# Still Skittish Hedgie



## ozthehedgie (Nov 30, 2012)

My girlfriend and I got a beautiful pinto hedgie before Christmas. She is now 3 1/2 months old and still terrified of every movement that we make. We got her from a a reputable breeder and she is healthy and active hedgehog. She run's 2-5 miles every night and is eating the variety of foods (different dry cat foods that have been recommended here) and enjoys mealworms. She's still afraid of crickets when they jump, but if I hold one down she'll come and eat it.

Our problem lies in the fact that although we take her out of her cage daily for about an hour or more and have brought her on adventures she still jumps, huffs, and puffs at all times when we move even a finger near her. If we stay completely still she'll unball and walk around and has even annointed with my earrings, socks, and beard when i make sure not to move. We're looking for suggestions on how to make her a less skittish. We love her and are very persistent not to put her away when she spikes us even when she draws blood. We just want to make her more friendly.

Thanks everyone!

PS we have both put clothes in her cage to sleep with.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

It's possible that she's still at the tail end of quilling and it's making her more sensitive and reactive than she otherwise would be. My boy Archimedes was pretty bad up until 15-16 weeks old, when it finally tapered off. Keep doing what you're doing, and it may change in another few weeks, either because she finishes with quilling or because she just needs more time to feel completely comfortable with you - or a little of both. The fact that she's willing to walk around and anoint with various things means she's not completely in "defensive" mode. The more handling the better - if you're able to take her out for longer than just an hour, do it, even if it's not regularly. If you have her cage in a very quiet place, try putting a radio nearby to get her used to background noise and people talking, so she'll be less reactive to that.


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