# Hedgie bit me... But didn't hurt



## CourtneyFaye (Jul 31, 2011)

Today my hedgie sniffed, licked, then bit my finger. It didn't hurt but it did seem like she was trying to get a good taste of me! I'm just wondering if she will make a habit out of this? I didn't smell like anything btw, I washed my hands with non-scented soap. Even though it didn't hurt it obviously didn't feel pleasant and I dint want it to continue! Please send feedback!


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## Quills_&_Tails (Aug 28, 2011)

It's possible your hedgie was hungry and trying to tell you that, i dont think she was doing it for aggresion but it's possible your hedgie might of smelt something!


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## CourtneyFaye (Jul 31, 2011)

Hedgies101 said:


> It's possible your hedgie was hungry and trying to tell you that, i dont think she was doing it for aggresion but it's possible your hedgie might of smelt something!


She might of been because she didn't eat very much last night! But when I put her back in her cage she went back into her igloo and didn't eat any


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2011)

CourtneyFaye said:


> Hedgies101 said:
> 
> 
> > It's possible your hedgie was hungry and trying to tell you that, i dont think she was doing it for aggresion but it's possible your hedgie might of smelt something!
> ...


She also might have wanted to anoint to you


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## packrat (Oct 23, 2010)

eh, they nip sometimes. I wouldn't get mad about it or scold your hedgie whatsoever. Just don't put your fingers in his face. I agree either he was hungry or you did have some scent remaining on your finger. Hedgie bites don't hurt at all, they're like a very slight pinch of the skin. I think somehow they know better than to really chomp down on us humans.


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2011)

packrat said:


> eh, they nip sometimes. I wouldn't get mad about it or scold your hedgie whatsoever. Just don't put your fingers in his face. I agree either he was hungry or you did have some scent remaining on your finger. Hedgie bites don't hurt at all, they're like a very slight pinch of the skin. I think somehow they know better than to really chomp down on us humans.


This is not true some hedgies have chomped down on a person and hard I have experienced it first hand some hedgehogs do like human flesh but you can usually learn to handle around it and sometimes the habit goes away.


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

I'm not sure it would apply but is there any chance you got done cooking? I know you said you washed with unscented soap and that you didn't have a smell on your hands but the reason I ask is I've noticed there is times my hedgies react to my hands different after cooking even if I don't smell anything and have washed my hands a bunch. Some examples in my situation would be chopping herbs, vegetables, meals that take hours on the stove where I'm having to stir a lot. If I chopped onion, peppers or garlic I don't handle for that night since its very strong but I can tell they are curious with other things even though luckily I haven't gotten chomped yet.

I've heard that sometimes hedgies will nip if the person smokes because it's another thing that they may pick up even after washing. 

It could be from some of the other things mentioned above too, just wanted to add some that weren't included to help narrow it down


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## leaveittoweaver (Sep 25, 2010)

Sounds like he was "tasting" you maybe. If he was really biting, agressively, you would know it. I have a hedgie who is aggressive to the point I can not put skin near his nose without a bite ensuing, and when he bites it hurts like ****.

I'm sure your baby just smelled something different or tasty on you


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

I have only gotten bit once, but man did it hurt! My Milly did the same thing to me - sniff, lick, CHOMP! I was taken completely off guard, and had only had her for a week or two so was still a bit nervous around her... I admit that it was so surprising, and hurt so much, that I gasped pretty loudly and instinctively jerked my hand away. She immediately balled up and huffed and didn't want to look at me, lol. Since then, we haven't had an issue. I think we both learned from the experience. Generally, when I see the sniff-sniff-lick-lick, I move my hand so she doesn't get any ideas. :lol:


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

hanhan27 said:


> Generally, when I see the sniff-sniff-lick-lick, I move my hand so she doesn't get any ideas. :lol:


DITTO....I'm quite certain Hazel would bite me and I frequently handle her in shorts / bare arms but I simply watch her closely and don't give her a chance to try.


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## packrat (Oct 23, 2010)

I must have gotten an angel then. I frequently put my fingers and face in his face and he's cool with it. I have a feeling some people claim the bites hurt but they really don't...my hedgie bit my roommate the same way he has nipped at me and she claimed it hurt like ****. I was like :roll:


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2011)

packrat said:


> I must have gotten an angel then. I frequently put my fingers and face in his face and he's cool with it. I have a feeling some people claim the bites hurt but they really don't...my hedgie bit my roommate the same way he has nipped at me and she claimed it hurt like ****. I was like :roll:


Trust me they can especially with a scared rescue or pet shop hedgie or hedgehog that is abused or just a hedgehog that bites for defense all which are possible, when they are biting because of fear and defense and not exploration there is no sniff or lick its just bite and it is hard it draws blood it isn't excruciating pain but enough to make you want to react.

My second girl was saved from a pet shop life where at the time they weren't caring for them right I have since corrected them on their habits and for the most part the hedgies there have a decent living quarters.

Most hedgehogs won't bit unless you smell interesting/tasty however if its aggressive or defensive it usually draws blood and hurts a bit.


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## Nebular (Dec 28, 2010)

Norman bit me a few times when he was a baby when I had really interesting smells on my hands and they didn't hurt at the time. They were just little baby teeth. With his adult chompers and jaw strength though, I've found that his bites can hurt more than I thought they would. He's fine with me putting my fingers in his face to scratch or stroke his snout, but I occasionally forget to wash off an interesting smell (or don't realise there's one there) or he's groggy and mistakes a finger for a big meal worm and his reaction is simply *chomp!*. He's taken a few good chunks out of me and they burn like crazy (and bleed for quite a while too depending on where he gets me) unless I quickly wash it, get some Polysporin on it, and bandage it up.

