# What to do with a Grumpy Hedgehog?



## jakakadave (Dec 29, 2009)

My parents purchased a pygmy hedgehog each for my girlfriend and my brother's girlfriend for Christmas. My brother's girlfriend's hog, a male, is absolutely fine. He was quite relaxed when he arrived and he has just become tamer and tamer and is now completely relaxed and enjoys coming out of his cage and being handled.

Our hog however was a little timid when we got her, but we felt sure she would improve with love and care over time. My parents felt that we should have her, as she was a little more timid, because my gf and I have lots of experience of keeping all sorts of pets and also, my gf is a veterinary surgeon.

We have been caring for our hog, to the letter of the advice on the extensive reading we did before and after acquiring the hog, however she is becoming grumpier and more and more timid to the point that she is basically unhandleable as of right now.

We try to get her out every evening, and sit with her on our laps, giving her opportunity to come out of her sleeping bag on her own account, as we don't want to stress her by sort of tipping her out of her bag.

We're trying to hand feed her with mealworms and crickets too (but not too much) and she is quite willing to come to us to eat the live food, but retreats to her bag immediately afterwards.

She does the huff/sneeze and raising of quills constantly, and we're beginning to worry that she is going to bite as she turns around so violently if you try and touch her.

The really strange thing is that often she doesn't appear to be scared of us exactly, more just extremely grumpy and antisocial. She also does sleep _constantly_ she only gets up to eat it seems.

We've also put worn clothing in her cage to act as her bed so she can get used to our smell, but she rejects it and sleeps in her grassy tunnel instead.

We've just bought a plastic animal pen and plastic ball for her to run around in, and hopefully that will give her something to enjoy coming out for, but otherwise I'm slightly at my wit's end.

I know it has only been three weeks since christmas, and if she hadn't improved much in that time I could understand, knowing that animal socialisation can take considerable time, but it's that she has become soooo much worse. 

Any help or advice very gratefully received.


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## pgag_1_york (Mar 12, 2008)

Hi

can we get some more details plz,

how old is she? what set up are you using? where about did she come from

could be a few things really and they can also take some time to settle in,

have you ruled out the possibility of any illness or mites etc....?

you could also try having a look at the bonding and behaviour section here Pygmy Hogs UK - African Pygmy Hedgehog Forum are a few topics on huffy hogs


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## jakakadave (Dec 29, 2009)

She's about 15 weeks old and she is in an indoor rabbit hutch measuring approx 36" x 24". She has, as a temporary measure got canine incontinence sheets down as her substrate. We stopped using wood shavings as provided by the breeder as they got stuck to her and her bedding. We're in the process of making floor coverings out of two layers of corduroy with a layer of fleece in the middle. For warmth we have a whelping matt and a ceramic heat lamp which seem to provide enough warmth.

She doesn't appear to have mites or anything and seems happy enough as long as we don't touch her. She has been out in the new plastic ball we bought for her tonight for a good half an hour, and she seemed to really enjoy it, but got really huffy and franticly trying to run away when we tried to sit with her on my OH's lap.


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## panther_87k (Feb 4, 2009)

when you say plastic ball, do you mean the type of thing used for hamsters? if so please stop using it, they can easily get their toes/nails caught in the slits which can result in horrific injury. just letting her run around in the playpen you have, and around on your laps would be fine, you can also move her wheel into her playpen when she is out. 

at 15 weeks she is still only really a baby, so will sleep ALOT, providing she is eating/pooping/exercising fine, and is warm enough, large amounts of sleep are normal. as she gets older she will sleep a little less, although dont forget she also awake when you are sleep.

she could be quilling, has she lost any quills? does she have any dry/flakey skin? if so try giving her a warm bath with a couple of drops of aveeno oil in, make sure to rinse it off well, then wrap her up in a towel to dry off somewhere warm, your lap would be fine. this will hopefully calm her skin if she is quilling. some hogs take longer to go through quilling, and some have a tougher time of it than others


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## LadySpikes (Jul 12, 2009)

Do you mind me asking where you got her from?
Do you know how much she had been handled before?


