# Staying still = like?



## Nell (Aug 26, 2010)

I've been trying to make a point of getting my hoglet used to being touched, to having his feet touched especially. I don't use a cuddle sack or bag, because I think he gets crabbier when he's covered and just huffs and clicks thrice as much if I try and touch him. 
He seems to take well to being petted and is starting to automatically lower his quills whenever I pet his back. Visor quills, feet, ears are a 50/50 deal, sometimes he doesn't protest my touching them. I don't know where the tummy stands. 

I tried petting his back today and he was pretty accessible about it, to the point of staying still for a full few minutes, quills flat. I tried rubbing his tummy with my fingertips, and he stayed still, then I typed something and when I went to retry it he just shuffled away .
Tried tickling his underside more, but shifted more towards the neck and shoulders and he stayed still also...then again, typing, and going back to it, got a huff, tried again, and he was OK again. I put him in his cage after and he just stayed still, as if not believing it...


My question is the following. If you pet or touch a hedgehog in a particular manner, and he stays very still, is it an indication that he likes it? or can hedgehogs just sit still and endure handling out of resignation?


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

I don't believe there's a hard & fast rule on this one. But even if he is holding still out of resignation, that is preferred over turning and biting you.

Riley actually nuzzles, pushes against my hand repeatedly, I take that to mean he actually wants it. For all I know he doesn't even actually want it, he just has an itch and my hand is available to meet that need like the fence post for a horse. I think its a human thing to attach emotion such as "love" to that behavior. That being said, Riley loves me. :mrgreen: 

If he isn't being aggressive, enjoy. Don't overthink it.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

It's easier to tell when they DON'T like something, I think! :lol: 
With our Cholla, I'm pretty sure he likes to cuddle, because he will nuzzle close. Pretty sure he likes to be petted, because his eyes get heavy. Pretty sure he likes mealies because he lunges the tweezers & gobbles them down.
With Zoey, I'm don't know. She likes mealies (same reason as Cholla). That's all I have figured out so far. She's getting more tolerant of being touched & will be very still, like yours. Unless we move to quick or pet too much. I personally think that she is just tolerating us. But that's good enough for me. She has 22+ hours in a day she can do whatever she wants.
I don't know if being still means they like it, but I know it means I like it!


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## Olympia (Aug 4, 2010)

It may depend on the hedgie but I also have one that I'm trying to get used to being petted and when she stays still while I touch her, I interpret it as "I'm not sure about this but let's see". Because when I got her, she would huff like crazy and get her quills up anytime I tried to pet her and now she let's me pet the side of her head. She doesn't nuzzle my hand but she's not huffing and when she's had enough, she just moves away from my hand or gets her visor down. I really don't think her being still is resignation, it's more that she is uncertain.


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