# VERY timid/defensive hegies



## Good_v1bes (May 14, 2014)

I am a very new hedgie owner, about 5 months now, and as I've already stated somewhere on here, I rescued my hedgies from the animal care & control my girlfriends mom works at. They were from an animal hoarder that had them kept in very poor conditions, so I was definitely expecting them to be a lot of work and already knowing natural hedgehog behavior I was not expecting them to be super friendly and affectionate anyway. 
They are both very defensive, one a little more than the other. Absolutely hate to be taken out, if I make any movements at night when they are awake they will run and hide, only enjoy exploring very rarely and ONLY when outside, etc. 
My only question is, should I still be trying to take them out even when they don't want to be? I would like for them to warm up to me in some way to not be as horribly scared as they are now so I try to handle them often, but I feel kind of mean for trying to take them out and letting them play in their pen when they really don't want to.

Also kind of off topic, one of them likes to run on her wheel ALL night long and will not stop for hours until I turn on the light, and one will not run at all. She pretty much never wakes up, even at night, only eats/drinks and sleeps. Is that okay? When I got them both they did not have wheels so they are a little overweight and since she won't run on her wheel she gets no exercise.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Yes, they should be handled daily. Even if it seems cruel it would be more cruel to allow them to have no contact, you wouldn't know if one became sick or when it comes time to go to the vet, they cannot get proper care and make it harder on you. Also they need nail trimmings and with more and more care they will let you do this more often and it will be easier. 

Can I ask how you are handling them when they are out? There may be some ways to try if you aren't already doing them. 

What kind of wheel does your one girl have? It may be worth trying different type of wheels to see which one she likes. How big is the wheel she has?


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## Good_v1bes (May 14, 2014)

Thats a very good point about knowing if they get sick, etc. 
I have been trimming their nails and it hasnt been too hard if i put them on the counter or my bed and try to let them "roam" while I do it, although they tend to want to stay balled up most of the time. Otherwise I have someone help me. 

When I take them out I usually try to sit them on my lap with one of the blankets from their cage because they don't like being in my hands. I also either try to let them walk around on my bed while I'm in it or block off an area with their pen, put their wheels in it and sit in it with them. 
I always make sure the room in very dimly lit when I hold them because they're both pretty sensitive to light, one more than the other. Sometimes I bring their pen outside and let them go in the grass while I sit next to the pen, which they seem to enjoy more than any other way of being out of the cage.

I have 12" comfort wheels from petsmart for them both.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

I might suggest using a smaller snuggle bag. I make mine out of two piece of fleece and tie them together with one side open. They can sleep on your lap. This way they get longer exposure without stressing them out to much while they are sleeping. I find smaller snuggle bags create a safer environment like a den and they are more willing to sleep on you in a smaller sack than a blanket which allows them more room to explore. 

I might suggest buying a 12 in Carolina Storm Wheel from Larry. She might not be using the wheel because it wobbles something bad and tilts something awful which makes it harder for her to stay on it. With the storm wheel you can tilt it backwards and help her stay on it. Also it's dead silent and barely wobbles and is incredibly sturdy. Another option is the flying saucer wheel but heavier hogs tend to break them really easily, however, she might like it better. These are just some options to try. 

Also and this is only a last ditch effort if she gets to big and needs to lose weight. Swimming can be great exercise for a hedgehog. If she won't use a wheel, a daily swim might be healthy for her. However, sometimes it is so stressful for the hedgehog it may do more harm than good. That is for you and her to decide. If she seems to stressed it's probably a bad idea. If she doesn't seem to mind, it might be a good way to lose weight and also some bonding time for you and her. Make sure to not use any soap and perhaps add some oil to her skin because she will probably have dry skin from the water.


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