# Encouraging cuddling?



## Kitsune (Mar 14, 2012)

Ok, so I accepted long ago that Beezy is not a cuddler. He's very confident and affectionate and adorable never huffy, but he is an explorer. Any time I take him out, whether there is light or noise or other people or what have you, he wants to run around and check everything out and climb on EVERYTHING. This makes playing with him super fun, but right now I'm writing my graduate thesis, so I'm pretty much working constantly and don't have time to chase him around the floor and play ball or "climb Mt. Mommie". I may be going out of the country in a few months and I want to spend as much time with him as possible before that.

Is there anyway to encourage cuddling so I can hold him and still get work done? I know that you can't change their temperaments,but I'd like to try some suggestions just to see if maybe he'd like it.

I've tried hedgebads, blankets, various levels of noise and light to no avail.

Also, he doesn't do anything in his cage except wheel despite all the toys, the dig box, the burrowing area, ect. Could it be that he's lacking enrichment there and that's why "out of cage" time become "sniff and climb on all the things" time? Any suggestions on what else I could provide for him?

Thanks!


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## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

Maybe take him out at an unusual time, if possible. A time when he might rather go back to sleep, and set him up to sleep on you, under your hand, in a sack beside you, something like that. Sophie is the opposite. She doesn't want to explore at all and mostly refuses opportunities. She only wants to stick her head in a dark place and sleep.

She's totally comfortable that way. I can cup one hand over her at my desk and work with the other. Or, if she's asleep in the crook of my arm, I can actually get up and walk around. She's aware of it, but just goes back to sleep.


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## Nebular (Dec 28, 2010)

Not all hedgehogs are the playing-with-toys kind. I've given Norman a bunch of toys and he sees them as obstacles to walk around rather than things to play with. The only thing he uses is his wheel. So your little one isn't doing anything unusual there. 

I keep a worn shirt under Norman's igloo and replace it every week so he always has something that smells like me to sleep on. He's a natural cuddler, but it might help with your little guy as well. If he gets used to snuggling in with your scent when he's sleeping, he may find that snuggling with you when he's out is just as nice. Or he might just keep on exploring. They're nutty little critters. :lol:


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## Kitsune (Mar 14, 2012)

Thanks for the replies!

Sophie sounds darling. You're so lucky to have such a good girl!

I do the shirt thing already. i did it initially to bond with him, now I just toss a new shirt in every few days so he always has something clean (and that smells like me of course!)

I'm going to try getting him up at weird times, maybe during the day when I'm home too. I'm usually just up with him at all hours of the night...which is of course when he's going to be the most active.


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## Kitsune (Mar 14, 2012)

Getting him up earlier worked wonders!


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