# Mean and Biting



## sammyjh45 (Jun 26, 2011)

I am going on the third week with my hedgehog. At first he was sweet playful let me hold him. Out of no where this past week he has been terrible. He bit me one night and it was so hard it drew blood. The next day he bit my boyfriend. He has been pooping anytime i let him out which he never did before. He doesnt sleep in his hut anymore he sleeps under his wheel. Sometimes I got into his room and he is on his side just laying there not even sleeping. He has gotten very jumpy. Even if im in his room he is running all over crazy hissing. Has anyone experianced this sudden change?


----------



## Guest (Jul 17, 2011)

If he is young it could be quilling, imagine how you would feel losing quills and having thinker ones push through the skin? 

For biting maintain washing your hands always, use the same unscented soap always when you wash if you smell like something worth anointing to or eating they will bite.

Quilling causing moodiness sometimes its temporary and they will be back to themselves when its done and sometimes they will stay a bit more grumpy.

If its not quilling, and this behavior change has happened then a vet visit is in order/ Have you already done a wellness check up if not its important you do. Hedgehogs if possible should see the vet for check ups on a 6 month basis to ensure health and happiness.

Sleeping places can also change with quilling, are you monitoring the temp. accurately in the cage? they might be sleeping elsewhere because its too hot.

Looking back you said you had him three weeks last week in a previous topic and you mentioned previously he was huffy at first not always so sweet as you mentioned here. Just curious why your posts contradict a bit.

Also in addition your previous issues were light issues which I assume you've adjusted properly.

You also mention to bond you started putting food in your hand to feed him, well naturally he may expect food around/in your hand or just your hand because you are making that a common place where food is expected to be.


----------



## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I feel like it may be one of the following:

1) He is quilling so he is grumpy.
Is he losing any quills? How old is he? Some hedgehogs get very grumpy/jumpy when they quill.

2) He is sick.
If he is sick then he could be acting grumpy because he is uncomfortable. Do you see anything wrong with him physically? Have you changed anything in the past few weeks (diet, etc)? Have you taken him to a vet for a wellness check up since you brought him home?


----------



## Judi (Jul 9, 2009)

Don't feed him from your hand. Don't put your fingers near his mouth either. If he starts licking you, move whatever part he's licking, because a lick is a warning of a bite to come. Right now he's only bitten twice, so there's still a chance he will change his behavior, but you have to change yours also, by not giving him the opportunity to bite.

About the pooping, well, if you are waking him up to play with him, the first thing my hedgies do when they wake up is head to the litter box and take a dump. Maybe you should wake him up and then let him roam his cage for about half an hour, then take him out to play. Let him have a chance to poop in his cage and have some food and water before you get him out. If he does poop when he's out, don't immediately put him back in his cage. It sounds like from your other posts that he's shy and likes his cage a lot, so if he discovers something that will get him put back in the cage right away--whether that's pooping on you or biting you--then he will start doing that whenever you get him out.


----------



## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Judi said:


> Don't feed him from your hand. Don't put your fingers near his mouth either. If he starts licking you, move whatever part he's licking, because a lick is a warning of a bite to come. Right now he's only bitten twice, so there's still a chance he will change his behavior, but you have to change yours also, by not giving him the opportunity to bite.
> 
> About the pooping, well, if you are waking him up to play with him, the first thing my hedgies do when they wake up is head to the litter box and take a dump. Maybe you should wake him up and then let him roam his cage for about half an hour, then take him out to play. Let him have a chance to poop in his cage and have some food and water before you get him out. If he does poop when he's out, don't immediately put him back in his cage. It sounds like from your other posts that he's shy and likes his cage a lot, so if he discovers something that will get him put back in the cage right away--whether that's pooping on you or biting you--then he will start doing that whenever you get him out.


Judi always gives sound advice...and I think she's dead on here, too.


----------



## sammyjh45 (Jun 26, 2011)

Someone had told me if you feed them from your hands they will get used to your hands and feel comfortable about you. The first two weeks while he was home he did lick before he bit but there was no indication these last two times.

To be clearer the first few days he was home he was huffy but he deffinatly warmed up he was even sleeping while i held him in a snuggle sack. Its just been these past days.

We did get him on a light schedule lights off at 8:30 and on at around 630 but he typically goes to sleep before the lights come on. 

He was born on March 24th I emailed the breeder about quilling and she never got back to me I figured he was a little old for quilling.

I looked at his skin closely and there is no redness or quills poking through I have actually never found a quill that has fallen out. 

Ive noticed his poop has changed. He gets the same hard food every day. The only new food he tried was a blueberry which is annointed to and didnt even eat. 

He has a whole room that is temp controll but the Iowa weather has been VERY humid lately and even though he is inside and the windows are closely I just wonder if he senses the humidity? 


He also has no interest in pooping in his litter box. We moved the poop that was already in his cage into it and he just thinks its fun to walk through. He mainly poops on his wheel or right by his wheel.


----------



## Guest (Jul 18, 2011)

sammyjh45 said:


> Someone had told me if you feed them from your hands they will get used to your hands and feel comfortable about you. The first two weeks while he was home he did lick before he bit but there was no indication these last two times.
> 
> To be clearer the first few days he was home he was huffy but he deffinatly warmed up he was even sleeping while i held him in a snuggle sack. Its just been these past days.
> 
> ...


Weather has been known to have a clear effect on animals that could be a factor.

I would still say your hedgehog bite you without warning because it has become accustom to food in your hand area and may have instinctively bit you. I would refrain from doing this, there are many other ways to bond that won't promote biting. Always wash as well.

March 24th 2011? A hedgehog quills ate 8 weeks 12 weeks up to their first year some can go through it constantly during this time, it isn't always on time. I would bet on some scale it is happening even on a small scale. If you have never found a quill then its going to happen soon no doubt IMO and it does effect mood usually.

Pooping is like that get used to daily poop scrubs for the wheel lol, they forget their litter boxes when they wheel.

My Celeste is a pet store rescue who is very scared and quills up and full balls but falls asleep on me all the time. It doesn't always mean they are completely comfortable cause trust me she has bitten me a few times not lately and will dart from me most times.

Hedgehogs can take so long to build trust and sometimes we may break it without knowing it or its a semi false trust where we think the bond is solid and then they go back or worse on behavior. Time, time, time is all it is. Keep at it!


----------



## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

I was wondering too if it could be from feeding from your hands. The reason I thought it was I've seen how my hedgies act if they see the infamous mealworm spoon. It sounds funny but its almost like a frenzy and they can only focus on getting at the mealworm. If they have started to link your hands with something yummy I could see where they may just lunge and bite. It's hard to say without seeing though. Does it kind of seem like a lunge almost?


----------



## sammyjh45 (Jun 26, 2011)

thanks so much for your answers he is moody cause today he seems a bit better. Its just so hot here in iowa 97 today its hard to keep his room cool enough ive been putting icepacks under his cage and he was all splatted out today


----------

