She's such a brat

[Chels]

I've had my girl for 10 days now, and she is almost 8 weeks old. I had gotten her from an amazing breeder and she made sure they were well socialized. When we were at the breeders house she was perfectly fine, now that she is home, she huffs and puffs when I go to pick her up.. is this normal? I have her out everyday for quite some time and we sometimes nap together. I'm a first time Hedgie owner so I am not sure if she is being a brat because she still isn't used to me, or this is her new personality? How long does it take for them to get used to you? She is quilling, so maybe that has something to do with it? But she has been quilling since I brought her home. How long does that last?

[Lilysmommy]

She's likely grumpy from quilling - remember that she has needles coming through her skin, and it hurts! She's probably going through her 8-9 week quilling right now, and they typically go through another quilling around 12 weeks. The biggest thing is just to try and be patient and remember what they're going through. Definitely keep getting her out like you are, just try to not touch her back, especially if she seems sensitive about it. It could be sore from the quilling. Sometimes oatmeal baths can help soften the skin and help with quilling a little, so you could give that a try too. It is tough for both new owners and babies to get through the quilling period, but hang in there! Hopefully she'll go back to being a sweetie once it's all over.

[Chels]

Thanks for replying I sure hope that's the case. The thing is, she let's me pet her back, and she just had an oatmeal bath. I got her when she was exactly 6 weeks, and now she is almost 8 so do they constantly quill until the 12 weeks? Or do they stop in between?

[Lilysmommy]

It really depends on the hedgehog, as far as I've read. Some seem to quill constantly all the way through 12 weeks, some take a break between the second and third, some are late on their 12 week quilling, etc. Hedgehogs like to keep us on our toes.