# Hedgehog has gone from sweet and friendly to huffy prickly ball!



## milah (Aug 20, 2015)

I just cleaned out my cage and replaced my bedding, and after I put my hedgehog back in she went into her hide and curled up into a huffy ball! Usually she doesn't huff at me at all and will let me pick her up but now she just huffs and won't uncurl!


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## octopushedge (Apr 26, 2015)

When did you get her? What did you clean with? The new smells/lack of old smells might be bothering her.


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## milah (Aug 20, 2015)

I got her about a week ago and I cleaned the cage with soap and water


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## salsa_zoppo (Apr 14, 2015)

Was it a scented soap?


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## writergirlmel (May 16, 2015)

Like others, I'm leaning toward a smell issue.

One of the best things to use for cage cleaning is a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar. It smells strongly when you use it, but the smell disappears -- even for a hedgehog -- once it dries.


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## milah (Aug 20, 2015)

It wasn't a scented soap but I will try the vinegar and water next time thanks!


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Other things that come to mind. 
Bedding will smell different, comparing used bedding to fresh bedding. There isn't any real exceptions to this. 
There was a change in routine for her. That may have tipped her off a bit. 
Possibly a smell to the cage itself from the cleaner you used.
She also worked hard to rearrange her cage just so, now she has to fix it.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I'm guessing the main thing is lack of her smell combined with still getting used to the new place. My suggestion for next time, besides using vinegar & water, would be to leave something dirty in - If you have something for her to snuggle in, like a t-shirt, snuggle bag, etc., leave that unwashed while you change the main bedding. After a couple days, then you can switch out the snuggle item. If you're using loose bedding, you could also take a handful or two of the bedding that isn't really dirty (perhaps from around her bed, as most won't potty there) & leave that in with the new stuff so she can still smell herself a bit.


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