# Series of events + BIT ME! D:



## XarcZai (Jul 27, 2011)

So I got Baxter a week and a half ago. I'll write in note form what I'm worried about..

-Got him

-After a week, started to trust me a little more, coming out often, sometimes letting me pick him up

-Randomly, I pick him up one day and he's a little grumpier.. I shake it off and think it's because he's tired.

-Grumpiness ensues. He doesn't trust me anymore, and doesn't let me pick him up or anything.

-Yesterday I bought him new food and canned mealworms. Changed his food to 75% old 25% new. Feeding about 2-4 mealworms per day.

-Today, I picked him up, he rolls into a ball just like day 1, hissing and everything.. I put him on my lap like usual but this time he doesn't come out. At all.

-Feed him mealworm.. He comes out and likes it.

-Second mealworm... He eats it and likes it, like the first. But after he eats the second mealworm... He nibbles my finger, doesn't hurt or anything and I just know that he mistook my hand for the food. Then I turn him around in my hands, and he BITES my finger, very hard and it hurts.. Pierced the skin but no blood. Very small skin holes where he bit me. The thing is, this time I'm pretty sure he didn't bite me because he mistook me for a worm. Or it might not have to do 100% with that, because it hurt like a meaningful bite.


Is there a reason why he starts randomly hating me? Why did he bite me?
I'm worried because after about 1 week everything started to fall when I thought he was opening up to me


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2011)

He doesn't hate you and probably smelled meal worm scent on your finger.

Also if its a baby and he is going through quilling that makes them super grumpy and bond can talk so much time.

Patience, Persistence, and Time


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## XarcZai (Jul 27, 2011)

TWCOGAR said:


> He doesn't hate you and probably smelled meal worm scent on your finger.
> 
> Also if its a baby and he is going through quilling that makes them super grumpy and bond can talk so much time.
> 
> Patience, Persistence, and Time


The thing is, I got a little bit of his trust a week on. But randomly, it ends up like day 1 where he is very aggressive with me


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2011)

XarcZai said:


> TWCOGAR said:
> 
> 
> > He doesn't hate you and probably smelled meal worm scent on your finger.
> ...


That's not uncommon especially if your hedgehog is quilling it is very rare a hedgehog warms up to a person in a matter of a week it can take months up to a year if it ever really happens as some never truly trust.

Sometimes quilling makes them grumps completely sometimes they go back to being sweet and sometimes grumpy ones quill and become sweetie pies.

Also sometimes it can feel like you make progress and then they step back hedgies can't make it easy on us after all


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## XarcZai (Jul 27, 2011)

TWCOGAR said:


> XarcZai said:
> 
> 
> > TWCOGAR said:
> ...


He's not quilling... He's 5months old


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2011)

Doesn't change that sometimes you think you gain ground and they go back to something else Hedgehogs are very unique creatures.

I was answering a lot of topics and must have got yours and another confused with the quilling thing but 5 months isn't too late for quilling 

Don't lose heart hedgehogs are prey animals and are naturally defensive as long as the foods, poop, drinking, wheeling habits are normal there probably isn't anything wrong. As I stated Hedgehogs can take a long time to bond a week is no where near enough time to be upset and the biting was probably due to getting a lick earlier and associating the scent of a meal worm. If not well I own a biter hedgehog and I love her to death you learn to adapt to handling each hedgehog uniquely 

Hedgehogs do not hate but what is your routine?

it could be the time of day, the strange weather in the area, etc.


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## XarcZai (Jul 27, 2011)

TWCOGAR said:


> Doesn't change that sometimes you think you gain ground and they go back to something else Hedgehogs are very unique creatures.
> 
> I was answering a lot of topics and must have got yours and another confused with the quilling thing but 5 months isn't too late for quilling
> 
> ...


I usually leave him alone until around 9pm in time. The weather has been the same, everything has been the same. Maybe he bit me cause he was hungry, and he kinda refuses to eat with the new food in the bowl.


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2011)

XarcZai said:


> TWCOGAR said:
> 
> 
> > Doesn't change that sometimes you think you gain ground and they go back to something else Hedgehogs are very unique creatures.
> ...


That is possible I didn't consider it since you mentioned the food was still mostly his old foods so I assumed he had eaten. It is important to ensure you hedgehog when you grab them for bonding when they first wake up for the night has eaten, drank, and pooped and peed.

Its alright to take them out during the day let them sleep usually if you let them sleep on you long enough they will surprise you by coming out to explore and either way it makes for good bonding. Some hedgehogs do not like being disturbed during the night when they want to roam eat, drink, etc in their domain (cage). Its always hard to say cause they all have a unique personality

PS I hope I am not discouraging you  Hedgehogs are so complex its hard to say exactly but it sounds like you got the beat down now you just got to endure the patience of when your hedgehog decides its okay with the beat your presenting


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## XarcZai (Jul 27, 2011)

I'm trying the best I can to be a good father and to be very patient 
I guess him biting me just shocked me cause I was told hedgehogs would never do that!


