PoopHead.

[treva.]

So. Wolfgang keeps getting poo on his head.
This sounds ridiculous, but it's starting to really frustrate me.

He's done it three times now and it's always in the same spot: right on top of his head, directly between his ears.

The first time, I just thought, what on earth, and gave him a bath. No big deal.
But two days later, he was poopified again. Gave him a bath, trimmed some nails.
Three days later, MORE POOHEAD. Curtis says, "He must *really* like baths..."

1. How the heck is he doing this? He doesn't have a wheel (long story) and is not litter trained. I think he gets the basic concept of the litter pan but just can't be bothered with it. I clean his pen every morning.
Plus it's in such an awkward spot the only way I can imagine him getting poo there is by rolling in it like a dog or by anointing with his tongue (which is seriously gross, and I'm not sure why he would anoint with his own poo anyway).

2. WHY is he doing this?! I'm pretty sure it's not because he likes baths, because he seriously glares at me the entire rest of the night when I give him one, haha. He also seems to really enjoy snuggling these days, so I don't think he's doing it to purposely deter us from picking him up.
Could there be something going on with his skin or something that he thinks he's fixing? Is this just a phase he's going through?

3. How on earth can I get him to stop?! Do I just have to wait this out?


:banghead:

[HedgieMate]

How peculiar! No wonder why you're so puzzled (disgusted?) by the poophead phenomena. It's like one of those mystery circles or stonehenges...

I have no answer to your questions (sorry), but I remember reading a pot in this forum reporting a hedige doing self-anointing with its own poo, so it's not totally unfeasible that your hedgie is anointing with his own poo. :hmmmm:

[hemi_mygirl]

Maybe he believes in recycling. LOL.

[Aqua-Net]

Does you ever find him sleeping near a spot where he has pooped? That would be one way for him to get it on him. Otherwise, I'd have to go with the self-annointing idea. Why they would think that would be good, I don't know. My girl Rilla isn't a biter, but she has been know to nibble stinky arm pits. Why? It can't taste or smell good in our opinion. But rank sweaty man pits just interest her. Perhaps it is the same with our little one.

[HamorHollow]

So. Wolfgang keeps getting poo on his head.
This sounds ridiculous, but it's starting to really frustrate me.
>
>
3. How on earth can I get him to stop?! Do I just have to wait this out?


Ok, here's the deal:

Are you familiar with the phrase "he likes to pee in all the corners"? It's usually in reference to a man or animal who is extremely territorial.

Ok, let me explain it a little differently: Wolfgang spends all night decorating his cage with beautiful pieces of poop art, and then you go and throw all his hard work in the trash. This is going to sound a little contrary to some of the things you have heard, but STOP cleaning his cage every day. That poop makes the cage smell good (well, only to Wolfie really) and he likes it there. I'm not kidding. Stop cleaning it, at least leave to poor man a little stench.

How is it getting there: Have you seen their tongues? They are really long. I mean REALLY long! Wolfie is anointing with his poo, and frankly he's very proud of his poo hat. It took him a long time to get it so.......caked!

Why is he doing this: To camouflage himself and make him feel safe. Does he have a hut or bag to hid in? If he doesn't, add one.

He doesn't like those baths. He's glaring at you because you removed his stink. YOU removed HIS stink, you bad bad human, how dare you! He spent hours getting that hat just the way he liked it. And now all of his poop is gone. Come on, leave him just a little.

Seriously, I know I'm being funny, but I'm also being truthful. Lay off the cage for awhile (Don't let it get nasty, but leave some of Wolfie's 'decorations' behind [oh my, that was punny!]) I bet the behavior will slowly decrease and soon Wolfie will stop playing 'dress-up'.

-K

[hemi_mygirl]

hahah, that made me laugh so hard! He's a typical man. It's kind of like cleaning up a man's carefully constructed "leaning tower of Molson"... he gets angry and territorial. ahah.

[treva.]

I don't exactly "throw it all away;" I tend to just put it in his litter pan, hoping he'll get the hint. So it's not like i'm totally eradicating all his hard work. And this is a really new behaviour. We've had him since the beginning of january; he just started doing the poo-hat about a week ago i guess.

Is it typical for a territorial behaviour to just pop out of nowhere like this, or would it have been evident a long time ago? Nothing at all has changed to inspire a new behaviour; I've kept the same routine with him the whole time we've had him.

And, yes, he has a hidey hole. He's had the same PVC pipe from day one that he's very fond of, and he usually has an extra box i nabbed from our recycle bin.

[HedgieMate]

I also remember reading a few posts in this forum describing how some hedgies are "very fickle", meaning they like something one day but turn their nose up at it the very next day. For instance, if you introduce new food and your hedgie turns it down flat, don't just dismiss it but keep offering it to him from time to time, and the hedgie may decide one day he likes it.

I wonder if your hedgie's recent behaviour is rooted partly in such fickleness. Maybe he tried a poop hat one day, liked it, and decided to keep wearing it for a while??? Maybe he will grow out of it just as abruptly as how it all started??? Or maybe it's a Freudian developmental stage where he is immensely interested in his own excrement??? I don't know, but these are possibilities, aren't they? :confused:

[treva.]

I'm also a bit concerned that if he keeps licking his poo to anoint with it, he'll get sick. :(
Does anyone know what signs I should watch for in case he does?

[groovychic]

They always find new ways to keep us entertained and on our toes don't they? Poop hat.....I've never heard of that one before. :rofl: How funny. I think Kelly has it figured out though. I don't clean Herbie's cage everyday either (he used to make a huge mess and would annoint with the new litter so he had goo all over him everynight) I agree with the man stink thing too. Weirdo men :rolleyes: Kahlua on the other hand is a neat freak except for when I take her out of her cage then she wants to poo and be nasty.

I hope Wolfgang gets over his poop hat phase soon, even though it has to be entertaining in an odd sort of way :laugh: