# Could anyone offer advice or tips?



## lizaaaCAKES_ (Apr 11, 2013)

I just recently got my first hedgehog from a friend who could no longer keep him due tonhousing issues. He was a rescue from a frat house who wasnt very nice to him. Theyd roll him down the hallways and blast loud music and party all the time, so he grew to not trust humans very much. Every time i hold hom he stays curled up in a little ball and will hiss and click the entire time i have him out. If theres any tips, tricks or advice anyone cohld offer to help hom get morw comfortable and where i could earn hos trust, it would be greatly appreciated!


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Oh God! :shock: That poor baby!! Since this is an all-ages forum, I can't really list all of the terrible things I wish upon those pieces of &@$%. There's a special circle of **** for people who abuse animals.

I think the most you can do is to be very, very patient and gentle with him. When you take him out, put him in a snuggle bag and rest him on your lap. The bag will help make him feel a little more secure. Based on how he used to be treated, I wouldn't be surprised if it took months for him to feel safe again.


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## lizaaaCAKES_ (Apr 11, 2013)

I was so upset when I found out. I spoil him rotten now. Im being very patient with him, knowing what hes been through. I have a big soft blanket a wrap him up in on my lap and give him watermelons a lot. I just put him back in his xage because he seems a little grumpier than normal today, he bit my fingers and wouldnt let go for the life of me.


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Poor thing, he must be so shaken up.  I'm glad you were there to save him. Do you have experience with hedgies, or is this your first one?

Other than being traumatized, does the rest of him seem to be healthy? If he lets you, please give him hugs for me.


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## sklock65 (Jan 9, 2013)

I hate reading stories like that...some people just make me sick! At least this story has a happy ending and it sounds like the little guy is already spoiled, he just might not know it yet. Unfortunately time and patience is about all you can do at this point and hopefully he will start to maybe poke his head out and learn to trust. Let him explore on his own time. Poor little guy- sending positive thoughts your way!


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## lizaaaCAKES_ (Apr 11, 2013)

I just found out my HE is actually a SHE. 

But yes, this is my first hedgie and Im not very expirienced. I knew when I got her she needed patience and time, I just hope she opens up eventually to me.


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## CinnasParents (Mar 7, 2013)

The girl who had Shadow before me treated his mom and her babies poorly. She would kick the cage if they were crying or if mom hissed. It sickened me seeing it, so I took my boyfriend and I took him in. He quickly stole our heart. He's warmed up a lot now and is quite different.

It takes time. Just try to hold her and let her adapt to you. It's obviously a different environment and she needs time to learn how she should be treated.
You know it takes time and you have the patience for it, so that's the first step  I'm glad she has someone like you to take care of her now. 
Do you have something in her cage that smells like you so she learns your smell?


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## lizaaaCAKES_ (Apr 11, 2013)

I have and old pajama shirt I put in there along with her towel from my friemds I got her from.


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## momIImany (Oct 14, 2012)

Every time I hear about these abuse cases, I want to round up those people and give them the electric chair. Consider it time served. The only thing you can do is hold the baby and whisper to it. She will get your scent and will eventually calm down around you. Trust is slow to follow. It breaks my heart to hear or see about a traumatized animal. It makes no sense.


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## lizaaaCAKES_ (Apr 11, 2013)

Ive never understood how someone can be so careless and heartless towards something that cant even foght back. Im slowly gaining trust. And i cut up some strawberries to put in her food bowl for a treat tonoght, along with a toilet paper roll and a small plush animal. Hopefully she enjoys it!


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## newfie_nurse (Apr 28, 2011)

Added to those listed above , the smell of treats and meal worms sometimes gets them curious or hungry enough to explore. I still have issues with my hedgie and shes almost 2. I have her in an old shirt laying next to me on the bed and in time let her unball and just explore there while I am laying down too.


