# Unfriendly hedgehog



## Cylest (Mar 14, 2013)

I recently adopted my second hedgehog, Zoe. 

My first hedgehog, Daphne, was SO sweet, she was really calm and laid back and though she didn't like being picked up, she would let me hold her and would even sometimes escape her cage to come sleep with me....which was a spiky surprise. Sadly, I had her when I lived in Japan and they wouldn't let me take her on the plane when I moved back to the states so I had to give her to a friend. 

I got Zoe around 2 months ago. She has been very wary from the start. The breeder said she didn't see anything unusual about her behavior, that she actually felt that Zoe was calmer/nicer than the others in her liter. When I first would hold her, she would stay balled up for 30 minutes or more...every time I moved or she heard a sound, she clenched. Though now when I hold her she will unball quicker, she is still mean and won't let me hold her without something between me and her (like her cuddle sack. With my other hedgie, if I got my fingers under her tummy, I could pick her up and she would stay unballed, but Zoe balls up anyways, trapping my fingers in a spiky mess of pain. When picking her up, she doesn't just spike up, she will spike and then lunge at me. 

The most recent, and most bothersome thing is, she began to outgrow her cage and I wanted to give her some more room to play. My mom had a play pen in the attic she wasn't using, so I took it and turned it into a play room for Zoe. I used a dryer hose to create a ramp/tunnel from her cage to the playpen. I'll attach a photo. So, she LOVES this hose. She stays in it all the time. She no longer uses her sleeping cave, just sleeps in the middle of the hose. When she is in there, there is no getting her out. I mean, I could cut the zip ties and shake her out, but 1: that seems mean, and 2: I really don't have the money to keep replacing the zip ties. 

She will NOT come out of the hose if she knows I'm awake. If the light is on in the room, she stays in the hose. I've tried turning the lights off and sometimes she will come out but if she hears any noise, she won't. It is rare I catch her outside. When I go to bed, I hear her in the play pen running on the wheel or playing with the balls I have in there (they rattle). She is eating and she is playing, so I know she is fine, but I want to HOLD her!  I want to be able to show her to my friends and my nephew and her not flip out, like Daphne did. I want to be able to watch her play and be able to get her out when she needs a bath. By the smell, I am pretty sure she is using the hose in addition to her litter box. :-/ 

I need help.....an alternative way of creating a passage from the cage to the play pen, or a way of getting her out when I want to or need to..... and please please please help me figure out a way of getting her to calm down and not freak out so much.


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## Twisted Angel (Dec 21, 2009)

Since it looks like the play pen is permanently attached to the cage anyway, I would suggest ditching the hose and just not using the cage, since its too small for her now.


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## Keosha (May 13, 2012)

I would suggest upgrading her house to a sterile bin cage, they can be purchased locally at any big box store such as target, home depot, walmart, etc. Many owners prefer the Christmas tree sized bins which i believe can be purchased for $20 or less. Or, you could also purchase 2 smaller bins and join them via a PVP pipe, here are some links to example cages: http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/wi ... /Daisy.jpg or http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3151/289 ... 16c370.jpg

For ventilation purposes you can drill holes near the top of the cage. It is also important to have a lid attached to the bin to prevent escapes.

As far as socialization, it is important to remember that each hedgehog is different. It's hard not to expect your hedgehog to behave a certain way, especially if you have had a well socialized one in the past.

However, persistence is key. Try to take Zoe out at the same time each day, and go at her pace. Some hedgehogs can take months to warm up to their owners, whereas some never do. Some hedgehogs are snugglers and are content at just sitting in their owners lap while watching a movie, other simply like to be let lose in a playpen and do their own thing. Try to get to know your hedgehog and find out her particular interests.

Have you tried putting an old t-shirt in the cage so she can familiarize herself with your scent? Bribes are also a good idea. Try offering her mealworms, baby food, or any hedgehog safe treats. I won my Penelope over with treats, but it did take a good few months for her to warm up to me.

Good luck with your Zoe, keep us updated.


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