# Hard to handle



## pedro (Mar 17, 2009)

Hi, I have had my hedgehog now for 2 months. She will be 4 months old on the 31. I still have a hard tim handing her . She rolls up in a ball a makes that pop sound. When I pick her up she will
unroll but try to get away. When I approach her case she runs in her box. I give her treats, but try to push me away with her head down. I thought by now she would open up. I know she is done quilling, so do I have a hedgehog that is not sociable? I hope that I was going to have pet I could handle. Can you help me?


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Has she been handled at least 15 to 30 minutes a day?


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

My hedgie still does that when he's first being picked up. It's because he hasn't had a chance to smell me yet and for all he knows I'm going to eat him. Even when he does smell me, he's still a little puffy. It's just because he doesn't want to be bothered. He still loves to lower his visor quills and try to stab me. With the treats, it's normally the fast movement of the treat/hand coming toward. So it sounds like you have a perfectly normal explorer hedgie to me. You can try spending more time with her to see if that will help. Odds are, though, she'll probably be that way on a normal basis. I've had mine 8 months and he still acts like that most of the time.


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## _gatecrasher_ (May 8, 2009)

My baby hedgie is also an explorer and gets a little puffy when I first pick her up still. However, when you pick hedgie up, don't flinch even if he's huffy and prickly - just pick him up anyway. He will come to realize that you're not going to hurt him. 

My hedgie loves running all over the place rather than snuggling/cuddling (unless she's just waking up). I like to sit on the floor with her and let her run around the house (but grab her before she darts under the couch or behind the tv) :lol: Explorers are fun. You could try setting up a pen/play pen for your hedgie to run around and sit in there with him so he's used to you. If he's done quilling, go ahead and handle him as much as possible, even if it just means touching him lightly as he runs about. He'll get used to you soon enough.


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## AAdict (May 2, 2009)

I had one that was very shy and didnt like being handled - he is great now but took me the best part of 6 months to get him like this - I have no idea if it will work for you or what exactly you are doing but firstly I moved him into a higher trafficked area instead of the silent room he was in to get him used to noise and movement and to handle I wear oldish clothes say a t-shirt and a loose fleece or cardi or dressing gown over it and pop the hedgie into the crook of my arm on top of the t-shirt and under the top layer (initially with a bit of fleece from their cage) and just sit quietly in front of the TV and I learnt to do everything one handed lol as my hedgie would be cradled in the crook of my arm (he used to huff like mad at first when I moved - he doesnt flinch now as long as he is well supported) I would do this for hours - when my hedgie eventually felt comfortable to come out and explore he would get a little dish of mealies on my knee or by the side of me where ever was easiest - I would easily sit with him for about 2 hours often more each night before he would move and I would talk to him very quietly and leave him go about what he wanted to do and then put him back - the next night would be repeated and I would wear the same clothes so both our smells were on the fabric - in time your hedgie should feel more relaxed and comfortable and come out a lot quicker and easier and then after about 3 months and we had a little routine going I started to hand feed him (I didnt do this before as he always used to bit me and now the worm) and start touching his sides and feet and his nose if I could or just hold my hand in front of him - again being very quiet and talking to him then when I was putting him back sitting by his cage for a while in dim light (he never used to come out before or let you watch him wheel or anything if you were in the room) then you just keep building on it and keep going - I started putting him into a pen then as before he would just sit in a ball and not move no matter how long I left him and he started to cautiously move around and explore and he gained confidence - keep your movements slow and fluid around him and using the hand fed treats and he should gain confidence - now my hedgie doesnt huff when you pick him up out of his home (this I never thought would happen) or out of his wheel, he will let you watch him wheel and eat and you can hand feed him, he hasnt bitten in months and actually if you go up to his cage and stick your face in he will come running up to you and he was even extra good in the vets last month and let me cut his nails without having to bath him as he used to go absolutely mad before about this - I hope my experience helps you in some way but it really is time and patience and them being able to learn you arent going to hurt them and your actually a nice thing to interact with - my boy still likes dim rooms and being under things like a fleece rather than out in the open to chill out but handling wise he is fab


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## Hedgehog madness x (May 15, 2009)

*Ok pick him up and wait for him to un roll then have a meal worm in you hand and let him take it of you not you shuving it in his mouth lol if that doesnt work after time then buy a play pen and put him/her in there with you and sit there and if he goes up to you give him some meal worms. if she/he doesnt come up to you go up to him and try to stroke him if he goes into a ball wait intill he comes out and then give him a treat always reward him when he does thing you like and he should soon find out that he should be doing it more often if it involves treats 
hope i helped xx give it a go*


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