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Well it sounds like she's in loving hands now.  Since she's your first, definitely take a look at LizardGirl's hedgehog guide: http://www.westcoasthedgehogs.com/files ... index.html. It's pretty much everything you need to know. 

And once she settles in, sharing pictures is always encourages.


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## shmurciakova (Sep 7, 2008)

I am so sorry about her experiences in the past. :| What is her name? How old do you think she is?
You could maybe put on some soft music for her. There is also something I read about in the Hedgehog Welfare Society newsletter a while ago. There is something called Bachs Rescue Remedy that you can get from health food stores. You can put a drop or two of that in her water. I used it when my first hedgie had surgery - you might also try some other aromatherapy, like lavender near her cage, in a little sachet or something. 
I am very glad she ended up with you. I hope that you enjoy having her. It might take quite a while for her to learn to trust you. As for the biting, that might have just been if your fingers still smelled like watermelon or something.
Another thing you might do to soothe her would be to just take her outside and hold her, and let her hear the sounds of birds singing, or some other peaceful sounds.


P.S. Is the old towel you referred to made of terry cloth? If so you might want to remove it because they can get their nails or toes caught in the small loops which can cause all sorts of problems if you do not discover it right away...


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## Kam (Nov 7, 2012)

Time and patience! And maybe some yummy mealwoms.

Abused animals need time, I used to rehabilitate parrots and it is always heatbreaking what people can do to another living being.

Time with you, even if she is balled up will help her to realize not all people are the same. Knowing your smell and being able to associate with safe is important. I would recommend that you keep her in a quiet place and spend your socializing time with her in a quiet setting as she may associate noise with bad times coming.

Patience is hard but makes the positive outcome just that much more rewarding. I hate to say this but one trick I have learned that really helps with fear aggressive animals is to let them be aggressive but do not react to it. If she bites do not jerk away, gloves may be used, if possible do not put her in her cage till she unballs for you.
talk to her in a light tone, it does not matter what you say as much as the tone you use, think scared baby.

Treats like mealwoms may help, give only a few and try not to hand feed, a few in a snuggle sack while socializing is great.
good luck, It's wonderful that you got her out of her situation.


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## lizaaaCAKES_ (Apr 11, 2013)

We arent sure how old she is. Probably 2 or 3 Im gonna assume though. Ive gotta make it to a pet store and buy some meal worms to try out. She loves watermelon, thats about the only fruit I can get her to eat right now. Ive tried cantloupe amd strawberriez but she wont touch them. Im waiting for warm weather and Im going to take her outside to play for a bit but we just got more snow laat night.  Thank you for all the encouragement and advice! I have her out on my lap right now alowing her to uncurl when shes comfortable.


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## AngelaH (Jul 24, 2012)

I'm so glad to hear this little one found her way to you, she is such a lucky little girl to finally learn what love and caring feels like! It breaks my heart thinking of how she was treated. I agree with everyone else: read the book by Lizardgirl that was posted; browse on this forum for food ideas, heating/light requirements, etc; and lots of time and patience. Be sure you get her a wheel! 
Also, be careful taking her outside, you'll be surprised at how FAST they are if you let her down and she decides to make a run for it, someone lost theirs outside a few months back. Very traumatic. 
She might not ever fully warm up due to the trauma and abuse she faced, but she is extra special and extra deserving of the very best because of it. Thank you so much for taking her in!


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## lizaaaCAKES_ (Apr 11, 2013)

Im going Monday to buy her a wheel! I cant wait. I really hope she likes it. Shes gone so long without one I dont know if she'll use it. Im planning on taking the towel out of her cage so she has morw of my acent that her past owners, too. How do they do with excercise balls? I want to buy her onw but I dont knownif shed use it.


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## AngelaH (Jul 24, 2012)

People on here have mixed thoughts about the exercise balls... I've seen people say their hedgie loves it and runs all over in it. My Thistle hates it... when I try to put her in she fights me and then when she's inside she just balls up and lays there until I 'rescue' her out of it.


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