heart attack

[Diskid]

Every time I picke meeko up she is scared (however I have only picked her up 3 times).
But when I put her back in her cage she goes crazy, like she starts running everywhere and gets very exited.
Is this normal.
oh and by the way no sign of pregnancy yet.

[mrgew]

Are you scared to pick her up, do you flinch away? one thing you can try is putting your hand next to her, and letting her sniff you so she knows who it is that is picking her up. Since you have only had her a couple days she still doesnt know you nor completly trust you, so go slow and dont be scared.

[teela1342]

Pick Meeko up more! Follow the tips we have given you and just keep at it. You have to handle her EVERY DAY, even if it is only for a few minutes at a time. It is going to take time for her to get used to you. Think months, not days. This is not a quick thing.

The running sounds okay. They are little guys so their hearts beat faster. Does she have a wheel in her cage to run in?

Really, please go see an experienced hedgehog vet. It would put your mind at ease. You seem very interested in Meeko's care, but it doesn't seem like you did much research about hedgehogs before you got her. It would be easier for you to talk face to face with a vet about all aspects of hedgehog care. A vet could even answer questions that you haven't thought to ask. He could give you information to take home. Then if you needed someone to fill in some blanks or give more specific information, the people on this site could help you better.

Good luck with Meeko.

[Tab&Chauncy]

As a new hedgie owner, my vet gave me a lot of information. She printed out a take-home sheet that was more in-depth than the book that I bought. She also showed me several different tricks to trimming toenails, general care, and we discussed bedding and litter. I cannot stress to you how important that vet was to Chauncy's health. It was well worth the drive.

[Ginger]

I agree with teela1342 ! Pick up Meeko more !

The first days when I got Kiwi, I was traumatized (the word is well chosen) to pick Kiwi up ! She intimidated me !

You have to show Meeko that YOU are the boss ! : ) Otherwise, she will learn that she just have to hiss and huff to stay alone.

If you want a friendly hedgie, pick her up at least 10-15 minutes a night !

Courage ! You go girl ! :)

[Ododad]

Yes, that's very normal. Balling up and huffing is the only defence she has. Some get over this quickly, and then some never do. Every hedgie is as different as every human is and I think that their personilities is part of what makes them so amazing. That she is able to ball up and defend herself is one sign of good health. That she unballs and runs around when you put her back down is a good sign that she will have a good temperment. A really grouchy hedgie will stayed balled after you put her down. The more you work with her, the quicker she will learn to trust you. You have to earn a hedgies trust and they don't give it lightly. It takes a lot of time, commitment and love. The way they learn about the world is through their advanced sense of smell and highly attuned sense of hearing. Handling her every day will get her used to your scent and talking softly to her every chance you get will cause her to learn that your voice means that all is right in the world. Talking is very important. Talk to her softly, she can hear very, very well and loud sounds mean danger to her. It may take quite a while so be willing to spend the time. You are getting a lot of very good advice from here, take advantage of it!

[jules_77]

to get Briar used to me i would take him and let him lay on my stomach and read to him out loud this got hm used to my voice, now he calms down when i talk you might want to try this!

[Ododad]

to get Briar used to me i would take him and let him lay on my stomach and read to him out loud this got hm used to my voice, now he calms down when i talk you might want to try this!
I can remember when you first got little Briar. About the first week of Nov. if I remember correctly. You were trying to find a name for him. The story of yourself and Briar is an excellent example of what love, understanding and caring can do for a hedgie. You have commited yourself to Briar from the beginning and now look at what a beautiful and sweet little hedgie you have!

Diskid, the love story between Jules_77 and Briar is just one of the many success stories on this board. I urge you to search back through some of the past threads and read of some of the others. The stories of Tampaquillowner, Roxiefaye, Teela, Love4Hedgies, PrettyHate and the many, many others here are heartwarming to say the least. There are happy stories, sad stories, funny stories and most of all, the most awesome collection of photo's here on this board. Take the time, look back at past threads and I bet you will laugh and cry as I have.

[Pippin'sMom]

I can remember when you first got little Briar. About the first week of Nov. if I remember correctly. You were trying to find a name for him. The story of yourself and Briar is an excellent example of what love, understanding and caring can do for a hedgie. You have commited yourself to Briar from the beginning and now look at what a beautiful and sweet little hedgie you have!

Diskid, the love story between Jules_77 and Briar is just one of the many success stories on this board. I urge you to search back through some of the past threads and read of some of the others. The stories of Tampaquillowner, Roxiefaye, Teela, Love4Hedgies, PrettyHate and the many, many others here are heartwarming to say the least. There are happy stories, sad stories, funny stories and most of all, the most awesome collection of photo's here on this board. Take the time, look back at past threads and I bet you will laugh and cry as I have.
Exactly my thoughts. Even though I don't post as much as the others here, I've watched everyone's progress with their hedgies and read their stories and it's made me realize how wonderful these little creatures truly are. Once you take the time to get to know your hedgie, you develop a special kind of bond with them and all of the work finally means something. You just have to keep at it and work slowly.

[jules_77]

thanks everybody :blush: reading your posts made me feel so happy i glad that Briar and i have a great relationship, my mum even says we act the same in the morning(we are not morning people) :rolleyes: i agree going back throught and reading stories about what people do is a great way to learn what to do with yours!