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## charlwm (Nov 19, 2009)

Hi, we also got our hoggie around the christmas mark, and she is fairly huffy at the moment, but I've put it down to her settling in and getting used to new sounds and new people. I've left her alone and when she comes out of her sleeping bag of her own accord and has a wander round her viv I try and entice her to come to me with a biscuit. I also make a calling noise when Im giving her the biscuit (a bit like the click to call a horse lol, its the only call she doesnt frown at!) so hopefully she will evenatually feel safe when she hears the noise and she will come out more readily and stop being huffy  Not sure if it will work, but I'm also trying to litter train her so she has a lot going on :2thumb:


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## sophs87 (Jan 25, 2009)

You shouldnt be using 'hamster balls' hun!
You can let them run around the floor, just put towels into gaps were she could hide, What your doing seems to be ok, just holding her on your lap, in a fleece, and hand feeding, also you can purchase bonding pouches, and you can carry hoggy around with you, Also i have heard that bathing helps bonding as they wont ball up in water.


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## animal addict (Jun 1, 2008)

it can easily take up to 6mths to a year - i have successfully re socialised 2 very huffy and bitey hogs so if you want to pop over to the pygmy hog forum for some more advice then you would be very welcome!!


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## arachniface (Dec 28, 2009)

Blind stab in the dark as I looked after a hog a few weeks ago who then went a bit funny with her owner... is she trying/wanting to hibernate?


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## Animal-Encounters (Nov 14, 2009)

please take these pads out and just put a flece blanket in. they are soooo dangerous. we had a puppy that chewed one up and ended up with major problems and it made him very ill. 




jakakadave said:


> She's about 15 weeks old and she is in an indoor rabbit hutch measuring approx 36" x 24". She has, as a temporary measure got canine incontinence sheets down as her substrate. We stopped using wood shavings as provided by the breeder as they got stuck to her and her bedding. We're in the process of making floor coverings out of two layers of corduroy with a layer of fleece in the middle. For warmth we have a whelping matt and a ceramic heat lamp which seem to provide enough warmth.
> 
> She doesn't appear to have mites or anything and seems happy enough as long as we don't touch her. She has been out in the new plastic ball we bought for her tonight for a good half an hour, and she seemed to really enjoy it, but got really huffy and franticly trying to run away when we tried to sit with her on my OH's lap.


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## talanie506 (Nov 24, 2009)

i have the same problem. Ted is really grumpy. 
i make him sit with me everynight at 9pm, but he huffs and pops and tries to hide, i've learnt how to pick him up that forces him to unroll and ive found if you catch his eye he calms down. he doesnt bite though he pretends he's going to.
i thought he was hibernating and got a heat mat, but its made no difference, although the lady i got him from was poorly for two weeks before i got him so didnt handle him.

ive just come to the conclusion that ive got a grumpy hog. 

he quite likes the cat, they play chase and leap out from behind the chair/telly/shoes with each other...


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## pammie (Aug 10, 2009)

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this but have you tried putting a tshirt of something which you have worn in with her. It will have your smell on and if she uses it to hide in she will get used to the fact that it is a safe smell and start to associate it with you. Also sit by her cage and talk to her so she gets used to the sound of your voice even if you are reading just read out loud to her etc. 
When i got my old hedgie momo she had been in a pet shop for 6 months so was very nervous it took her a few months to come round but she ended up being amazing best pet i ever had. I just got a new baby and am having to go through it all again i know it can be frustrating but its one of those things you just need time and patience. also some hedgies just dont like being handled and never will, i have a long eared who is fine to be talked to and fed but if u dare put your hand near him he will charge or bite. 
hope this helps and good luck

oh also make sure she is warm enough if they are cold they can get grumpy


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## jakakadave (Dec 29, 2009)

Thanks for the input all. We've done the t-shirt method to no avail. That said, gradually I think she is improving gradually. She will come out of her bed if we entice her with a mealworm and I think she's a tiny bit less huffy, but we will just persevere!


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## mrcarlxx (May 1, 2009)

> *What to do with a Grumpy Hedgehog?*


kill it, cook it, eat it.

hope this helps...

what you have to do is wrap it in clay put it in the oven for a few hours and smash the clay off.....


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