# Frantic/Squirmy Hedgie



## direwolf (Oct 11, 2012)

Hey guys, I need some advice and help. Over the past three days, Pepi has gotten super stand offish. I will try to pick her up and play with her but she just tries to squirm away. I cannot cuddle her or keep her near me for very long since she wiggles and runs away to explore or hide. She makes these squeaky, huffy sounds when I try to keep her in my hands. She rode in the car to Minnesota from Chicago then on another trip for one day and back. I am wondering if this is because of the trips or if she is being cranky for another reason. Normally she likes to cuddle and doesn't try to frantically run away. Can someone shed some light on this sudden change? Will she go back to normal once I get her home and settled back down?


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## Keosha (May 13, 2012)

Pepi could be acting like this for a number of reasons, a change in routine is a big deal for such a little creature so this could have thrown her off and added to the change in Behaviour. Also, another reason could be that she is simply getting more comfortable around you. My little girl use to be quite the Snuggler, however the longer I had her the more comfortable she became. As she got more comfortable she no longer wanted to cuddle or needed the safety of my arms and so she began to explore quite a bit. Perhaps this could also be the case for your little one. Lastly, if she is young enough to be quilling this could also be a possibility. As hedgehogs begin to quill handling and petting can become very uncomfortable due to new quill growth. I am not sure if any of these reasons are the cause of your little ones new Behaviour, but I hope this helped!


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## slock (Dec 2, 2013)

direwolf, I have experienced the same behavior change in my male hedgehog. He started acting that way specifically after his first-ever trip to the vet, where he was put under a sedative in order to undergo an exam. I thought that this weird behavior of his was just the side affects of the sedative wearing off, but he still retains some of this frantic/jumpy/squirmy behavior to this day.


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