Bonding with an "older" hedgie:

[andraealynne]

Hi! I'm a first-time hedgie owner and adopted my friend's one and a half year old today.

Poor little guy is disoriented and a bit freaked out, he's been hiding in his house and snuffling. Calmed down when I put a blanket over him (to block out the light, I guess?)

Anyways, I was wondering if anybody had any ideas / suggestions for ways that I could bond with him, I don't want him to be constantly afraid of me and freaked out. My boyfriend tried to pick him up and all of his quills stood straight up... Shadow's probably a bit traumatized.

In the car on the way home, I held him in a towel on my lap (good thing there was a towel, he pooped a couple times >_<") and he settled down a bit. But when he came out of the towel and we put him in his house, he just hid and has been hiding from us ever since (about an hour and a half ago).

Should I just leave him be for a little while? We changed his water and gave him some fresh food, and we're going to buy a replacement wheel for him shortly.

Thanks!

 

[Kalandra]

Spend time with him and be patient. The one thing you will learn with hedgehogs is that you must be patient and not force them to do anything. You are attempting to gain their trust, and patience is the only way to gain it.

With new hedgehogs that are scared, I start out by putting them on a schedule. I feed them at a set time, and get them up at the same time daily. They quickly learn what to expect and when to expect it.

For socializing, I place the hedgehog on my lap or chest with a fleece blanket over us. The blanket isn't just hiding them from the light, it is providing them with a sense of security as they feel hidden.

While under the blanket, I don't usually try to touch them much at first. I let them do what they want to do. If they uncurl and sleep on me that is great, if they want to explore fine. This is a time for them to get to know my voice, my smell and that I'm not going to hurt them.

Once you get started down the road of trust, a mealworm can go a long way of getting them to like you. If he doesn't like mealworms, try some fruit or other appropriate items.

Hiding while in their cages can be a very normal behavior, and may be one that even after he learns to trust you that he continues to do. So do not get discouraged by it. I've had plenty now that would dive into a hiding place as soon as their feet touched the ground in their cages. That's just their normal behavior.

 

[andraealynne]

thanks so much for the suggestions I'm sitting here with Shadow on my lap, hoping he'll relax a bit. He came out of his "shell" a bit last night and was exploring a bit, but today it seems it's back to square one

 

[Kalandra]

It can take a while for some hedgehogs to decide to trust you and some may never totally trust you. Keep doing what you are and remember to give him lots of time. As you spend time with him, you will learn what he likes and dislikes. Some hate to have their quills rubbed, others seem to like back rubs. I have one now that is terrified of being out in the open if the lights are on. As long as I give her a hiding place she will lay down and let me rub her tummy (actually lays on my hand when she wants a tummy rub). These little guys can have some odd quirks.

 

[andraealynne]

I changed out of my work sweater when we got home about half an hour ago and picked him up and put him on it. He's still on alert, but he's lying on it and sniffing and chewing on it a bit. Walking around a bit, even So I have hope for my little pricklebutt