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

Anything with teeth will bite  

Yes, hedgehogs bite. Sometimes they lick first then bite.

I agree a week is NOT a very long time in hedgehog time. Just be patient and try to be consistent about when and how you handle. 

It does get easier as they get older and we get wiser (I hope!)  

Donna


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## cylaura (Jan 13, 2011)

XarcZai said:


> I'm trying the best I can to be a good father and to be very patient
> I guess him biting me just shocked me cause I was told hedgehogs would never do that!


Oh, they can bite. Trust me. :roll:

My hedgie Liam is very sweet but he is also very oral - he will give anything a nibble. He bit my fingers (and the fingers of many friends!) several times after I first got him, not out of anger or fear but just because he wanted to taste that weird pink looking thing, I imagine. He hasn't bitten me in months, but I imagine that's more due to me not letting my fingers linger near his mouth for very long than him changing his ways. Now, I just feed him treats with chopsticks! :lol:

As to Baxter: maybe he's quilling, or maybe something scared him recently and you just have to work on earning his trust back. Keep doing what you're doing, just be patient, calm, and gentle, like others have said. Hopefully he will start coming back around soon!


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## hedgiebum14 (Jul 25, 2011)

if i said "I had rose for 5 months and she NEVER bit me lie THAT D: your hedgehog must be rabbid!" id be lying! 

rose had bit me so hard before that she didnt let go, she does that when she gets fussy but its not every day, its more like if shes over welmed, stress or tired, she also will like my skin for a bed, i wouldnt worry to much about yur hedgie, hes a bit douty but he should love you within like another week. he just doesnt know you yet, but next time he bites, blow in his face!


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2011)

hedgiebum14 said:


> if i said "I had rose for 5 months and she NEVER bit me lie THAT D: your hedgehog must be rabbid!" id be lying!
> 
> rose had bit me so hard before that she didnt let go, she does that when she gets fussy but its not every day, its more like if shes over welmed, stress or tired, she also will like my skin for a bed, i wouldnt worry to much about yur hedgie, hes a bit douty but he should love you within like another week. he just doesnt know you yet, but next time he bites, blow in his face!


I wouldn't timeline anything to just being another week as each hedgehog's personality varies so much that saying another week will change things isn't a accurate statement. It might be true and it might not, just be ready for the ladder to be true.

On the topic of blowing in a hedgehogs face that's up for debate some people like myself don't think it helps enforce anything but you are a threat to your animal because its a negative response. Unlike human(s) animals of all types do not respond to negative reinforcement like we do. They will react according to instinct and something that responds back may adversely effect hedgehog bonding.

Some people have reported it works, however having a chronic biter hedgehog I have never done this and she hasn't bit me and is very sweet as long as my skin isn't right up in her face. In fact she has begun to trust me enough for quick nose nuzzles and I feel it was the right choice IMO to not react in any way hostile towards my hedgie


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## XarcZai (Jul 27, 2011)

Thanks for all the replies, everyone!
Unfortunately, he bit me really hard again ;-;
If he DOES do that more often, I will try the blowing in his face. But if he does it not very often then I will leave it.
Thanks again!


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2011)

XarcZai said:


> Thanks for all the replies, everyone!
> Unfortunately, he bit me really hard again ;-;
> If he DOES do that more often, I will try the blowing in his face. But if he does it not very often then I will leave it.
> Thanks again!


If he becomes a biter you'll get used to handling in a way where you don't get bit I still have plenty of bonding fun with my biter


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## XarcZai (Jul 27, 2011)

I remember when I first got Baxter I was told and I also saw on these forums that hedgehogs were not suppost to bite at all, I was so shocked ;-;
I hope he stops


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2011)

XarcZai said:


> I remember when I first got Baxter I was told and I also saw on these forums that hedgehogs were not suppost to bite at all, I was so shocked ;-;
> I hope he stops


Normally there is a good reason why they bite as traditionally hedgehogs don't use biting as a defense:

Hungry
Scent They Like/Tasty
Unsocialized (Backyard Breeders/Poor Breeders/Pet Stores)
Inbred
Some hate to be held and will respond with a bite
Hormones (I've read sometimes its hormonal and getting them fixed has stopped aggressive behavior)


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## Judi (Jul 9, 2009)

XarcZai said:


> Thanks for all the replies, everyone!
> Unfortunately, he bit me really hard again ;-;
> If he DOES do that more often, I will try the blowing in his face. But if he does it not very often then I will leave it.
> Thanks again!


Blowing in his face probably won't do anything. Except possibly make him roll up with his jaws still clamped on your finger.

Don't feed him from your hands.

Don't put your hands near his mouth.

Don't let him lick you, move your hands away when that starts.

