New Hedige owner

[Sonic5986]

Hi, we recently bought a new hedgehog and we were wondering how we get him to open up to us. We have had him for a month now and he still balls up every time we pick him up. It is taking him less time to uncurl and look around, but is there a way to get him to be more comfortable around us? What can we do to make him friendlier?

We bought him from a pet store in our home town and I know he was handled by a lot of people. He was the only one left out of three. We just want him to be happier. Thanks for letting us join I look forward to hear from you all.

[luinecu]

My uncurling tip is to hold him gently with both hands, then rock him slowly backwards and forwards; mine soon uncurled to see what was going on *grin*

You could try the old 'use a jumper as bedding' trick, if you haven't already. Just put something that smells of you in his cage for a few weeks, so he can start to associate your scent with something un-threatening.

Good luck and welcome!

[PrettyHate]

Congrats on your new hedgie- and welcome to CnQ :)

Here are some ideas to help you and your hedgie bond:

-Like Luinecu suggested, you can put something like an old t-shirt, sock etc (as long as it has no loose threads) in the cage with your hedgie. Do this after you have worn the item for a while so that it has you scent on it. This way your hedgie will get used to your scent and associate it with being safe.

-Hold your hedgie gently (sometimes people like to kinna wrap them up in a blanket of sorts- once again, no loose threads) and talk to them quietly. Time and patience are key when it comes to taming a hedgie. Perhaps dim the lights some, to make them feel a little more secure. Stroke them lightly, sing to them. Do whatever you think will help calm them down and make them comfortable.

Make sure that you handle your new hedgie every day- sometimes more than once. I found that while I was on the computer was a perfect time to have them sleeping on my lap while i patted and talked to them. Same goes for watching tv.

Dont get discouraged if he doesnt start to come around right aways. For two of my hedgies it took me months of daily handling and cuddling sessions before I started to make any progress. Also keep in mind some hedgies never get to the point where they are completely friendly- some are just grumpy, huffy things that we learn to love anyways :)

Best of luck!

[hemi_mygirl]

I found that the more I held Hemi (my girl), the quicker she opened up. Although, she never really did curl into a full ball since the day I got her. Some hedgies are just naturally uncomfortable around people. But it is a good sign that your little guy is uncurling quicker to look around. That means he's slowly getting comfortable with you.

The tshirt idea is a good one, and when you give him treats, you could try hand feeding them. That really helped Hemi to trust me, I think. She learned to associate me with good things, so she was more willing to trust me. Now, I can't get her to curl into a ball, and even when she hisses at me on occasion, her quills stay down. The only time her quills are up is when she's sleeping.

But good luck with your new baby...pictures are a must. :)

[Sonic5986]

Thanks! He is starting to be a little better with the holding thing. He did take food from my hand last night. And we put him in the bath tub with a little bit of water. He loved it! He just splashed and circled the puddle. When we tried to pick him up and dry him off, he jumped out Curt's hand to get back in the water. Is that a normal hedgie act?

[Pringlesmom]

Welcome! That is so cute how he jumped back into the water. Pringle wanted nothing to do with the water!!

[paris26]

Thanks! He is starting to be a little better with the holding thing. He did take food from my hand last night. And we put him in the bath tub with a little bit of water. He loved it! He just splashed and circled the puddle. When we tried to pick him up and dry him off, he jumped out Curt's hand to get back in the water. Is that a normal hedgie act?

That's awesome that he likes water! It will make bath time less traumatic on all of you. Of my 7 hedgies, only Oliver truly likes bath time. He splashes, plays and then shakes off like a dog :)

[hemi_mygirl]

I wish Hemi liked water as much as that. LOL. She tolerates it long enough to have her nails clipped and that's about it.

[hijo]

this is a bit off topic, but can hedgehogs swim? Like actually swim in something about 6-7 inces deep. If they could, that would be neat to see. Under VERY stric supervision though...I dont no if id have the guts to try it with Poke to. Id be afraid shed sink and drown... ;)

HIJO :)

[illinidairychic]

They can swim, I know I've seen a few breeders post pics of some of their hedgehogs swimming. I think you just need to make sure they have a place they can get to (large rock or platform) so they can rest if they get tired. I have one that likes to paddle through the deeper end of the bath tub when I gave baths that way.