# A Friendly Hedgie?



## OSD (Aug 31, 2014)

On a whim I took my hedgie (whom I've had for all of three days) with me to a pet store I used to work at, to visit with some of my buddies. I had her in a bonding bag and had no intention of doing anything other than walking around for a few minutes. To my surprise she tried to climb out of the bag, so I carried her around for awhile. She ended up climbing from person to person visiting with everyone that was interested in her. Never once did she huff (come to think of it, I've never heard her huff) or ball up. She never seemed stressed or really anything but curious. She very much enjoyed the mealworms they fed her. One of the mangers has had hedgies in the past and was very surprised and impressed at how well socialized she is. Everything I've read says that hedgies aren't typically friendly, is Rory just a freak of nature? Or should I be concerned she isn't well? (Though she eats everything in sight and uses her wheel all night long.)


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## gracefulchaos01 (Mar 19, 2014)

I say you are a very lucky person with a very special and well socialized hedgie. I have one that is kind of close to that and I know she is a special girl too.


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## Katten (May 10, 2014)

There's nothing wrong with her. You just happened to get an outgoing hedgehog, who feels confident with humans.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

SOOOO JEALOUS!!! I saw a hedgehog that way when I was at a pet store reporting them LOL. He wanted to be held and cuddled so much he climbed into cleavage and rubbed his face against my chest and almost fell asleep. If I didn't hate petstores so much I would have taken him home in an instant. However my girl is the opposite she likes to explore and smell EVERYTHING and does NOT like to be held, she tries to run away. However at the vet this last time my vet went to pick her up and she actually ran to me instead of her snuggle bag (I almost dropped dead because she does NOT like to be held!!) She was also VERY neglected and abused before I saved her so that might have something to do with it. All hedgies are very very different, no two are the same, or even close to the same lol. Most people who have more than one say they don't even seem like the same animal. It also depends on how their parents were, their parents parents, and the breeder or person who raised them. I know that a lot of bottle fed hand raised hedgehogs are nicer than others, and ones that were handled a lot as babies are nicer, also ones whos mother is easily handled teaches them to trust people.


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## OSD (Aug 31, 2014)

Thanks everyone. Her former owner did mention in passing that her breeder had all the neighborhood kids come over after school and play with all the babies. I wonder if that's it. She also said aside from one trip to the vet (check up) she'd never taken her anywhere. She's almost as into exploring as she is being held, best of both worlds? I guess I'm going to have to make sure my next one comes from the same breeder! To think I almost didn't call about her, due to her color. For some reason mostly white animals have never really spoke to me. What a mistake that would have been.

Alex, that boy sounds adorable! I would have had a hard time leaving him there. None of my local pet stores seem to sell hedgies, I'm thinking that's a very good thing! Your girl sounds precious, good for you for taking in a neglect case. (My dog is a former feral, love her to death. However, even at 13 you can tell there's something different about her.)


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

I did since one of the other ones was dying he was so sick and they didn't even do anything, the guy who was their picked the hedgies up by pinching their quills and dropped one in water and laughed. Ugh. But yeah all my babies are rescues. I have 2 doggies and a hedgie. All were from truly sickening situations, when I got my number one baby, his name is Loki because he's red and mischievous, well he wasn't when I first got him, I almost named him Jack after the Skeleton king because they were so amazed he was even alive he was so skinny, he looked like a walking skeleton, you could see every single bone in his body. It was horrible. My teddy was rescued from a puppy mill, he had never even drank water from a bowl and the 1st time he did his new collar tapped the edge and scared him so bad he peed. They are all wonderful now though  Teddy is turning 13 this year! You would never guess, and you certainly would never guess he's ever been anything buy a spoiled little prince the way he acts.


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## Katten (May 10, 2014)

That's pretty good of the breeder to have children play with them as babies. That may actually be why yours is so friendly -- with humans, they tell us that how a child is treated in their first five years is extremely important and sets the stage for how they will behave and react for the rest of their lives. It's gotta be the same for baby animals.

I've thought about breeding hamsters professionally when I am retired (I am only 26 so not for a long time still), and I think I'll let the neighbourhood kids come handle the baby hamsters too.


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## OSD (Aug 31, 2014)

Honestly I totally would believe that's why she's so social. May as well use your neighbors to your advantage!

As friendly and outgoing as she is, she may be lacking in the IQ department. The wheel that came with her was so incrediably loud, I immediately ordered her a Carolina Storm Wheel. Last time I checked, this isn't how one is supposed to use it...









It's a good thing she's cute.


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

She reminds me of my hedgehog Molly. Molly was super friendly (the vet's office always liked it when I came with her-she had a lot of medical problems- because she would just lay there and let them poke at her and then they would play with her).
Molly also had some cognitive issues (I think she was likely inbred) but she was the sweetest thing ever.


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