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Welcome to the forum! If you didn't encounter it during your research, this is an excellent care-guide.
Changes in behaviour can be a sign that something is wrong, so it's good to be paying attention! I'm going to run through a whole list of questions to see if we can narrow down what's up.
1. What temperature is he at? He might need a thermostat to control his own heat source (space heater or CHE) to keep him at a stable temperature.
2. Does he have a regular light/dark schedule?
3. Can you examine him for any scratches, threads or hair tangled around toes, quills growing in, or other physical changes to him?
4. Here's a bunch of examples of hedgehog noises. Do any of them sound like what you heard?
5. What's in his cage? Does he have somewhere to hide? (I see you're getting a wheel -- good! That's essential for his health and happiness.)
6. Have you changed soaps, lotions, or detergents? (Yes, your boyfriend could smell very funky to him, but if he's still acting this way when your boyfriend is in a different room, that's unlikely to be the problem.)
7. Have you brought one of those anti-rodent supersonic things into your home, or do you live in a situation (apartment or condo) where one of your neighbours might have?
It is not unusual for hedgehogs to poop, eat, and run in private. Is he raising his quills at you? Huffing or puffing? He might just be more of an explorer than a snuggler, and too busy investigating to pay attention to the human-creature. Sometimes visiting at different times (late night vs early morning) can find more of a snuggly mood.
Changes in behaviour can be a sign that something is wrong, so it's good to be paying attention! I'm going to run through a whole list of questions to see if we can narrow down what's up.
1. What temperature is he at? He might need a thermostat to control his own heat source (space heater or CHE) to keep him at a stable temperature.
2. Does he have a regular light/dark schedule?
3. Can you examine him for any scratches, threads or hair tangled around toes, quills growing in, or other physical changes to him?
4. Here's a bunch of examples of hedgehog noises. Do any of them sound like what you heard?
5. What's in his cage? Does he have somewhere to hide? (I see you're getting a wheel -- good! That's essential for his health and happiness.)
6. Have you changed soaps, lotions, or detergents? (Yes, your boyfriend could smell very funky to him, but if he's still acting this way when your boyfriend is in a different room, that's unlikely to be the problem.)
7. Have you brought one of those anti-rodent supersonic things into your home, or do you live in a situation (apartment or condo) where one of your neighbours might have?
It is not unusual for hedgehogs to poop, eat, and run in private. Is he raising his quills at you? Huffing or puffing? He might just be more of an explorer than a snuggler, and too busy investigating to pay attention to the human-creature. Sometimes visiting at different times (late night vs early morning) can find more of a snuggly mood.
