How long until she likes me?

[coffey]

I know all Hedgehog personalities differ, but I have had Lily for 6 months and every time I take her out it's like the same process and she never gets acclimated: she spends all her time huffing, absolutely despises my presence and tries endlessly to get away back toward her enclosure (I let her run around as I heard you should sort of be hands off unless you have to relocate them). I feel like I haven't made any progress with her and it's incredibly frustrating and discouraging...

My question is how long did it take you guys for your hedgehog(s) to get used to you and actually enjoy being around you? Are there any tips to expedite this process?

Thanks and I appreciate any responses!

[Ria]

Took Holly 2 and half months.

I had a old sock turned into a ball with no lose threads that I had slept with for like a week before getting her so as soon as we got her home it smelt like me and could go in her cage.
The day I got her home I had a bit of a hard time getting her out her carrier.. but we got there eventually and I spoke to her the whole time. We sat and cuddled for the afterrnoon and she fell asleep on me the first day !!
After putting her in her nice new cage, she had until 7 or 8pm cant really remember to settle into it I know it was a good 24 hours.
The next day when I got her it was like we lost all progress with each other. But after a few minutes of sitting with her she was asleep on me again.
So I brought some leather gloves for picking her up more normally, and this helped with the bonding because it didnt scare her as much as picking her up with the fleece blanket. I now just pick her up with a bit of her bedding.

I have always spoken to her every day. Morning afternoon ad night. Shes got used to my voice a lot and my presence. And she loves me. I also found if I leave her anyone and she can hear or smell me she will try to get to me.

Some people said it can take up to a year to get really close.
I was told this by a lot of people when I was looking into one, and I was warned to be patient with her because it might take her a year to like me but it didnt.

I have never used a snuggle sack before. Shes slept on my stomach shielded by my hands. On my arm out in the open. And her favourite place is to snuggle up into my side using my cardigan as her hide and she just sleeps.
And when I take her up to my room I sit on the foor in the dark and watch her play while talking to her for half an hour to an hour before putting her into her cage.

[lilyluna]

Hey! Our hedgies share the same name!

For context: Lily’s been with me a little over 3 weeks now.

Lily got comfortable with us fast! My boyfriend and I each wore a shirt to bed for three nights which I then placed in her cage the day she arrived. Eventually I sowed both shirts into hides for her because she loved burrowing into them, with fleece in the middle. On her first week, my boyfriend and I would handle her 30 minutes in the evening (around 10 PM). My boyfriend and I like to sing to each other, so we’ve also started singing to her, too, which almost always leads to her relaxing.

Sometimes, on days she’s extra grumpy (we got her when she was entering the 8 week quilling stage), I would use essential oils (lavender! Tea tree oil is toxic!) in my room and then play calming music, and then dim the lights. So far, that trick has been 100% effective.

Anyway, this week we’ve been trying to get her to socialise with other people. This morning 2 friends came over to my apartment and she quickly became playful, showing off her TP tube skills, lol!

How’s the heating and lighting in your place? Is she getting enough restful sleep? Does she know your smell? Is she quilling? There are plenty of possible reasons why our babies are grumpy or not sociable, so I’ve since learned to kind of think of all possible reasons why Lily might be grumpy and then fix everything one by one. Haha

Or she could really just be the grumpy type.

Either way, I do hope your Lily warms up to you soon! Good luck!

[coffey]

Originally Posted by Ria

Took Holly 2 and half months.

I had a old sock turned into a ball with no lose threads that I had slept with for like a week before getting her so as soon as we got her home it smelt like me and could go in her cage.
The day I got her home I had a bit of a hard time getting her out her carrier.. but we got there eventually and I spoke to her the whole time. We sat and cuddled for the afterrnoon and she fell asleep on me the first day !!
After putting her in her nice new cage, she had until 7 or 8pm cant really remember to settle into it I know it was a good 24 hours.
The next day when I got her it was like we lost all progress with each other. But after a few minutes of sitting with her she was asleep on me again.
So I brought some leather gloves for picking her up more normally, and this helped with the bonding because it didnt scare her as much as picking her up with the fleece blanket. I now just pick her up with a bit of her bedding.

I have always spoken to her every day. Morning afternoon ad night. Shes got used to my voice a lot and my presence. And she loves me. I also found if I leave her anyone and she can hear or smell me she will try to get to me.

Some people said it can take up to a year to get really close.
I was told this by a lot of people when I was looking into one, and I was warned to be patient with her because it might take her a year to like me but it didnt.

I have never used a snuggle sack before. Shes slept on my stomach shielded by my hands. On my arm out in the open. And her favourite place is to snuggle up into my side using my cardigan as her hide and she just sleeps.
And when I take her up to my room I sit on the foor in the dark and watch her play while talking to her for half an hour to an hour before putting her into her cage.

Jeez I wish she was like that haha thanks for the reply.

She runs around and seems energetic but it seems more to get away from me than it is her being curious.

[coffey]

Originally Posted by lilyluna

Hey! Our hedgies share the same name!

For context: Lily’s been with me a little over 3 weeks now.

