# Hedgehog affection?



## Nell

You know, I think Ziggy and I have come a long way, but I still am not sure whether he is expressing affection or just tolerates me...

He huffs a lot when I go pick him up but seems to be ok with letting my hand go under him to scoop him. When I pet him, sometimes he stays still, sometimes he huffs. And after some handling he always tries to crawl off my lap towards his cage. He seems to be fine sleeping under my sweater though, except for one time where he peed on me...

How do your hedgehogs show affection? It seems unlikely for them to show affection, so I need some pointers as I can't tell.


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## Nebular

They're not exactly affectionate animals. It's important to note that by nature, they're solitary animals that prefer their own company. Some of them can be very sociable though. Norman occasionally gives me kisses while he's sitting in my lap. And while it's not exactly a show of affection per-se, he always climbs back up into my lap after exploring the couch for a few minutes and wants to settle back in for a nap somewhere safe. I've heard that a few offer little "love nibbles" as well. Some might even see their being tolerant of you handling them as a sign of affection if they have a more grumpy personality. :lol:


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## Immortalia

My boy doesn't usually show affection well either. Usually, no matter what I do, if I move a little, make some sort of nose, he'll pop and hiss at me :roll: 

But that being said, when put into an enviroment he's not familiar with, like the vets, he will actually run back towards me. Vet will put him down on the table, and he scurries over and tries to burrow into my arms, while I just put my arms around him. 
Same with taking him outside. Put him on the grass, he will climb back into my lap, or lay down right next to me, usually partially under a thigh, or if I'm leaning back a bit, right at my back.


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## Hedgehog Grove

I think it depends on the hedgehog really, yes they are solitary but there are some theat seek out their owners to snuggle.

For instances, "Wrigley" and little Naomi. Naomi looks for her "momma" also wants out when she comes.

Also a lot of my herd give kisses and nose nudges. I make point with all my hedgies to kiss their faces and noses from day 1 of them coming to me. I love giving them kisses of their cheeks and faces and I know they secretly like it as well. I am very very hands on in my guys, get them used to everything from an early age. Most of mine don't make fuss at me kissing them.

Also a lot of mine love their noses and bridge of theirs noses rubbed and they seek this out with passion. They do a low purring vibration and close their eyes when I rub their noses.


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## fracturedcircle

here's a story about Sweetie that dates back to the summer. i'm copying it from my email:

"so last night my mom covered Sweetie's cage with a blanket 'cause it was supposed to get chilly (he has the heat but we thought a blanket wouldn't hurt). it was *her* blanket. that did not go over well. Sweetie went nuts--he repeatedly stood up (propping against the wall) sniffing the air and then dug under the liner where it was really tight. when my mom tried to get him out, he put up a real fight.  she ended up removing the blanket. here's the real kicker: i took him tonight and he started licking my hands. so i'm thinking, "is the Baby gonna bite me or what?" he licked and licked like crazy and then--mystery solved--he self-anointed. then he kinda stood up propping against my hand and resumed the frantic licking. he self-anointed twice more. then we lay down on the couch and he again went crazy licking my legs, hips, and arms (in that order) and self-anointing. and then he let out a tiny sigh and snuggled tightly next to me.

my jaw was on the floor. it was such an amazing "i love you mommy *hug hug hug* where were you????" experience (i mean i very bad that he felt desperate like that but it was still amazing). now my mom feels so bad for giving him the blanket with so much of her smell... note that Sweetie is not into anointing--i've seen him do it only a couple of times, tops."

even if it wasn't for this, i have absolutely no doubt that Sweetie loves me deeply. i am lucky that way.


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## MissC

Immortalia said:


> But that being said, when put into an enviroment he's not familiar with, like the vets, he will actually run back towards me. Vet will put him down on the table, and he scurries over and tries to burrow into my arms, while I just put my arms around him.
> Same with taking him outside. Put him on the grass, he will climb back into my lap, or lay down right next to me, usually partially under a thigh, or if I'm leaning back a bit, right at my back.


