# New hedgie personality?



## Litch (Sep 4, 2008)

When I go to the breeder to get my hedgie what should I look for in his or her personality in the few minutes I have to make a decision on which one I want? Ive been to a pound to pick up a cat and Ive been to dog breeders before and those were active when I saw them but when I saw the hedgies for the first time they were all just laying there napping (it was about 2pm to be honest). So what should I look for? Id like to be able to identify the traits of a nice friendly and curiouse hedgie if possible


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

2 pm is like the middle of the night to a hedgie, so I'd say napping is typical behavior. 
I just picked mine up from the breeder about a month ago, so I'm not a total expert on this but there was a list of things I put together from different places online that were qualities/signs I looked at when I stopped by. Here are a few of them. Hopefully these help you in your decision. 

- When a hedgie first wakes up it will be grumpy and probably curl up, but ideally when you're holding it, it will uncurl within a few minutes of being picked up, relax and try to explore. If it doesn't uncurl soon, it's probably really shy and could be harder to bond with. 
- It will huff and pop at you, but clicking is a sign of aggression, so you ideally don't want that.
- Gender doesn't have much to do with temperament, it's individual personality that you want to keep an eye out for.
- Be sure to check for healthy signs like clear eyes that are free of discharge, clean fur/quills, alertness, a moist (but not runny) nose, quiet breathing (not raspy or bubbly), ears free of wax or discharge, and look at the feet to be sure the toenails are trimmed and not curling into the feet causing problems. Also, if possible, put them down and watch them walk to be sure they're not wobbling or limping in any way.

Hope that helps! Good luck!


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