hand over his cage (two large clear plastic boxes connected by a PVC pipe) and he hissed and clicked, but eventually came over to sniff my hand, and then he suddenly bit me. He really is scared of me, I think, either that or he hates me right now. :shock: But I came back later because my mom had sewn a cute little fleece pouch (with ducklings on it!  ) and I wanted to hold him in there. His quills are really sharp because he's a baby so I put on ski gloves. He hissed and clicked again and curled up, but I put him in the pouch and I pet his quills through the fleece, and he eventually fell asleep. I've kept doing that, but I'm afraid that he'll get so used to me petting him through the fleece that he'll bite my hand every time he sees it. :| He does hiss every time I try to pet him with my hand. I was wondering if you expert hedgie owners had any bonding advice for me? Thanks!


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Lots of patience. I would also recommend using a small blanket or chunk of fleece to pick him up, rather than skin gloves, because wearing gloves to handle him will just make the process take longer. Having him in a bag and just with the bag in your lap is a great way to let him get used to having you nearby without feeling too exposed. It's totally normal for a baby in a new environment to be very huffy - it can be a stressful transition. As for the biting, if you didn't wash your hands beforehand (with unscented soap), that could be the reason. They sometimes will bite if you smell like food, or just smell like something interesting. Try to establish a fairly regular time when you take him out every day (maybe a little after his light goes off; or sometime around then, because evening is when he'll be more active) so he'll get used to the schedule and start to expect you to take him out as a matter of course. Putting his food bowl in your lap or something, or feeding him treats while you're holding him, will also help him associate you with something pleasant. Also put a worn t-shirt in the cage, which will help him get used to your scent.


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