I second this note! Snarf had been a hissing, huffing ball of quills when he moved in and quite frankly, I had accepted that he and I would never really 'get along' and he was just not a social hedgie. No biggie...just the way he's made, right?

Then we went to the vet (two weeks later) and the vet wanted to see him walk. I put Snarf on the floor and stepped out of the way...Snarf walked to me...I stepped back...Snarf walked over and tried to sit on my foot. I didn't think much of it until the vet said 'He sure knows who momma is!'. That's when I realized he might actually know who I am! And might even like me a teensy bit. :shock: It's amazing how popular you become when a hedgie feels his life is in danger. :lol:

Time and LOTS of patience...two musts with a hedgie.


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## fracturedcircle

P.S. since i'm disabled, my wonderful mom is the caretaker of our animals (food, cleaning, etc), so she surely wasn't a stranger. there was no reason for Sweetie to panic so badly except that he lost my smell somehow and thought that he lost me. :shock:


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## nibletsmom

Niblet definitely enjoys his own time doing his thing...sleeping, wheeling, munching, etc and 99% of the time, if he is interrupted, he is going to huff and puff and prickle...
But there are the special occasions where he shows us he loves us...
I usually work 3 nights in a row and he is usually sleeping when I leave for work and sleeping when I get home. So on my night off after I have been working for my 3 nights, I will go over to his cage and say "Niblet. Mom has missed you!" and he will stick his nose in the air looking for my scent and scurry over the wall of the cage where I am. It is so cute. It shows me that he remembers my voice and my scent. 

Also another thing that is so adorably cute is when I change his liners. I use the All free and clear detergent to wash his liners and to me they don't really have a scent but to he loves his new liners. I will let him run around the bedroom while I am changing his liners and cleaning his cage. And when I get everything changed and put him back in there, he will run around and rub his nose around on the liners and then anoint. Then he will pull at the edge of the liner to try to pull it over him (which he can't) and then he anoints again...this goes on about 5 minutes after his liners are changed. He is so cute. He loves his clean cage. 

He also will give little nose kisses to my fiance and I. We will pick him up and put him up to our face and he will lick our noses. Its cute.  Little Niblet kisses.


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## Galvon

I agree with the whole thing that Sandslash is indifferent to me until a stranger rolls in. Then he's the world's biggest momma's boy. He's all 'tough and gruff' until one of my friends tries to pick him up then its into mommy's pants or behind her feet. 

And I'll get maybe one night a month where he'll put his head on my chest and just sigh as I pet his nose. Every other day if I try to touch his face he acts like I'm a chainsaw-wielding psycho. :roll:


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## Hedgieonboard

Mine make little whistle like noises when they are really happy. Loken likes to do his own thing but is still friendly, even though he's not big into cuddling he still makes the happy noise and seems content when he's out, quills super flat when he makes it with such a cute little face. My hedgie Sandra will sit and wait for me and I can call her and she will climb into my hands. She started making the content whistling noises recently and I was so pleased to hear it because it is a very heart melting sound. It has been so cute because recently Sandra has really gotten into her schedule so when she heard me cleaning Lokens cage on top of hers she came out from her bed and sat there patiently waiting until I put him back knowing that I was coming to get her next to clean hers lol
So I laughed and said come on and she walked into my hands. She has done this since and will come out and wait when she hears me cleaning his cage, it makes me laugh how receptive they are.


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## Hedgieonboard

Mine make little whistle like noises when they are really happy. Loken likes to do his own thing but is still friendly, even though he's not big into cuddling he still makes the happy noise and seems content when he's out, quills super flat when he makes it with such a cute little face. My hedgie Sandra will sit and wait for me and I can call her and she will climb into my hands. She started making the content whistling noises recently and I was so pleased to hear it because it is a very heart melting sound. It has been so cute because recently Sandra has really gotten into her schedule so when she heard me cleaning Lokens cage on top of hers she came out from her bed and sat there patiently waiting until I put him back knowing that I was coming to get her next to clean hers lol
So I laughed and said come on and she walked into my hands. She has done this since and will come out and wait when she hears me cleaning his cage, it makes me laugh how receptive they are.


