[chloere93]

Hello, I'm a new hedgehog owner and bought my hedgehog a week ago. The girl I bought it from bought it from a breeder and then had it for a year- but admitted to neglecting him a bit after a couple months... so he's not had much interaction with people since he was a baby.

Whenever I move, even if I move very slowly or make even the slightest amount of noise, my hedgehog will curl up, huff, hiss, click and jump. He will then remain like this and just tremble. I try not to pick him up when he's like this and wait for him to calm down, I also try to avoid giving him treats as I don't want to encourage the behaviour- but giving him mealworms seems to be the closest thing to achieving a relatively calm hegie.

It's really discouraging, I talk to him and have been getting him out for at least an hour a day and I feel like I'm not getting anywhere? I started out handling him with gloves because there was no other way to pick him up. I managed to hold him on my hands for a little while a few days ago but he just kept trying to climb off and eventually curled into a ball again and pricked my hands.

I'm worried that as he's a year old and had little handling, that it will be impossible to tame him has anyone got any tips for me?

 

[chloere93]

Thank you for your really in depth reply I was half expecting people to tell me that I'm an idiot and shouldn't own a hedgehog. I understand they take patience, but it's just so disheartening when all you want to do is make them understand you're not going to hurt them.

Admittedly, I was putting him down when he was hissing at me- not immediately mind you, but eventually I would just think 'okay he really doesn't want me touching him so I'll put him down' so I'll keep in mind to try and handle him longer when he's being a fusspot and bribe him with some treats. I did give him some cooked chicken before but he chewed it up and spat it on his back; I have read on this self-anointing, though I don't really understand it... but now I don't know whether or not to give him chicken again XD

I did try playing video games with him in my lap, but even just sitting on my lap he just huffs and puffs away and any slight movement I make, he jumps and pricks up my legs. Without being crude- I had a nightmare trying to get him away from my groin when I last put him on my lap. He decided that was the cosiest place for him to try and nestle and any attempt I made at trying to move him away was not surprisingly painful. Perhaps this wasn't my smartest idea to not use a blanket...

Sir Wigglemunch (yes that is what I've named him and probably why he hates me XD) seems to be a bit of an explorer, he'd rather be anywhere that's not near me... I prefer to have him on my bed because I know that's where most of my sent would be, but he looks just about ready to go bungee jumping off the edge. Floor space in my room isn't fantastic, there's so many nooks and crannies leading to places he could get lost / stuck and blocking them off only seems to entice him to wander there more. I was told to get a playpen, but this almost seems to defeat the idea of letting him explore freely?

In terms of trying to handle, it's almost impossible to pick him up when he spikes into a ball- his quills are very sharp and even trying to scoop him from underneath has resulted in me having a bunch of prickly marks on my palms- but if using a blanket is still better than gloves, then away the gloves go.

Time wise; getting him out is a tricky one for me. I felt it was perfect that I work in the day and come home in the late afternoon 5ish because I knew the hedgie would be sleeping. I hoped that this would mean I could get him out around 9ish... but he doesn't get his sleepy butt out of bed until after midnight so I'm worried about disturbing him and making him even grumpier with me.

Thanks for all the links and things, the behaviour expectations was particularly helpful I mean I knew he wasn't going to be the type of pet that would run up and love me and that I'd make a hedgehog version of Disney's ratatouille with... but at the same time, I didn't know how disheartening it was going to be when you feel as though you're not making any progress regardless of what you try.