Oh, don't give up on him! My little hedgie was the same when I first got him; he was the biggest grump always curled up on a corner of his cage, hissing and snapping every time I so much as talked to him. But slowly, after some time he warmed up to me, and he became the sweetest little thing.
Bath time was a favorite of his and it made for some excellent bonding time. What I used to do was grab him in his towel (he had his own towels that weren't washed with strong detergents, they were exclusively for his use, they had his sent) even when he was a puffed up ball of quills, give him his bath, (he liked music. so i would put on music sometimes. his favorite was Davy Jones Music Box with Rain, it's on youtube. it would always calm him down), then after his bath I would wrap him up in his towel and carry him around the house with me for a while with him close to my chest, talking to him. Sometimes I'd take him to watch tv with me.
Now, you can't bathe a hedgie everyday, so on the days I didn't bathe him, I would still grab him in his towel and take him with me to watch tv. I'd place him on my chest, and eventually he would unravel and poke his little head out, or relax enough for me to rub his quills and get my hand close for him to smell me with out him hissing.
I did this every day, grabbed him for at least 5 minutes, and as he got used to his new environment and to me he went from a grump, to the sweetest little, kiss giving, attention-seeking hedgie. Well, he was still a bit of a grump, but he was a sweet grump.
Please, don't give up on your hedgie, just give him time.
Bath time was a favorite of his and it made for some excellent bonding time. What I used to do was grab him in his towel (he had his own towels that weren't washed with strong detergents, they were exclusively for his use, they had his sent) even when he was a puffed up ball of quills, give him his bath, (he liked music. so i would put on music sometimes. his favorite was Davy Jones Music Box with Rain, it's on youtube. it would always calm him down), then after his bath I would wrap him up in his towel and carry him around the house with me for a while with him close to my chest, talking to him. Sometimes I'd take him to watch tv with me.
Now, you can't bathe a hedgie everyday, so on the days I didn't bathe him, I would still grab him in his towel and take him with me to watch tv. I'd place him on my chest, and eventually he would unravel and poke his little head out, or relax enough for me to rub his quills and get my hand close for him to smell me with out him hissing.
I did this every day, grabbed him for at least 5 minutes, and as he got used to his new environment and to me he went from a grump, to the sweetest little, kiss giving, attention-seeking hedgie. Well, he was still a bit of a grump, but he was a sweet grump.
Please, don't give up on your hedgie, just give him time.