Don't put him back in the cage when he bites. If he's biting to get you to leave him alone, then putting him back in the cage will give him what he wants.

Everyone always says that hedgehogs don't bite, but every hedgehog I have has bitten at some point or other. Some of them do it by accident and some only do it when they're startled or scared. Some do it all the time...my first hedgehog bit me so badly and so often that I had to go to the doctor several times for antibiotics (bites just under my nails would get infected). She bit me until several of her teeth came out in my arm. I kept getting the advice that I needed to keep handling her until she got over the biting, but she never did...she died of WHS earlier this year, and about an hour before she died, she somehow found the strength to bite me again and draw blood.


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## XarcZai (Jul 27, 2011)

Judi said:


> XarcZai said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for all the replies, everyone!
> ...


I'm sorry for your loss.. 
Won't putting him in his cage when he bites have him bite a lot more? I noticed he doesn't really like it when I hold him and he doesn't like to play around in his play pen.. My mom won't let me let him wander around either


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2011)

She stated don't put him back in the cage cause it will reinforce the biting habit by giving him what he wants and you don't' want that

Use a fleece blanket or scrap piece to pick him up and handle, if he wants to bit other things better those then you, some hedgehogs bite/lick when exploring.

I would avoid putting him back into the cage as it will give the hedgehog what it wants and it will do that all the time to stay in its area. Just be careful about exposed flesh and try bonding with him in the day when he is more likely sleepy and will just sleep and you can try gently petting his quills with a fleece blanket and he can continue to associate you with safety.

Hedgehogs do bite but for most it is not a primary thing of defense or attack for them.


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## XarcZai (Jul 27, 2011)

i don't think he trusts me enough to sleep on me during the day, he'll just hiss and growl and ball up


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2011)

XarcZai said:


> i don't think he trusts me enough to sleep on me during the day, he'll just hiss and growl and ball up


All hedgehogs for the most part are going to be like at first that use a hedgehog bag or fleece blanket he can ball up in my biter is in a blanket on my lap right now as I type 

He's going to want to sleep in the day so if your watching a movie or browsing the web just set him near by in a blanket or fleece bag and let him snuggle up and sleep as you do what you do.

He is much more afraid of you then you are of him, but continuing to be hesitant is just going to keep him that way. I knows its tough and not especially fun to go through the bonding process but in the end no matter how long its rewarding 

He is hissing and popping because he sees you as a threat letting him do it and you doing nothing to harm him will reassure him you are not a threat and his efforts are for nothing 

My hedgehogs still do it in fact my sweeter one has been quilling for nearly six weeks now and she has been a prickly ball more and more each day because of it but I still get her out and let her sleep near me she huffs and puffs and then snuggles down and goes to sleep


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## XarcZai (Jul 27, 2011)

Can I place him on my desk while I'm on the computer, or does it have to be on my lap? My lap is hard to be placed on because there are so many spaces .... for him to fall through..


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2011)

XarcZai said:


> Can I place him on my desk while I'm on the computer, or does it have to be on my lap? My lap is hard to be placed on because there are so many spaces .... for him to fall through..


as long as he has a place to snuggle up into to sleep it can be fine to do that be careful if he does get up to explore about his bit issue and of course falling.

If you cover your lap in a blanket he won't have many places he can fall but i suppose it depends on the chair too


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## Judi (Jul 9, 2009)

One thing to watch out for when you're using fabric to pick him up is, don't use anything with a loose weave that he can catch a tooth on. Fleece and denim are both okay. Lulu bit through my nightgown once (it was not my hand she bit that time, ouch!) and got a strand caught around her tooth. It was pretty tricky getting her loose from it.


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## XarcZai (Jul 27, 2011)

I use a nice piece of baby receiver blanket


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## hedgiebum14 (Jul 25, 2011)

word of advice when you do the "blow" tecnique, blow in his face AFTER he lets go XD XD Rose has bitten me and started trying to rip off my flesh and i kept blowing in her face agian and again and she didnt let go, so, pull back uickly then blow in his face X3


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## Guest (Aug 19, 2011)

hedgiebum14 said:


> word of advice when you do the "blow" tecnique, blow in his face AFTER he lets go XD XD Rose has bitten me and started trying to rip off my flesh and i kept blowing in her face agian and again and she didnt let go, so, pull back uickly then blow in his face X3


Not recommended you can cause dental damage to you hedgehog by pulling back. If you can endure it they will let go eventually cause they realize the biting is not working and mostly the clamp is fear for their life if its long.

If you can't as painful as it is that pull back reaction can hurt your hedgehog, unintentionally albeit but its important to keep in mind.

What hedgiebum stated is exactly why I think blowing doesn't work if you attack a prey animal that is biting out of defense it isn't likely to respond my retreating when you blow in its face and it may figure that your more of a threat depending on their personality and reasoning.

Just my opinion


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