Handling a Runner - Advice wanted!

[HedgieMate]

Three months ago, we adopted a hedgehog from someone who no longer wanted him. We think he is about 9 months old now. He was extremely shy and nervous at first, but he has been growing steadily accustomed to us and is generally happy and cheerful, even though he is still jumpy at times.

It's becoming clear to us that our little guy is a "Runner". He simply can't stand being held by us for more than a few seconds. He is never grumpy, but when we pick him up or try to hold him, he just goes ballistic! He doesn't bite or curl up. He doesn't even quill up much anymore. But he wiggles and squirms like mad trying to escape from our hands. :cry:

We don't believe it's because he doesn't trust us or is afraid of us. He eats his first meal of the day entirely out of my hand and climbs all over our bodies all the time. He even follows us around during his playtime. But he just wouldn't let us hold him. If a hand comes nearby, he crouches down and gives out a sharp loud snort; that's his way of saying, "Back off!", I guess. [Note: when he is just resting, we can very gently place a hand over him and keep it there for several minutes, as long as we don't move it or try to pick him up.]

His behaviour of fending off an approaching hand and trying to wriggle out of our hands has gotten much worse lately. We think it's a learned behaviour as he wasn't behaving this way when he first arrived. He somehow got the idea that he could have his own way with us (did we spoil him?). We now regret not insisting on holding him every once in a while despite his protest.

Now here's our question. How can we train him to be a bit more tolerant of being held by us? We realize he will never be a "Cuddler", but can we train him to stay more calmly in our hands when needed (e.g. to give him a bath or carry him to and from his playroom, etc.)? We are concerned that, if this gets worse, the vet might have to use anaesthetics just to give him a check-up. As we see anaesthetics as an unnecessary health risk except under "absolute must" circumstances such as surgeries, we'd like very much to encourage him to modify his behaviour before it's too late.

Are we being cruel by trying to bend his personality a bit? If he hates being held so much, should we just leave him alone? Your input/advice will be greatly appreciated.

[hemi_mygirl]

Maybe what you can do is sit cross legged on the floor with him, pick him up and let him sit on your lap. Gently pet him, and if he wants to, let him climb all over you. If he hisses, don't put him down, just continue petting him gently. The idea is not to give in to him. Eventually, he'll see that he can't get his way with you.

Also try talking to him, and giving him a worn tshirt to sleep in. That way, he'll associate your smell with a safe place (his bed) and he'll get used to your voice.

Like you've already said, some hedgehogs will never be cuddlers. Does your boy have a wheel in his cage? He may just have a lot of energy.

And no, you're not being cruel in trying to bend his personality a bit. Just call it taming. Essentially, you're making it less stressful for him if he ever has to visit the vet. But whatever you do, don't just leave him alone. He'll become more anti social.

[paris26]

I have a few hogs like that- Oliver in particular. I have several playpens that I string together all over my living room. It's big enough for me to sit in there while he races around like a crazy man. I'll also put a bunch of ferret tubes and PVC tubes in his pen and he goes to town. Usually after 30 minutes of running around, he's more tolerant about being held for a few minutes.

[HedgieMate]

In response to Hemi's mom, yes, he has a wheel which he uses every single night for a considerable amount time judging from how poopy it gets, and we've also heard it going full tilt in the middle of the night. We take him out from the cage each evening for at least two hours and he spends a good part of it merrily running around and climbing up on us. So I don't think it's the issue of "access energy".

He sleeps with our old T-shirts from Day 1, and we talk to him daily trying to calm him down when he goes ballistic. He would sit on my lap for a few seconds but would not stay put. If we cup our hands over him to make his stay, he squirms like crazy, but if you let our hands go, he would not run away and happily climbs up an down on us. In other words, none of it is working yet.

Usually after 30 minutes of running around, he's more tolerant about being held for a few minutes.
Interesting...our hedgie is completely opposite. After 30 min or so, his metabolism gets all worked up and his behaviour to fend off our hands gets even worse. It's almost like, "Hey, I'm on the ball. Don't even think of stopping me!" (sigh)

[HamorHollow]

Get a run-a-bout ball (guinea pig size) and let your boy run around and tire out.

[razzle]

Get a run-a-bout ball (guinea pig size) and let your boy run around and tire out.

A lot of people don't like the run around balls because they don't really have great air ventilation. Hedgies can get overheated in them. Also, hedgie toenails can get caught in the air slits. Personallly (before I read about the lack of ventilation) I had one and found it to be a mess. My boy runs and poops at the same time. Not pretty in a roll around ball. :p Just something to consider!

Also, HedgieMate - I too have a runner. I do hold him, mostly to do the daily "vital checkups" just to make sure everything is looking ok. He tolerates it, but not for long and pretty soon he is squirming to get away. One thing I have found that works to calm him down a bit is...no laughing please.... to sing softly to him while holding him in his favorite blankie. Yes he has his favorite songs. Just holding him and talking to him softly works too. It wasn't always that way. He would squirm away no matter what. But I guess I have trained him, somewhat, that we have "our time" every night before his dinner is served and he is let loose in his playpen. He tolerates it well, but if I go over my "time limit" he lets me know. :lol:

[HedgieMate]

Get a run-a-bout ball (guinea pig size) and let your boy run around and tire out.Thanks for your input. He has a giant crystal exercise ball but doesn't like it. He prefers to run around and climb about wherever he likes and however he pleases. The ball is too restrictive for him; if we put him in the ball, he will stop running altogether in protest until he gets let out (yes, he is a spoiled brat).

[hedgiesrluvd]

One thing I have found that works to calm him down a bit is...no laughing please.... to sing softly to him while holding him in his favorite blankie. Yes he has his favorite songs. Just holding him and talking to him softly works too.

Hey, Ci Wei is like that as well! It's sure nice to know I'm not the only one who sings to my hedgie. :laugh: It does calm him down, though, and I can literally sing him to sleep on my lap, whereas otherwise he seems to want to squirm, dig, and pull at the blankie he's on. I first noticed his appreciation of music while driving him home from the breeder. He was in a cardboard box with paper towels in it, and he'd scratch and sniff and make all kinds of noises, but whenever I'd hum or sing to him with the radio, he'd calm down and get really quiet. I emailed the breeder to see if perhaps he'd been exposed to music before (e.g. a radio in the hedgie room), but she said unless he'd heard the tv on upstairs, she hadn't a clue as to why he loved music. Perhaps, as she suggested, he just appreciates the finer things in life. :p Anyway, thanks for posting about your hedgie's similar interests... hmmm, is your hedgie a boy or a girl? Perhaps we could find someone to breed them and create a whole line of music-loving hedgies! :lol: Hedgiemate, have you tried singing or humming to your guy? Maybe this is more common among hedgie "runners" than we know. Hmm... food for thought, at least. :dunno: Talk to y'all later... I love this board!

-Brooke

[HedgieMate]

Thanks for your advice. Razzle and Ci Wei are lucky to have musically talented moms. After reading Brooke's post ("Ci Wei's turning into an acrobat..."), we tried to sing to our little guy too...with not much success, unfortunately. It's because either we're terrible singers or our hedgie has no taste in music... well, most likely the former is the case here.

We continued to talk to him every night trying to convince him there's nothing to be afraid of and we all love him very much, etc. He still goes ballistic when we pick him up, but the past several nights, he at least let us place a hand over him for more than 30 minutes without popping or squirming. It's a small step but progress nonetheless... maybe??