# How much do their personalities change as they age?



## Desperodo (Dec 12, 2010)

When you buy a puppy or kitten or any baby animal really, they are usually energetic and playful. I know hedgies aren't really playful. But if you buy a hedgie that is really energetic, will it always be? Or if you buy a hedgie that is quiet and shy, will it always be? I went look at baby hedgehogs at a local exotic pet store (the only good pet store in the province I think) and one hedgie was super shy in a cute way, the other two weren't shy really, and the last one didn't want any interactions.


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## alex_le_renar (Feb 21, 2011)

the first thing I learned reading through this forum, was that no 2 hedgies are the same.
The second is that you can achieve progress with patience. So, a shy hedgie could get used to you and become more social in the end. I guess (but a breeder would know better) that a more active and extrovert hedgehog would be easier to socialize.


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## Willowind (May 5, 2011)

I am a new hedgie mama, so I don't have personal experience to go from, but one thing I have noticed over and over in the forums (and also the reason I suspect Croquet was given to me) is that even the friendliest hedgehog commonly becomes grumpy when getting in their grown-up quills. If the hedgie parent doesn't continue to socialize them during this time that grumpiness can continue long after the discomfort of quilling ends. I am under the impression, however, that most hedgies who continue to get plenty of play/snuggle time while they're quilling soon leave the grumps behind forever .


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Hedgehogs' personalities CAN drastically change, but it does not mean all hedgies do this.

For example, Kashi has not changed a single bit, minus the random phase when he was around 6 months where he became aggressive and kept biting me. He passed it, though. He has always been a cuddler, ever since day 1.

I have heard of some cases on this forum where the hedgie was initially friendly, but after quilling became grumpy.


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