social Hedgehogs

[Fraido]

My girl is not an example of an affectionate hedgie. She will hiss, huff and pop at me when I go to take her out. She has been known to take a chomp when she is not getting her way, or when you just stick your finger in her face and hold it there. I know you don't want to hear about how UNaffectionate they are, but that's the easiest way to explain them. You can get a hedgie that will curl up and take a nap in your lap (my girl will walk out of my lap every time, but this is a GREAT way to bond with them), but you shouldn't get one and expect it to want to be with you, or to really enjoy being touched. It takes a lot of bonding, daily bonding of at least thirty minutes every day, in order to get them to that point, and even then you should expect your hedgehog to act like a hedgehog.

A lot of people will get a hedgehog and don't actually fully understand that their hedgie will always be a hedgie and affection is not their strongpoint. If you get a hedgehog, it could take months for it to really warm up and get comfortable with your scent, and a new smell can upset them. I don't know if you've ever handled a hedgie, but don't believe anyone who tells you their quills (they're actually spines but nobody really calls them that ever) don't hurt, they most definitely hurt! I almost dropped my girl once, caught her in my hands and OW. Made me bleed, lol. When I handle her daily, and at an appropriate time (since they are nocturnal and will be grumpy when handled during the day), she warms up quickly, and she loves to come out and run all around, in fact she would much rather run around than sit with me. She would pretty much always lay down her quills straight away and she could be pet down her back, she has never appreciated her face being touched, however.

Overall, I enjoy hedgehogs. I only know my girl, and a breeder who doesn't really handle, so my experience is limited. I recommend checking out Hedgehog Central if you want to know more, the forums are a good place to see friendly examples of hedgies as well as the struggles people have, you're just likely to learn a lot more there.