# Socializing an older hedgehog



## Luz143 (Aug 20, 2015)

Hi I recently got a 2 year old female hedgehog from a family friend. My friend told me her sister looked after the hedgehog and never socialized with it. She hyperventilates and quils up whenever I come near her cage or try to pick her up. Other than that she's very friendly when I actually have her in my hands. I don't know what to do though because I don't want her to be afraid anymore.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

It sounds like she's doing quite well! Her behavior when you're near the cage & picking her up is normal - she's a prey animal, so when she hears movement near her cage, her first thought is going to be "uh oh, predator!". Same thing when you go to pick her up. Their best defense is trying to scare off predators by hissing loudly & by getting poky. 

If you want to try & improve her reaction, you could try doing treat time each time you approach the cage. When you go over to the cage, before you pick her up, give her a treat, like a mealworm. It'd be best to put the treat down in front of her or use plastic tweezers, chopsticks, etc. to offer it, so she doesn't accidentally bite your fingers. There have been numerous people who have trained their hedgies to happily come out of their bed & to the door of their cage because they know they'll get tasty insects.

Really though, if she's friendly once she knows it's you, that's fantastic for an unsocialized hedgie.  You got very lucky! And it sounds like she's lucky to be in a new home that wants the best for her.


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## Katten (May 10, 2014)

Honestly, it sounds like you're in a good place. I also have a hedgehog that was unsocialized and neglected for two years, and it took me almost a year to get her to the point where she'd be friendly once she was in my hands. Just keep being gentle and patient with her.


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## Luz143 (Aug 20, 2015)

Now my girl makes this jumpy movement whenever I put her on my lap. It's like a move to she would make if she was sneezing but I know she isn't, she does it a few times in a row unless I get my hands away from her. Also whenever I put her back in her cage she runs and hides. I feel like she isn't really getting that comfortable with me even though it seemed like it a few days ago.


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## Luz143 (Aug 20, 2015)

I'm also checking her bowl every morning (because that's when I refill it before I go to school) and I feel like she isn't eating much. I also don't hear her playing at night, it seems all she does is sleep. It really worries me so I'm taking her to a vet to make sure she isn't sick or anything.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Whenever we look at a hedgehogs behavior we must remember one important thing. 
They are a pray animal. If we keep that in mind when we question why they do a certain thing it often makes logical sense. 
He thinks your going to eat him, for obvious reasons this is bad news for him. He balls up when you pick him up, clearly that's so you can eat him. He huffs and puffs when you come near him, he wants to be bigger than he really is so you may not eat him, and by making scary noises you might decide he isn't worth eating because he might hurt you. 

When he is sitting on your lap and does that jumpy thing a couple things are going on. 1) you are clearly going to pick him up to eat him. 2) when you react by pulling your hand away, he learns this technique is awesome and works great to avoid being picked up to be eaten. 

When he goes back in his cage, of course he is going to run away, don't you know you are going to eat him?

I don't normally put a lot of weight in how they act in their cage. Yes it's nice if they run towards your hand in hop in your palm so you can pick them up. But for the most part unrealistic. I also want them to feel safe in their cage. Yes they still get nervous with some things around their cage, and more so when we go in there. But looking at this in a predator/ pray situation it's a bit different. If I'm laying in my bed and wake up with Hannibal Lecter is standing beside my bed with a knife, I would be scared too.


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