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## Hedgieonboard

Double posted for some reason and won't let me delete, sorry about that.


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## susanaproenca

Mustard loves to cuddle with me or my boyfriend. She will sleep for hours on our laps and we take that as a huge sign of trust. She lets us touch her face, nose, feet, ears, without a huff. She loves her cage and is happy there doing her own thing, but she seems happy when we have her out too, we can hear this tiny purring noises she makes.  Although she's very friendly around unknown people, when we're at the vet she looks for her mommy and tries to climb back on my arms.  
But the proof that she trusts and loves me was a few months back when she got very sick. My boyfriend had her out on his lap, sitting on the couch. I sat right next to him, and as soon as Mustard realized I was there she walked over to sit on my lap. My boyfriend got her back and she did the same thing over and over again, she walked to me. We then realized that when she's sick she looks for me because she knows I'll care for her.  

Pete... well, I have to start by saying that is very hard for Pete to trust us, because we're her 4th family. Poor girl went through 3 different owners before we adopt her. 
She is very huffy and hissy but is starting to feel comfortable around us. She knows me and will try to climb back onto my arms during bath time and at the vet. And yesterday, for the first time, she was snoozing on my lap while I was petting her back, then she opened her eyes, looked at me, and rolled on her side to sleep some more.  
Pete sometimes just lays on our chest and stares at us for minutes... I think she keeps looking to make sure we're still the same parents, that we didn't give her away. I know she at least likes me.


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## MissC

susanaproenca said:


> And yesterday, for the first time, she was snoozing on my lap while I was petting her back, then she opened her eyes, looked at me, and rolled on her side to sleep some more.
> Pete sometimes just lays on our chest and stares at us for minutes... I think she keeps looking to make sure we're still the same parents, that we didn't give her away. I know she at least likes me.


  
This made me cry - in a good way - cuz I can relate. I love it when Snarf is on my lap sleeping, then opens his eyes and studies my face for a second, then rolls over and goes back to sleep...or when I'm petting his bum and I get the big siiiiiigh and 'chin-drop'...melts my heart.


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## fracturedcircle

MissC said:


> when I'm petting his bum and I get the big siiiiiigh and 'chin-drop'...


i know, i know! :lol:


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## PJM

When I put Zoey on hedgie-daddy's lap, she will always run up to his shoulder & sometimes nudge herself behind his neck. But when I put out both my hands, she comes to me & starts to crawl into them. Sorry Daddy. She know's who feeds her.  

Cholla has started to watch me. When I'm cleaning his cage in the morning, he will peek out of his cuddle house & watch me. If he's on the 1st floor of his cage & I'm doing something with Zoey, he'll stretch himself up on his back legs & watch us, begging for mealies. When he's in my lap at night, he will peek out from under his blanket & look up at me. 

Both are used to kisses from me & tickles from Daddy. Zoey will rub noses with me.


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## MissC

PJM said:


> Both are used to kisses from me & tickles from Daddy. Zoey will rub noses with me.


I rub noses with Snarf...it's just more of a across-the-room-wiggling-our-noses-in-each-other's-general-direction...


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## GiveToHairy

Sam loves to be held but I think he's just a laid back hog that takes warmth where he can get it. After a foot bath he loves to sit wrapped in a towel on my chest while a stroke his back. He just falls asleep. 

The vet and vet techs all kept saying, "He's such a laid back hog!" so I think I just got lucky. He's pretty cuddly for a hedgie but not really interested in me in general...


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## fracturedcircle

MissC said:


> PJM said:
> 
> 
> 
> Both are used to kisses from me & tickles from Daddy. Zoey will rub noses with me.
> 
> 
> 
> I rub noses with Snarf...it's just more of a across-the-room-wiggling-our-noses-in-each-other's-general-direction...
Click to expand...

