# Evolution of Cuddles



## raurora (Sep 6, 2013)

Here is the routine we must do for de cuddles:

First, I am an attacker that he must hide from and become the Spiky Ball of Death


After 15 minutes and a weigh in, he realizes that I will not in fact eat him and decides to sloowwlllyyyy uncurl


I get to get a glimpse of his face, but it is quickly withdrawn. The world be scary, yo


Finally, an hour or so, and hundreds of pets later, I am greeted with this


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## SiouxzieKinz (Oct 10, 2013)

Awwww


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## raurora (Sep 6, 2013)

I know! But it is a dance of terror and trust. My lil man


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## BexLogic (Oct 13, 2013)

ADORABLE. I have a similar routine with Rosie, too. Some nights she comes around a little most willingly than others. Your little dude is absolutely ADORABLE! He should show his cute little face more often


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## AngelaH (Jul 24, 2012)

This is cute! And totally relatable


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Awww, so much similarity!

Recently, we've had a change in pace in our routine.

1. I am the harbinger of doom, scooping sleepy hedgehog up for evening cuddles. Huff, puff, go-way!
2. Plop hedgehog on co-keeper's lap for some relaxed hedgehog-and-human snoozing.
3. Sleepy hedgehog awakes! Transfer gently squirmy hedgehog to my lap. Hedgehog sniffs & explores enough to confirm he's with me now.
4. Hedgehog boytime. Thanks, honey.
5. More sleepy human-cuddles, with periodic bouts of casual sniff-exploring.
6. Super-squirmy-hedgehog awakes! Return to home immediately for pooping and breakfast. Too slow? Get pooped on.
7. Wheel-running!
8. Naptime.

...repeat for as long as humans are awake (footbath shows up somewhere in there based on hedgehog-awakeness levels). Seriously, I cannot get a cuddle anymore without him expressing his tangible affections first. I'm glad he's comfortable and can give himself so much happiness, but really? Every single time? ...I should market myself as a hedgehog aphrodisiac, for shy hedgehogs.


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## raurora (Sep 6, 2013)

Annie, stop making me laugh at work!!! Sometime he humps the shirt hes in, but thats all Ive had to deal with. I got lucky with him, he never really gets super squirmy. Sometime he will try to explore under my sheets, which I cant let him do, because I dont want him falling off, but he is mostly Mommys Little Cuddler. Just chills there and accepts it. The petting thing is new, about a week or so. I am slowly moving my way up to his reverse mohawk. He lets us touch his nose, but the curtain and the tummy is still off limits

Post your cuddle pics!!!


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Pig's favorite thing in the world is cuddling in my shirt. Sometimes he gets so comfy it takes quite a bit of poking to wake him up. I suppose I should be glad he's such a mellow hedgie.


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

So, we have a particular routine for clipping nails that, very weirdly, results in a specific cuddle I can't get any other time.

When he's awake enough that it doesn't feel like horror-torture to introduce him to the bath but prior to first-breakfast, we give him a footbath. Afterwards, he snuggles into a towel where I stroke through the towel at his belly, drying it off, and forehead-pets as he borrows around the towel.

Less than 5 minutes later, he poops, pees, and is transferred to a new, clean towel. Once here, he climbs halfway up one hand and sits on the other (front paws hooked over one hand, back paws dangling off the other), and waits for co-keeper to clip his nails. This continues until he starts yanking his paws back, shifting weight, or otherwise informing us that his patience has run out. The nail clippers are then stored out of sight (or he'll lunge to bite them as soon as he sees them), and he receives mealworms as reward for his tolerance.

He gets 2 mealworms for every foot inspected (we've managed 3, but not yet 4 in one session), accompanied by chin-chest-pec pets. He's gotten so into the habit with this that he'll preen and raise his chin up for us to better pet along his neck to his knees in long, uninterrupted strokes. The petting may continue for a few minutes after the final mealworm is consumed, but then is abruptly Not Okay, and will not be okay until the next session.

If we wake him up too early for his footbath, afterwards he'll snuggle into a loose ball while napping, and refuse to let us extract his feet for inspection. If we wake him up too late or aren't ready to clip his nails until after first breakfast, it's too late, and despite tolerating a footbath, he will not stay still enough for nail clipping. Tiny spikey diva is very particular about his manicure and pedicure service, and will accept no substitutions.


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## raurora (Sep 6, 2013)

abbys said:


> Pig's favorite thing in the world is cuddling in my shirt. Sometimes he gets so comfy it takes quite a bit of poking to wake him up. I suppose I should be glad he's such a mellow hedgie.
> 
> View attachment 13329


omg abby! we have brothers!!! Idgies patches look just like Pigs! What would you say he is??

And Annie, that is the cutest thing I have ever heard. Sometimes we get paws poking through, but they are always retracted when I try to pet them. I dont want him to associate lovely cuddles with scary nail time


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

He's champagne-brown.


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## Kyouhai (Jul 26, 2013)

Me and Miyuki have the exact same routine! Except it's a bit shorter it takes only a span of ten minutes to get to the face part! 

Though sadly he's not a cuddly hedgehog only while he's still drowsy but once he's awake its; "mommy!~ Chase me around the room and make sure I don't go in your closet or behind your furniture!" or "Climb climb climb the human mountain!" 

I can't take my eyes off him for more then a few seconds!


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