# 10 Week old Shy baby?



## h0plesswanderer17 (Mar 9, 2016)

I adopted my precious little hedgie last Saturday. Her name is Princess Quillia. 

I already love her to death!

But I had some questions on ways to maybe get her to be a little more social around me, my fiance and my cat.

She seems to be more comfortable around me (understandable since I'm her primary owner). I got my fiance to hold her, and he was scared of being poked:lol: but he did it! So proud of him :lol: 

When we take her out to socialize, its around 8pm central time for about 15 minutes to half an hour before we eat dinner and go to bed. We lay down a towel on the floor (in case she poops, got a strict landlord), and put a few bits of food around her to get her out of her ball (actually the bits of food are organic cat treats my cat didn't like, they are chicken flavor with good protein and low fat. still trying to figure out her favorite treats,stuff she'll go gaga for). But she'll stay in her ball for about 5 minutes due to the cat being curious on why there is a prickly ball on the floor:lol: but eventually we put the cat in the bathroom to allow the hog to come out and not be scared.

A few nights ago she was crawling around and sat down right beside my foot. she was sniffing the bottom of the leggings I was wearing and bit on them and kind of tugged? (almost like when dogs play with tug ropes) I read online that it was because of a certain scent? I was wondering if that was true, if not what it means.

Last night she was a little more grumpy. We think shes in the middle of quilling, so that might be a possibility.

Anyone got any tips? I've been trying to get her more used to being closer to my body rather than just sitting in my hands in a ball.


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## Prue (Feb 20, 2016)

You are doing great so far, and I understand the cat struggle all too well...
I have a couple of quick tips for bonding with Princess Quilla.

1. When you are watching television use either a snuggle bag or a seamless blanket of some sort to bond. She may hiss and pop a bit at first, but a lot of hedges love to snuggle into something warm and burrow away.

2. When she is on the floor sit next to her. Not right beside, but in close proximity. She'll eventually figure out that you're not as threat.

3. You can always try the T-Shirt method. Sleep in a shirt for a couple of days and put it in her cage. She'll get used to your smell and become less scared.

About the biting on the legging-Prudence does this too. She likes to tug on any kind of fabric (rug, shirt, shoes, laces etc.) and likes to explore with her mouth. I'm not sure why she does it, but I would recommend taking extra care to make sure Princess Quilla only bites things that are hedgehog proof. 

Good luck with your little bundle of quills!


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## lileggplant (Oct 27, 2015)

If she's quilling, it makes a lot of sense that she's grumpy. It's kind of like teething, and not so comfortable for them. And sometimes she just won't be in the mood. I've had my girl for half a year, and some days she just wants me to leave her alone so she can sleep. Other days, she is much more curious and playful. 

Try watching a TV show while she sits in your lap (let her hide in a blanket or your sweater). She'll get more used to your scent and voice, while also spending more than 15 mins w you. She might also be balled up when you take her out because there's nowhere else to hide. She might be more willing to relax if there is something she can explore or go under/in and out of. Hedgies just want to be somewhere dark and warm, lol.

As for the leggings - my hedgie tugs at mine sometimes too. (I think with those specific leggings, she's just really interested in the particular fabric. She sometimes tugs on things to move them as well.) But it could easily be a scent on the leggings. Hedgehogs explore with their mouths and have very sensitive noses.

If the treats have shown any promise, try giving her other varieties (different kinds of insects, veggies, baby food, etc). My hedgie is quite comfortable sitting in my hands when she is eating chicken baby food off my fingers! Haha. It's also a good way to see what kinds of things she might like, and she'll have the stimulus of trying something new. You might not want to give her treats every day, however, especially once she is closer to her adult size and does not need as much fat in her diet.

But yeah, at the end of the day, it can take months to get your hedgie comfortable with you. And even when she knows you better and trusts you, she still might not show any sort of enthusiasm for being woken up/taken out. It's normal hedgie behavior. They really can't see well and have very few defenses - they can't immediately tell that a sudden noise or movement isn't a predator. As far as the balling up constantly, I do think that consistent handling and a consistent schedule will help her get a little more comfy and used to the new situation! Good luck


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## Theobromine (Nov 5, 2015)

Princess Quillia sounds adorable!

One thing that's really worked for me is to put an old t-shirt inside of the cage (I put mine under the plastic igloo my hedgie likes to hide under). I wear the shirt overnight, then leave it in the cage a few days before switching to another one that I've been wearing. This way, she got used to my scent and realized that anything that smells like me is a place she can feel safe sleeping in. 

Scents could be one thing, or it may be that your hedgie is looking for a place to hide? She might be tugging at the fabric in order to create a place to burrow into.

In the first few weeks with my hedgehog I wore things like hoodies, something with a large pocket, that the hedgehog could 'hide' in while I watched TV or something before I transitioned into just cuddling her on my lap with my hand on top of her.

Hope these help!


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