# Need advice on 7 month old



## angiec (Mar 11, 2015)

Hi
My husband and I did a lot of research concerning hedgehogs before buying. We went on kijiji and found 2 hedgehogs - both male being sold. One is a year old and the other 7 months old.
We went to pick them up. It was a younger man - probably 19 or 20 selling. 
He had fashioned a couple of totes into a cage. They were both being housed together. The year old is super friendly but he warned us that the 7 month old is not. Doesn't like to be held, and stays in a ball and hisses. 
We bought an extra large cage, and since they seemed really stressed out decided to leave them together for the next week. 
The year old is super friendly still but the 7 month old? Spitting vinegar. This is the guy that I seem to have taken to. His hissing will abate, I hold him daily, and croon to him. he comes out of his ball while he's on me. However the moment I touch him, he curls up and hisses. 
We also found another hedgehog - 6 weeks old on kijiji which is more of a rescue. A high school student bought her (she's female) and brought her home and left her in a critter box (the kind a store gives you) for 5 days. We bought another large cage and put her in there. She's so friendly as well. 
None are biters. 
Any advice on how to get my little man to enjoy me holding him?


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## angiec (Mar 11, 2015)

No Reply necessary, I read this
http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...lity-behaviour/10-behaviour-expectations.html

And keeping this in mind, I decided to hold my hedgehog. Before long, he came out and ran all over me, quills down, even allowing me to pet him 2 or 3 times. He hissed when I touched his foot. But continued exploring. Finally snuggling down on me and sleeping for a bit. 
What an awesome experience!! Thank you for posting this. Allowing him to be - himself - and not expecting anything from him, other than him being a hedgehog, allowed me to fully enjoy his quirks. When I put him back in his cage, he didn't ball up and hiss, he stayed calm with quills down.


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## Soyala_Amaya (Aug 1, 2011)

May I just say, yay someone reading the stickies! Yep, hedgies is hedgies and there's nothing to be done about that...and who would want to? Their quirks and their fits are why we love them, those little moments when they calm down and seem to say "Oh, you're not a monster who's going to eat me, you're my friend and my momma." are worth every poke and hiss. Thank you for helping those babies come into a loving environment that can give them what they need to be well rounded, healthy hedgies!


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## angiec (Mar 11, 2015)

My little Monster seems to have taken to me. When he's on me and someone walks into the room or makes a sudden noise, he grabs my finger and curls into a ball. My finger is against his belly. After me saying it's just me, or talking to him, he sniffs / licks my finger and will come out. 
Last night I made a play area for the 3 of them and took them out one at a time. It's sad to think that they never had the chance to explore, taste new foods or play. Other than running on a wheel. 2 of them shared the tote and the wheel. Isabelle, was bought originally as an impulse buy from a pet shop and never even had a tote or wheel. Just a critter box.
I can't wait to introduce them to so many new things....
I washed their poopie feet last night...


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