weirdest hedgie ever

[AltoClariTone]

so, ruby's gotten really big. i'll try to post some pictures when i get my computer back (i'm in a lab right now).

she is difficult. she is not interested in ANY treats. not mealies, not fruit, not store-bought treats. which makes things difficult, because i can't coax her into liking me if i don't have positive reinforcement. i have tried just giving her plain food whenever i take her out to play, but she just sniffs it and ignores it.

she doesn't ever want to play with anything. not TP tubes, not balls with bells in them, nothing. when i take her out of her cage, all she does is sleep. or chew on new fabric she comes into contact with, so she can anoint herself. the temperature in the house is fine, so i still don't understand why she sleeps so much. it can't be normal for them to not play! when i hear her up at night, i put her down in a dim room with her playpen and things to play with, and all she does is hide under a blanket.

she is terrified of my hands. if i wrap them up in something, she doesn't seem threatened, but if she sees them, she flips out.

i tried to bathe her and she freaked out. i thought she was going to have a heart attack.

does anyone have any ideas on how to make this baby happy? does she like ANYTHING?

[AltoClariTone]

one other thing........ how am i supposed to trim her nails if she won't let me touch her feet?

[HedgieSpirit]

If her nails aren't in desperate need of trimming you could probably hold off on that until she trusts you a bit more.

Playing with things:
Chloe doesn't really play with things like a cat or dog might. She doesn't play with a tp tube either. Your hedgie isn't wierd b/c she doesn't play with things, you just need to find other sources of entertainment. Chloe loves to dig and burrow in brown paper lunch bags. Running is also one of her favorite pass times. In her playpen, I set up lots of boxes with holes in the sides and put everything a few inches away from the walls of the pen. She loves to run around in the small space b/c it makes her feel like she is running in a tunnel. She will also climb all over me when I lay in the playpen with her. I always have the lights off when I play with her in the playpen and the tv is usually on (she is very used to it now). So, rather than trying to get her to play with toys, let her explore your house a bit (in safe supervised areas of course) Chloe loves to run around and sniff new things.

Treats:
I tried introducing Chloe to meal worms when she was little. She turned her nose up at them. I tried crickets when she was about 4-5 months old and she LOVES them. I think I may try meal worms again soon. It is common for babies to not be intersted in bugs, maybe try again when she is a little older. Until then, have you tried kitten food? It is much higher in fat than regular cat food and has been a big hit when it comes to treat time.

Baths:
It is very common for hedgies to freak out during bath time. I have no suggestions other than only bathing when absolutly necessary because most hedgies don't really like it.

Getting her to not be afraid of you and your hands:
Put a worn shirt into her cage to get her used to your scent.
During snuggle time I let Chloe fall asleep in her hedgiebag in my lap and then I take her out and hold her in my hands and she will wake up a little then just keep sleeping in my hands. Spending time together and sharing calm moments will help you to bond.

Good Luck! Let us know if you need anymore help!

[lyndaj]

You don't mention how old your hedgy is or how long you have owned them.

The biggest thing with these guys is patience and just keep trying different things. Eventually they come around.

In terms of just bonding, my hedgys have always enjoyed time lying on mommy's tummie. Samhain actually falls asleep there.

[SherAlana]

My hedgie was very active, loved climbing a baby pin I had, he would climb up the comforter to the sheets and onto the bed, he would run for hours at top speeds in a circle without quitting, he loved to run over my lined up shoes like an obstacle course, and burrow down in my army boots, running up your jean legs was another favorite along with running on the wheel in in his ferret sized ball. When he turned 3 It started to slow, he only ran helter skelter across the room, if you put him hin the ball he would sleep, he ran on the wheel for shorter times, he slept ALOT. But he was still happy, I introduced him to different smells and food to stimulate him.
As far as bath time he hated them, he would poop green poo and try to climb up the sides of the sink, but I would always wrap him in a warm towel and had his favorite treats waiting in his cage. So after awhile he would still protest, but less because he knew he was getting graps and extra mealies afterwards.
Same with the toe nails, as a baby he would ball up and I could not get to his feet, so I had to put bits of food in front of him to get him to uncurl and slowly grab a foot. It use to take me 2 hrs. when I first started, (no lie) I would have to take breaks in between toes. By the time he was 2 or 3 he would not care at all when I went to clip nails because we had established a system. Nails, bath, treats.
Establishing set routine makes a HUGE difference. I bath once a month, and nails every 2-3 weeks as needed. We feed at the same time each day, and play time is at the same time. We clean cages throughly every Friday, and the wheel every other day. They will get use to your routine.

