Memory Question

[Catherine&Kuma]

This is a totally serious question... so please don't make fun! :winkers:

Does anyone know what the memory span of a hedgehog is? You know how people say goldfish have a memory span of 5 seconds? Is there anything like that with hedgehogs too?

I'm just wondering because I know you can get a hedgehog accustomed to your smell over time, and the more playtime you spend together the more that hedgehog will "know" you. But what if you go away for a week or something... will your hedgehog forget you? I'm not planning on going anywhere, but my fiance and I were discussing this and are both really curious!)

 

[Courtney]

I think they have better memories than people give them credit for. I believe they're also smarter than people think, but that's beside the point.

If you go away for a week, I don't think your hedgehog will forget you. You might come back to a very grumpy ball of quills, but after a few treats and some cuddles... your little baby will be back and acting just the way he was before you left.

 

[Melissa]

Ive read a couple cases where they bond for life and I think I read one (while researching before I first got Aero) where the HH showed signs of depression and died shortly after the owner died.

 

[Nancy]

I feel it depends entirely on the individual hedgehog. I think some really bond with their owners and if they are gone for a few days, they miss them and definitely remember them when they come home. Others, I'm not sure that they forget their owners when they are away rather just don't care.

Same with intelligence. Some are very obviously intelligent. Some I think are intelligent but are more aloof so the intelligence isn't as obvious. And then there's a few that just aren't too bright. :laugh2:

 

[Courtney]

I definitely agree with Nancy on the whole fact about hedgehogs missing their owners. When I go away for the weekend, all three of my hedgehogs eat very little. Cuda, my wheel demon, doesn't wheel much and Kismet spends a good portion of her time making little whimpering noises (according to my mom, who peeks in on them very routinely) and periodically coming to the front of her cage and waiting (I bring her to bed to cuddle on the weekend mornings, and she's gotten used to this routine). The morning after I come home, each bowl is empty, the cages are destroyed and Cuda's wheel is fit to be condemned. It's really funny how they just seem to KNOW that the person caring for them isn't THEIR human.

 

[Kalandra]

From the hedgehogs I have had I swear they have memories like elephants... In the early years, I used to leave them with a sitter while I would go on vacation for a week. They clearly remembered me and were happy to see me when I returned.

As a side story which I think shows memory... I adopted Maui & NeMali at the Niagara hedgehog show in 2001. Both were 14 months old at the time and sisters. In 2002 at Go Hog Wild (show in Chicago) we met their breeder again and Maui couldn't get out of my hands fast enough to go see her. It was obvious she recognized her. Maui was an extremely friendly hedgehog and was always happy to see people. She was always happy to sit in my hands and let people touch her. She never tried to get out of my hands for anyone else (before or after). Once with her for a bit, she was ready to return to me. It was quite an experience and I'm certain she remembered her old 'mommy'.

 

[HedgieMate]

I had similar experience with our Geoffrey. Although he has mellowed in his older age, G was extremely timid for the longest time. He would never come out if he heard a strange voice or noise outside and frantically look for a dark and sheltered place to hide if we took him out of the bag.

In the fall of 2006 we left him with a hedgie-sitter for 3 weeks while we were out of country. The sitter has two sons with plenty of hedgie experience. They were all happy to have a hedgehog again even for a short period of time. G fared very well with the family.

Then 2 years later, this past fall, G went back to the same family for another 3 weeks. I swear he remembered the sitter's house as well as her family members. Although cautiously, he crawled right out of the bag, sniffed the air, and even let the sitter's husband pet him! - which was very unusual for him.

G also remembered us and our house when we returned home in both occasions. He seemed so excited to be "home" and ran around like a windup tin toy for hours! So, yes, I believe hedgehogs do have better memory than people credit them for.

Oh, btw, we slept with several hedgie-size fleece blankets in our bed for a week or so leading up to our trips and asked the sitter to place one blanket in G's bag each time she changed his bedding, so that he could sleep with our scent, which seemed to help him remember us.

 

[Catherine&Kuma]

Definitely good to know... I'm not planning on going anywhere, I was just genuinely curious about it. Kuma is a grump most of the time, but some days he can be very loving and playful. Other days he will be super annoyed and anti-social, so I was wondering if it had anything to do with not playing with him enough one day, and then the day day he would be mad. I think it does make a difference when we play with him a lot every day, and especially keep him on a routine... it gets him used to spending time out of his cage. But in the end he is still a moody boy!

 

[Rose]

I just wanted to add that goldfish having a 5 sec memory is a myth. There's been studies that suggest that their memories span at least 3 months. They can also recognize individuals and grow bonds with them.

Our goldfish get very excited and even do flips when my boyfriend or black cat comes up to them...but not so much with me or Mr. Kitty.

 

[Catherine&Kuma]

I just wanted to add that goldfish having a 5 sec memory is a myth. There's been studies that suggest that their memories span at least 3 months. They can also recognize individuals and grow bonds with them.

Our goldfish get very excited and even do flips when my boyfriend or black cat comes up to them...but not so much with me or Mr. Kitty.

Haha, I didn't know if that was true or not, I was just using it as an example since most people have heard that, and I was trying to get my question across.

That's good news though! That is so cute that your fish gets so excited to see you!