# One Person Hog?



## Jocelyn3113 (May 28, 2011)

My hedgie Chretien and I get along quite well unless someone else is in the room. When we are alone or even with the other animals he drops his quills and moves around a lot. He even lets me pet him (It may not sound like much but he was given to me because his owner did not want him anymore and he is known for a grumpy behaviour). But the minute my hubby or anyone else is in the room the quills are up. They dont even have to say anything and he is automatically grumpy. Im guessing he can smell them? He was like this from day one and although I am really happy he has for some strange reason always liked me, it is a little frustrating I have to seclude myself to play with him. 
Is this normal?


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## Nebular (Dec 28, 2010)

Norman isn't *quite* like this, but close. He's fine with other people being in the room, they'd just better not look at him or try to touch him. He'll immediately snuggle into me as tight as he can. If they start getting too close, he'll raise every last quill. Put a finger near him and he'll chomp at it without hesitation, then huff, click, snort, and get incredibly angry - far worse than when he was getting used to me during that first day or two.

I haven't bothered to socialise him with anyone else because my guests aren't there for very long and not living with me. In you case though, you might want to have him and your husband spend some time together getting to know each other so he'll calm down around him. He'll probably be grumpy about it for the first few days as he gets to know this strange person, but he may eventually come around.


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## Quinn (Apr 24, 2011)

I have a similar story but not as grumpy. Our first hedgie Quinn gets along with everyone even strangers but she has bonded more closely to me than my fiance even though we spend equal amount of time with her. She seeks me for comfort if she's unsure or frightened.
And our second hedgie, Sasha has started bonding more with my fiance then me. He is still quite grumpy but he has let my fiance pet him along his side. If I try to touch him he goes into a ball. 
I hope this makes you feel better that you're not alone. Your hedgie will probably always prefer your company over anyone elses (which is good!) but have your husband spend more time with him so he can get use to him.


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

Norma is similar as well.. Its because shes bonded to me and not to anyone else. probably same goes for you, your hedgie probably doesnt associate their smells with the same things as your and is not used to their presence.


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## newfie_nurse (Apr 28, 2011)

I have had the same experience. I took chloe for an over night stay at a friends house. Apparently all she did while they were around her was ball up, huff, and hide so they didnt bother to take her out of her cage. When I came to get her the next day she woke up when i called her, i picked her up as normal , but she wasnt her same run around self she was huffy and stayed put in my arms or where ever i layed her. Once home she was back to normal again.


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## Jocelyn3113 (May 28, 2011)

hmmmm, so I guess its fairly common then. Its too bad though the animosity grows between him and everyone but me.We took him to the lake recently though and everyone liked him there because he just ran around looking cute and eating bugs lol


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

Yeah, the rest of my family doesnt understand why i love little Norma so much saying thnigs like "all she does is huff and puff" but they dont see what shes like with me haha.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

panda said:


> Yeah, the rest of my family doesnt understand why i love little Norma so much saying thnigs like "all she does is huff and puff" but they dont see what shes like with me haha.


Just wanted to add that my mom is the same way! It drives me nuts. "Uhh, she's mean and makes mean noises and looks grouchy. What a waste of $400."

I just can't get it through her head that there is so much more to Milly than what she sees!


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

Yes, my mom is always saying stuff just like that haha.. then my dad on the other had loves Norma but does things to scare/annoy her so she huffs and balls up.. nothing mean of course though.. he thinks that with time she will get used to it and learn to not ball up at him... haha. i try to tell him that it doesnt really work that way but he's stubborn :roll:


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

panda said:


> then my dad on the other had loves Norma but does things to scare/annoy her so she huffs and balls up.. nothing mean of course though.. he thinks that with time she will get used to it and learn to not ball up at him... haha. i try to tell him that it doesnt really work that way but he's stubborn :roll:


Gah! My fiance does that to Milly! She is supposed to be ouuuur hedgehog (I paid for her and all her stuff and clean her cage and give her baths, but he still says it's "our first pet" :roll: ) and her grouchiness has gotten to the point where we think it's funny. Some nights, I'll hear her moving around under her fleece, so I'll say "Hey Mildred!" and all you hear is "hpppphhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmhhhhhhppphhh!!!!!!" So he intentionally does things to get her to huff. I admit that it's really funny that she's such a crabbypants, but he does dumb things like pokes her when she's cuddling with me in her fleece blankie, just to hear her "upset stomach noises" as we like to call them.

Sigh. Boys are silly.


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## Guest (Jul 15, 2011)

hanhan27 said:


> panda said:
> 
> 
> > then my dad on the other had loves Norma but does things to scare/annoy her so she huffs and balls up.. nothing mean of course though.. he thinks that with time she will get used to it and learn to not ball up at him... haha. i try to tell him that it doesnt really work that way but he's stubborn :roll:
> ...


I don't know how to respond to these comments as I snuggle and pet and change the liners and clean and groom my hedgehogs but I'm male....dear lord is something wrong with me?


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

No you just know how to nurture a hedgie! haha my dad is not the hugging cuddly type, so he prefers to poke and annoy and joke with the family.. as well as the pets haha. My dad just doesnt seem to get that while our dog likes him messing with her & is playful, hedgehogs are different! haha :roll: :lol:


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