# Need Help With My First Hedgehog



## lucy1020 (Dec 4, 2013)

Ok I am a new hedgehog owner.

She is a female about one year old.

I picked her up from someone that was moving and could not take her.

The problem I am having is every time I approach her she will pause and then kind of jump. It really scares me as it always catches me off guard.

She also will kind of puff up.

I know she is getting use to her new environment and me, and I know it is important to bond with her, but this is really scaring me and I so not want to mess this up.

Oh you can view her picks here http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/members/35601-lucy1020-albums-sassy.html

Can some more experience owners give me as much advice on how to bond with a Hedgehog that comes from a previous owner.

Thank you all


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Don't expect too much too soon. She just came to a new house, full of new smells and sounds, and there's a new human who's trying to handle her. She's probably a bit nervous and grumpy right now from all of the new things. It may take her anywhere from a few days to a few months to settle in with you. Do you know how much the old owner handled her? If she wasn't handled often, she may take even longer to get used to being held regularly.

Take her out each night - you'll have to get used to her hissing and popping. If you're unsure about picking her up with bare hands, use a blanket or a t-shirt to help protect your hands a little. The best thing to do is just do it - if you hesitate, you're telling her that you're nervous, which tells her maybe there's a reason for her to be nervous. Alternatively, it shows her you're afraid of her & if she wants to be left alone, she just has to pop and voila! Human goes away. Don't really want either of those! Try to hold her for at least half an hour each night - more if you can manage it. That time can be spent letting her explore around you in a hedgie-safe room, or letting her sleep in a blanket in your lap. All of it counts as bonding time and with time, she'll get used to you.

Also, since you're a new owner, I'd highly recommend you check out this free book you can download - http://www.westcoasthedgehogs.com/files/hedgehogbook/download.html It has a ton of up-to-date information and it's great, especially for new owners.  Welcome to the forum!


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## lucy1020 (Dec 4, 2013)

Lilysmommy said:


> Don't expect too much too soon. She just came to a new house, full of new smells and sounds, and there's a new human who's trying to handle her. She's probably a bit nervous and grumpy right now from all of the new things. It may take her anywhere from a few days to a few months to settle in with you. Do you know how much the old owner handled her? If she wasn't handled often, she may take even longer to get used to being held regularly.
> 
> Take her out each night - you'll have to get used to her hissing and popping. If you're unsure about picking her up with bare hands, use a blanket or a t-shirt to help protect your hands a little. The best thing to do is just do it - if you hesitate, you're telling her that you're nervous, which tells her maybe there's a reason for her to be nervous. Alternatively, it shows her you're afraid of her & if she wants to be left alone, she just has to pop and voila! Human goes away. Don't really want either of those! Try to hold her for at least half an hour each night - more if you can manage it. That time can be spent letting her explore around you in a hedgie-safe room, or letting her sleep in a blanket in your lap. All of it counts as bonding time and with time, she'll get used to you.
> 
> Also, since you're a new owner, I'd highly recommend you check out this free book you can download - http://www.westcoasthedgehogs.com/files/hedgehogbook/download.html It has a ton of up-to-date information and it's great, especially for new owners.  Welcome to the forum!


Thank you so much. It really helps me out. I was starting to doubt my decision to own one.

Also I was wondering what would you say is the recommended amount of food to feed to him. I am not quite sure and definitely do not want to overdue it with him


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Mostly we free-feed hedgehogs. Try leaving out food, and if he eats all of it, the next night leave out a bit more. The objective is to figure out how much to leave out so you only have a little bit left over (wasted) in the morning. If he ends up gaining weight, it's popular to switch onto lower-fat foods instead of restricting intake.

My little guy eats just over 1 Tbs per night; I've heard of others eating up to 1/4 c.


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## Tongue_Flicker (Jun 11, 2013)

There are some hedgies that eat little by little throughout the whole course of the day/evening and some that could be fed easily with a nightly or early morning routine. 

I have a sleep-eating female that instinctively walks towards the food bowl with eyes closed (sometimes slightly open wih a daze) and eats 2 or 3 pieces of kibble then goes back to sleep. Happens twice during daytime.


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## mdelu (Aug 14, 2013)

when we got our hedgie the breeder recommended a well worn old T with our smell be put in the fav sleeping area...we cut up pieces of it and replaced it every few weeks...I think thissounds normal too..be patient and consistent on how u great her and get her out of the cage...she is very pretty by the way!!


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