Well first of all, even the nicest hedgie will quill up and hiss when you take them out of the cage. You just have to get over it and pick them up. Don't use gloves, because it's even scarier for the hedgie. If you're scared of the quills you can use a blankie to get them out. Usually once hedgies are out of their cages they'll unball and either calm down or go exploring, but if you try to approach them in the cage they get huffy.
Also, it's only been 5 days. Everything that was normal to her is gone now, and there is an adjustment period. Hedgies are sensitive to change- even getting water from a different source can cause stomach upset.
Hedgehogs also have extremely sensitive noses. You should always wash your hands (preferably with unscented soap) before handling, so that there are no foreign smells that could cause hedgie to bite. My understand (which could be very wrong) is that if they smell things on you and bite it's because they think it would be something edible. They don't recognize you by sight/sound or anything-- it's by smell. So if you have an inconsistent smell or if you smell tasty, they'll probably bite. A warning sign is licking, so if you see that.. they're not being cute, you should pull your hand away.
You also said you don't wear MUCH perfumed body products, but if you wear any it could be the culprit. (I think)
In rare cases, some hedgies are just biters, and you just need to make a concerted effort not to put your hands in front of their mouths.
Other people could probably offer more advice, but mine is: make sure everything is unscented, and always wash your hands before handling. I'm still a new owner so if anything I said is misinformed, I'm sure someone will correct me
Congrats on your new hedgie
[edit] You should read this sticky because it has a lot of great information about hedgehog behavior and what you should be expecting.
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=13
Also, it's only been 5 days. Everything that was normal to her is gone now, and there is an adjustment period. Hedgies are sensitive to change- even getting water from a different source can cause stomach upset.
Hedgehogs also have extremely sensitive noses. You should always wash your hands (preferably with unscented soap) before handling, so that there are no foreign smells that could cause hedgie to bite. My understand (which could be very wrong) is that if they smell things on you and bite it's because they think it would be something edible. They don't recognize you by sight/sound or anything-- it's by smell. So if you have an inconsistent smell or if you smell tasty, they'll probably bite. A warning sign is licking, so if you see that.. they're not being cute, you should pull your hand away.
You also said you don't wear MUCH perfumed body products, but if you wear any it could be the culprit. (I think)
In rare cases, some hedgies are just biters, and you just need to make a concerted effort not to put your hands in front of their mouths.
Other people could probably offer more advice, but mine is: make sure everything is unscented, and always wash your hands before handling. I'm still a new owner so if anything I said is misinformed, I'm sure someone will correct me
Congrats on your new hedgie
[edit] You should read this sticky because it has a lot of great information about hedgehog behavior and what you should be expecting.
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=13