 :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Quinnie Pooh

I've had Quinn for over three months and since she was the first hedgehog I had ever handled, I had nothing to compare her behaviour to. I did feel that she was extremely shy. She hisses and balls every time I come near her, but now will relax when she realizes its me. I sing her the song from Winnie the Pooh before I go near her, and that kind of keeps her from freaking out too much. After the song, I can reach under her and scoop her up and she will ball up a little, but I can still feel her feet on my hands.

One trick I have found that really works is to put my cocoa butter lotion on my hands first and she loves it, so when I put my hands by her, she will start licking like crazy and forget to hiss and stab!

The only thing I can think of to describe her behaviour is that she is like a feral kitten. I work with her every day and I can tell she trusts me as much as she is able to trust anyone, and that has really made all the work worth it. And there are those time that I get to see her face come out from under her visor of quills and get to feel her soft belly that make up for all the times she hops up and impales me.

She will sleep on my lap if I have her baby blanket over her and she will even relax and let me stroke her quills, as long as I stay away from her head. She is very relaxed at those times and it gives me hope that she will continue to become tamer over time.

I find that bath time is an extremely important time for bonding. Like others have said, she sees me as the one that will rescue her from the water, even though she seems to enjoy her bath. When I put my hand down into the water, she will climb into my hand without hesitation. Her first bath was the first time that I had ever seen her with all her quills lying down flat! 

I don't know why she is so skittish. I do feel that the breeder did not take the necessary time to socialize her. She was very slow to answer my emails, and since I had to travel a long way to pick her up, I wasn't able to see her temperament until the day that I picked her up, so I expected her to be stressed out. If I had it to do again, I would not have purchased a hedgehog I could not meet a number of times before purchasing. 

I wouldn't ever give Quinn up now, but I would have loved to have a hedgie that was more social. I don't really want the responsibility of more than one hedgehog, so I am resigned to working with Quinn as long as she lives, and I have hope that she will mellow out over time. I feel hopeful when I read that some hedgies take up to a year to tame. But I did think I was buying a "domesticated" pet, not a wild hog that had been found under a hedge somewhere and brought home a bucket.

I don't want to stress Quinn out if she doesn't want to be handled. I took her to work last week to introduce her to a girl who is considering getting a hedgehog. She was okay when the girl was looking at her, as long as she wasn't getting too close, but later when I showed her to a guy, she completely freaked out and became one of those hissing and popping balls that tell you that you need to wrap her up in her blanket and put her away!

Anyway, I do like these posts about "normal" behaviour of hedgies. It makes me feel like I'm not the only one with a "difficult" hedgehog. I told the breeder that I was more interested in personality than appearance and asked her what she thought of my hedgehogs' personality. She told me that she was an "explorer". I do think she misled me by not telling my that the hedgehog I was paying $150 for, was extremely shy. I was a little suspicious when I asked her for a photo of the baby since I had only seen one picture of her at about two weeks old.

It took her ages to get a photo to me, saying she was having problems uploading a photo, but I think it may have taken her that long to get a photo of the baby without her quills up. The one she finally got showed a very cute baby, but even in that photo, her visor was lowered.

I bought from a breeder instead of a pet store because I cared about things like breeding lines for health and personality, but if I had it to do again, I would most likely buy from a pet store so that I could at least see what kind of personality the hedgie had before I had accepted the awesome responsibility for raising a difficult one.


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## fracturedcircle

Harvey is an aloof hedgie. he is not terribly shy or anything--he just dreamily lives in his own world.


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## britpeters

My baby Vita is definitely a snugglebug. When I take her out and try to hold her all she wants to do is go towards my elbow, burrow, then "splat" out and sleep. Every night before bed I put her on my stomach while I'm on my laptop and she'll come up and burrow under my chin (it's a bit uncomfortable but it's just so **** cute & nice to know she's comfortable coming so close to my face!) If she's in the mood she'll let me kiss her.... "forehead"? or nose, which in my opinion is the ultimate way of knowing your hedgie is comfortable with you and loves you !


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