[Ododad]

Well, you've only had her about a month. And in the photo I saw 4 weeks ago when you first got her she dosen't look very old. Now keep in mind that every hedgie is different from every other hedgie so some of the advice given here may or may not work with your hog.
She's not trying to be difficult, she is just being herself. It may take her more than 1 month to get used to things there. It took Odo three months before she would explore during freedom time and now, 1.5 yrs later sometimes she still only crawls into a box and sleeps. You can't coax Ruby into liking you. It's more a matter of trusting you and most hedgies don't trust easily. Although treats can help during the bonding time (and that can take months with some hedgies) they are not absolutlely necessary. A lot of love and quiet cuddle time is though. Another thing about treats. Sometimes hedgies will love one time what they turned up their noses at last time and some hedgies will never like any kinds of treats. It took Marco 3 months to decide that he liked treats and he dosen't always like the same treats. Keep holding her, loving her and talking softly to her (very important). Try to discover what it is that Ruby likes to do and change yourself to fit into her wants and needs. Always offer the treats in case she changes her mind and decides that she want's one. You never know from day to day what she might decide to like. During her freedom time, close off an area somewhere in your house that will be for her only. Place her food, water, some small cardboard boxes (that she can get under and hide) a tp tube and a small towel (no loose threads) to start off with in her area. Then, dim the lights, turn down the sound on the tv, radio or whatever and just leave her alone. If she wants to hide under something, then let her. Don't pick her back up for at least one hour. Let her have that time all to herself. In time, her natural curiousity will make her start exploring. The larger the area you can make safe for her the better. It may take a day, week, month or even longer but somewhere down the line unless she is sick or hurt she will start exploring. When she does, then you can gradually add more toys. You can walk through her play area if you want (it will get her used the sound of you feet walking by her) but don't pick her up. It took Odo months of this for her to start exploring, Marco still only hides and Frodo started exploring right away. Now, Ruby probably won't explore everynight (try to get her up for freedom time late in the evening or after she wakes up at night and has had a chance to eat, drink and poop) but you should always give her the chance. Odo, Marco get at least on hour every night for freedom time and it is theirs to do with what they wish. I don't bother them during this time. Frodo gets hours of freedom time because he stays active for as long as I will leave him out. Different hogs, different likes and dislikes. After her freedom time should come cuddle time. Now it's time to offer treats, let her explore your lap or just hold her. Whatever she wants. Take your time. Your going to have her for a long time so just let her develop and grow into trusting you at her own pace.
Give this a try and let me know through pm if it helps.
Billy

[krissypoo]

I know how you feel when it comes to this topic. My hedgie is about 5-6 months old now and he HATES me !!! I have tried ANYTHING and EVERYTHING and no luck. I have no clue on what to do?? :confused:

[shirleytx]

Keep on trying they really are the cutest things even if they are grumpy.

[Vampira_666]

It takes pleany of time and ALOT of patience to get them to come around and start to like you, hnadle them as often as you can, it worked for my lil' albino girl Keyaira, now she is alot friendlier, she loves her bath and she will even unball for me when i pick her up and she now kisses my nose just like Marigold :) it's great...just keep trying I'm sure they will get better with time and patience :D

GOOD LUCK..keep it up don't get discouraged:)

[MissAmandasZoo]

Yep, patience. I got Oreo 4months ago and he still hisses a little. Did you get 'em as a baby or was he and adult. He may have been ignored or abused previously. Just try your best to socialize him! Good luck