Lily got comfortable with us fast! My boyfriend and I each wore a shirt to bed for three nights which I then placed in her cage the day she arrived. Eventually I sowed both shirts into hides for her because she loved burrowing into them, with fleece in the middle. On her first week, my boyfriend and I would handle her 30 minutes in the evening (around 10 PM). My boyfriend and I like to sing to each other, so we’ve also started singing to her, too, which almost always leads to her relaxing.

Sometimes, on days she’s extra grumpy (we got her when she was entering the 8 week quilling stage), I would use essential oils (lavender! Tea tree oil is toxic!) in my room and then play calming music, and then dim the lights. So far, that trick has been 100% effective.

Anyway, this week we’ve been trying to get her to socialise with other people. This morning 2 friends came over to my apartment and she quickly became playful, showing off her TP tube skills, lol!

How’s the heating and lighting in your place? Is she getting enough restful sleep? Does she know your smell? Is she quilling? There are plenty of possible reasons why our babies are grumpy or not sociable, so I’ve since learned to kind of think of all possible reasons why Lily might be grumpy and then fix everything one by one. Haha

Or she could really just be the grumpy type.

Either way, I do hope your Lily warms up to you soon! Good luck!

It's a nice name

Heating is good, I have a heater for when it's too cold to maintain a good temperature for her. Lighting is also good--light at day and dark at night as it should be. Already saw her go through the quilling process so that's done for now. I left my shirt in her cage a couple times and I take her out every day to spend time with her so I figure she'd know my smell.

She does seem like used to me I suppose--just doesn't like me lol.

Thanks for the reply

[Ria]

Try hand feeding her with her favourite insects. Someone said they will love you then also their hedgie was less grumpy after getting its favourite insect !! Also if you hand feed it to her then she will trust you more

Also you could try having her just sleep in a fleece blanket on your stomach. This worked well for me. I’ve never actually used a snuggle sack, I dont even own one and never have. Though was looking into them for a bed in her carrier !! But thats the only purpose it would hold.

How do you pick her up ?? With your bare hands, gloves or a fleece blanket ??
I’ve noticed that sometimes the hedgehogs take longer to like you when your picking them up with a fleece blanket. Leathet gloves are great you can scoop them up properly and if they ball up you wont get hurt and it helps with them being handled, I took the gloves off as soon as she unballed. Now I just pick her up with my bare hands but keep the gloves handy incase she has a very grumpy day !!

Replace the object that smells of you weekly-so it keeps the smell all the time. She will eventually love you. How many toys does she have ?? Sometimes hedgehogs love you more when they get a lot of toys although Holly doesnt seem bothered about toys.
Shes happy as long as she gets cuddles daily, tubes, her food and crickets and her wheel !!

[coffey]

Thanks for the reply

I feed her meal worms regularly from my hand but overall hasn't done a whole lot . If I lay her on me with a blanket or anything she sits for a moment and then scrambles off. Not to be Mr. Macho but the pain isn't much to me so I pick her up with my bare hands only haha, even when she's balled up.

I'll try leaving my shirts with her more often like you recommend . I put her wheel in at night when she's active which she uses a ton (and craps all over T_T) but apart from that I haven't gotten her any toys because she never comes out--even at night she'll only be out to use her wheel and then goes back into hiding, so I figured it wouldn't help. I'll try to get some for her!

[Veebs84]

Hey Coffey, I'm going through this too - although i;m more at the beginning than you. I feel like Marjorie hate hates. She loved her breeder, has happy being handled by him, bought her home at 8 weeks and BAM she hates me. Hisses blue murder when i go to pick her up and balls up and takes 15 or so mins for her to put her quills down. i talk to her, i put things in her cage with my scent, Ive tried everything i can think of. she's 12 weeks now and I'm so sad because im worried making her unhappy. I hand feed her insects or treats - she grabs then and then balls up again

On a more positive note, i bought my previous boy Jeanne Claude from a pet shop - he was about a year old, hardly handled - which they admitted AFTER i paid, and he was an angel to handle straight away. Horses for courses! Im sure Marjorie will come around just makes me sad mean while

[Ria]

Holly has a tube her wheel two balls and a sock ball that used to smell like me (haven't changed it yet) and a little bridge.
So she hasnt actually got that much but shes still happy as she doesnt really use the toys much.

The first month I was changing the sock every week, so my scent was always there. I also wear the same cardigan every time I take her out which has helped a bit because it smells like me and her. Probably mostly her now though.

If she wont stay on you, you could try making the shape with a fleece blanket for her to hide in next to you. Holly mainly only ever stays on me when she feels cold. Which is rare.

The good test to see if the really hate you is getting someone to come over and you givingnthe hedgehog to them. The hedgehog will run, and if it runs to you then it definatly loves you. Or is at least comfortable with you. Doesnt work in familiar surroundings either though

[claudia.angelique]

I feel you. I've had Roger since February and he's still terrified of anyone or anything and just likes being alone. He freezes up when anyone comes near and when I let him out of his cage, he just stays in that spot for over an hour till I put him back into his cage.

Phew. Still struggling with this myself but just wanted to let you know you're not alone <3