# Please help! Biting and quilling.



## NSO209 (Feb 25, 2018)

My little girl is 8 weeks this week. I've had my hedgie for one week, I was following all advice from experienced owners and bonding was going great. She has been a very happy girl and then bam I woke up yesterday moring and she is now hissing, running from me, and trying to bite when I hold her. I told the breeder and she told me that if I get bit, to try not to acknowledge it to reinforce the behavior and to continue holding her. I don't see many other people experiencing biting but I'm scared of her teeth! She hasn't gotten me yet, what should I do? Has anyone else experienced a bite?


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## Lexi__yost123 (Feb 25, 2018)

I’ve never really experienced biting but I honestly don’t think it’s anything to worry about. I think that she is just really pissy right now because she’s quilling and from what I could imagine that’s a really painful process. I’m on my second hedgehog right now and he’s about 10 weeks, and he’s going through it right now. So I just have to be patient and understanding and I think you should too.


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## wendythehedgehog (Oct 22, 2017)

I've experienced numerous bites. My hedgie is a little biter. She bites her snuggle sack and anyone who holds her. 

It's quite painful in my opinion... But mainly because she holds on for a good few seconds. However, I adopted her when she was a little over a year old. I've never experienced quilling.


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## Yukidama's mama (Apr 4, 2017)

Our boy bit my boyfriend on the first day when we got him home, it was a clamp down one and he wouldn't let go for a few seconds, we took it as a sign of stress and left him be for the rest of the day. I've only been bitten twice, once I think I forgot to wash my hands and he went for me but I didn't react and he let go pretty quickly. The other time was feeding an insect using my fingers as I was clipping his nails and trying to distract him and he grabbed too much! That one hurt but it was just an accident and he's never done it again. 

As your breeder advised just try not to react to it if it does happen and continue holding her daily. Make sure your hands are clean and free of smells. Normally they will sniff before they bite so take that as a warning sign and just move your hands/fingers away! If she goes for you when you are trying to pick her up, using a small blacket to pick her up in or scoop bedding around her as you do it helps, also good for when they pop and spike up. 
Also you could put a Tshirt that you've worn to bed or something with your scent on, in her bed area so she gets used to your scent


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## NSO209 (Feb 25, 2018)

*update on the biting.*

Thanks for all of the input, helps a lot. So I thought she was trying to really hurt me because she's so grumpy about the quilling but it got better and I developed a strategy to pick her up. Turns out she was mostly hissing at me. We've been doing well, yesterday I gave her her first bath with coconut oil because I wanted to help her skin out a little with the quilling. She was not at all happy with me and balled up super tight, but then at night before bed I was able to handle her a bit. Today I was taking time holding her and talking to her and she kept going for my finger tips. She actually did end up biting down for a few seconds. It wasn't super hard or anything but it did leave a little mark for a couple minutes. I can't understand the behavior. Could it be the coconut smell on her? Should I take it as her being annoyed with me?


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## Pennythepog (Mar 19, 2018)

My hedgie is working on bonding. I’ve only had her almost a week. She’s bitten me a few times. It doesn’t really hurt but they will hold on for a few seconds. Just don’t let it scare you away or they will bite you more often because they will learn it will get rid of you. I know that makes it sound like hedgies hate us and don’t want us being near them however once they are socialized and used to you they will enjoy being with you more.


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## mikaelajo1 (Mar 24, 2018)

So your hedgehog is a biter, now what?
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...m/forums/showthread.php?t=100362&share_type=t

Here is a good Link to read for biting 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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