He tried to take a chunk out of a coworker one day when I brought him in to the office (there was going to be too much noise in my apartment because or work going on and the office is nice a quiet). She was going to just stroke his back and he just lashed out (looked really weird because he's always a little angel and usually just hides his face if there's anyone he doesn't know). He came up short and missed, but you could hear his jaws snap, so they can put a good deal of force behind those bites when they really want to.


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

packrat said:


> I must have gotten an angel then. I frequently put my fingers and face in his face and he's cool with it. I have a feeling some people claim the bites hurt but they really don't...my hedgie bit my roommate the same way he has nipped at me and she claimed it hurt like ****. I was like :roll:


LMAO...you ever taken a good look at the adult chompers on them? If they want to hurt you they definately can. They can also hold on real well with those teeth for a while too :lol:


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I haven't actually been bitten HARD by Lily or any other hedgie, but I still remember when I went to pick up a rescue from a high school classroom...Poor girl was out on the cold metal table with a ferret on the same table, and she was terrified. I picked her up too fast, surprising her, and she latched on to my hoodie sleeve. It was at least 5 minutes before she started to loosen her grip on her own - I can't imagine what it would've felt like if she'd grabbed skin!


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## CourtneyFaye (Jul 31, 2011)

packrat said:


> eh, they nip sometimes. I wouldn't get mad about it or scold your hedgie whatsoever. Just don't put your fingers in his face. I agree either he was hungry or you did have some scent remaining on your finger. Hedgie bites don't hurt at all, they're like a very slight pinch of the skin. I think somehow they know better than to really chomp down on us humans.


I dint get mad or scold her  I understood it wasn't out of aggression. But even if she did actually bite me I wouldn't react and just blow a puff of air in her face.


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## CourtneyFaye (Jul 31, 2011)

Hedgieonboard said:


> I'm not sure it would apply but is there any chance you got done cooking? I know you said you washed with unscented soap and that you didn't have a smell on your hands but the reason I ask is I've noticed there is times my hedgies react to my hands different after cooking even if I don't smell anything and have washed my hands a bunch. Some examples in my situation would be chopping herbs, vegetables, meals that take hours on the stove where I'm having to stir a lot. If I chopped onion, peppers or garlic I don't handle for that night since its very strong but I can tell they are curious with other things even though luckily I haven't gotten chomped yet.
> 
> I've heard that sometimes hedgies will nip if the person smokes because it's another thing that they may pick up even after washing.
> 
> It could be from some of the other things mentioned above too, just wanted to add some that weren't included to help narrow it down


Nope! I didn't do any cooking but I did come from school so I might of smelt a little different. Also I dont smoke!


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## CourtneyFaye (Jul 31, 2011)

hanhan27 said:


> I have only gotten bit once, but man did it hurt! My Milly did the same thing to me - sniff, lick, CHOMP! I was taken completely off guard, and had only had her for a week or two so was still a bit nervous around her... I admit that it was so surprising, and hurt so much, that I gasped pretty loudly and instinctively jerked my hand away. She immediately balled up and huffed and didn't want to look at me, lol. Since then, we haven't had an issue. I think we both learned from the experience. Generally, when I see the sniff-sniff-lick-lick, I move my hand so she doesn't get any ideas. :lol:


It didn't hurt me at all! But I think I might have tougher hands because I can also pick her up bare handed when she is in a ball without it really hurting... and she still has baby quills! :lol:


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## CourtneyFaye (Jul 31, 2011)

Hissy-Fit-Hazel said:


> hanhan27 said:
> 
> 
> > Generally, when I see the sniff-sniff-lick-lick, I move my hand so she doesn't get any ideas. :lol:
> ...


I usually have some fleece on my lap because I dont want to get poopies on me! :lol: But I never let her mouth get close to my hand when I can't see her face very well. But when she bite me I was just letting her sniff then the lick and bite happened so fast I didnt have time to react!


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

Lilysmommy said:


> I haven't actually been bitten HARD by Lily or any other hedgie, but I still remember when I went to pick up a rescue from a high school classroom...Poor girl was out on the cold metal table with a ferret on the same table, and she was terrified. I picked her up too fast, surprising her, and she latched on to my hoodie sleeve. It was at least 5 minutes before she started to loosen her grip on her own - I can't imagine what it would've felt like if she'd grabbed skin!


lol and when you have seen them do that sort of thing a few times you gotta know it's gonna hurt if they latch on to you :lol: I think that's why I'm so careful about not letting it happen. I let Hazel sniff me...but if the licking starts we have an automatic adjustment of my body parts.


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## CourtneyFaye (Jul 31, 2011)

Grr... Today she went for my finger again! No licks, she just sniffed and opened her mouth to bite. I was holding her and it was my thumb she was going for but luckily I moved it out of the way fast enough!


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2011)

CourtneyFaye said:


> Grr... Today she went for my finger again! No licks, she just sniffed and opened her mouth to bite. I was holding her and it was my thumb she was going for but luckily I moved it out of the way fast enough!


You will learn to handle you hedgie in a way that adapts to the biting issue


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## CourtneyFaye (Jul 31, 2011)

TWCOGAR said:


> CourtneyFaye said:
> 
> 
> > Grr... Today she went for my finger again! No licks, she just sniffed and opened her mouth to bite. I was holding her and it was my thumb she was going for but luckily I moved it out of the way fast enough!
> ...


I'm pretty sure I smelt different noe that i think about it because before that she was sleeping on my lap and I was doing homework. When she woke up I was holding her and I didn't wash my hands in-between. But even if she is a biter I love her all the same.


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## CourtneyFaye (Jul 31, 2011)

Yup... Shes a biter! She just bit me right after I washed my hands! I wasn't really paying attention so it was my fault. I still love her


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