# Scared out of his mind!



## Niffler (Apr 2, 2011)

So I got my new hedgie about a week and a half ago. I absolutely love him to pieces but there's been a few things bothering me since he's been home. 
I know it's still going to take some time for Sancho to get used to me, and to get used to getting picked up, and considering he's still young it's going to take a bit more time, but he has a few issues I would hope to see resolved.
First off, almost every time I pick him up bare handed without any towel or shavings between me and him, I freaks out and poops on me constantly. Not just once, but several times. ( to the point where I'm shocked he even has so much :lol: ) and I'm wondering if it's because the has a weak bladder or he just doesn't like me or any other reason, and I'm wondering if there's any way to stop it, or prevent it from happening, as it's a little annoying to get covered in poop each time I try to play with him.
And second, he has a bit of a biting problem that worries me a bit, ( especially since he's young). At first he would just lick and try to nibble at my fingers, and it's gotten progressively worse. He hasn't drawn blood from me yet but I am afraid that he gets more aggressive. I wasn't really expecting this either, considering that the breeder had told me that he's never bitten her.either she lied, or Sancho just doesn't like me.  I've read here that blowing on his face would deter him, but I've also read on here that it'll only get him madder. 
Sancho is my first hedgehog, and I really want him to like me and for him to be happy in my home without too many issues. Any advice would be just amazing. Thanks for taking the time to read.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Welcome to HHC!
Don't get discouraged! They do tend to poop alot. I usually have a towel/blanket in my lap at all times, just in case. 
With the biting, I haven't had that issue yet. 
Just continue to be patient, loving, gentle. Keep things you don't want bitten away from his face - :lol:


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## pearlthehedgie (Feb 15, 2011)

I'm a newbie too so certainly no expert, but our little girl was biting for a while. We figured out it was sometimes because she smelled food on our hands (she especially liked to bite us the night we had Chinese!). So now we wash our hands before we handle her and she seems to recognize that smell as just being "us". We were also hand feeding her--thought it would be good to bond with her--but that's a no-no because they associate your fingers with chomping. They don't see very well so will bite thinking there is food there I guess. So now if we want to do the bonding thing with food, we put it in a dish on our lap. 

As for the poop, I think they just poop a LOT. Pearl goes a few times right in a row maybe 30-45 min after she wakes up and then poops up her wheel during the night. I guess they aren't quite so poopy as they get to be adults. How old is yours? Pear is 13 weeks.

Be patient and persistent. He'll get to know you by your smell and your voice so handle him every evening (or whenever you do it) and I bet he'll come around.  (Maybe just use a piece of fleece for now to pick him up so he poops on the fabric and not you!!!) :lol:


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## mcwojo (Dec 29, 2010)

My Hazel is 5 months old today. She used to poop A LOT when she was younger. :lol: It does get better. I do have a fleece blanket with me all the time if I have her out. Hazel only nipped me once and that was right after I gave her some mealies and I think my fingers smelled like them. She is just getting used to me and more comfortable so it can take some time. How old is your little one? Babies poop a lot and often. I have also noticed that when she gets her mealies she tend to poop more. :roll: You might want to have yours out walking around for a bit and he might poop then and then you can hold/cuddle with him.
Hope that helps. I'm a newbie too but definately have learned a lot on this forum and with experience. Crazy how much you learn as you go.


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## KathyTNY (Jan 21, 2011)

My Tiggy girl is 2 years old and she only poops in her bath water or on her wheel..... so I think I can say that it gets better as they get older! Her and I lay on the sofa and watch tv together for about 3 hours and she has never messed on me. (ok, so I watch tv and she sleeps...... I like to pretend she is watching the tv too - humor me will ya! :lol: 

Biting is a problem I have not had, but again, Tiggy is a 2 years old retire breeder and very cool, calm and collected........ babies and teens are so different..... (ain't that the truth?).

KathyTNY


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## Judi (Jul 9, 2009)

He's not pooping because he's scared. He's pooping because he just woke up and needs to poop.  

The biting doesn't sound like a major issue at this point. He may just like the way you taste. Are you washing your hands before you pick him up? Maybe he likes your soap or lotion, or if you just cooked dinner, maybe you smell like food to him.

I've noticed three kinds of biting...tasting biting, scared biting, and aggressive biting. Tasting biting is preceeded by licking, usually. If he starts licking, move him or move your fingers. Scared biting is when you're doing something they don't like or there's a loud noise, and they take a nip, but then they let go. Aggressive biting is when they bite every time you get close enough, the bites draw blood and they don't let go. I had one who did that her entire life. If I didn't move fast enough, I got bitten. But that doesn't sound at all like what you're dealing with. In your case, it sounds like a nervous hedgie and nervous new owner. You'll both settle down eventually.


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## Niffler (Apr 2, 2011)

Thanks so much for all the feedback and support!

The breeder told me he was born somewhere around the end of februrary, so that would make him about 8 weeks old? 

I've read a lot about them thinking my fingers are food so I always make sure that my hands are clean with generic bathroom soap (nothing really scented) and I've been trying to use chopsticks to give him some treats, so he associates the chopsticks with yummies and not my fingers, ( though I haven't quite found a treat he likes a lot yet,),

My only complaint about to poop so far is that if I try to handle him directly, he'll freak out, huff a bunch and use me as his litter box. :lol: hopefully Like Kathy said, he'll learn to control his bladder


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## pearlthehedgie (Feb 15, 2011)

Isn't it amazing the quantity of urine a little hedige can hold in its bladder until he lets it gush out on you? :evil:


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## Niffler (Apr 2, 2011)

Actually, I haven't had that yet.( luckily.) and I'm sure its cause hesk scared because he'll spend a good amount of time on my lap and is not until I pick him up to put him away that he poops on me.


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