Petting a happy hedgehog is a bit like affectionately stroking a bristly hairbrush.
Every hedgehog has a unique personality, but most aren't interested in human affection. Caretakers note that it takes a lot of time and effort to get a hedgehog to tolerate being held. Like porcupines, hedgehogs have sharp, prickly quills that they use to fend off predators.
Always wear gloves if you have to handle a hedgehog, as they can carry diseases like ringworm and salmonella bacteria which can be passed to humans. Don't handle the hedgehog any more than you need to because contact with humans will be stressful for them.
Hedgehog bellies are covered with soft fur but their sides and backs are covered with stiff quills. A hedgehog is covered by approximately 3,000 to 5,000 quills, so that makes them pretty spiky!
In the wild, hedgehogs are solitary animals and they spend most of their time alone except during mating season. They tend to be shy and wary of people. It takes patience and a gentle hand to form a trusting bond with a pet hedgehog. Once a bond is established hedgehogs can be quite playful and occasionally cuddly.
Some hedgehogs may enjoy belly rubs, while others may not. Here's a behavior you won't likely see in other family pets: a hedgehog that finds a particularly exciting new scent will lick at it until he develops what is best described as a scented froth in his mouth.
“Don't kiss or snuggle hedgehogs because this can spread salmonella germs to your face and mouth and make you sick,” the agency warned.
Places some hedgehogs like to be scratched include: their ears, chin, along the edge of their quill line or skirt, belly fur or feet. protective of its feet.
Generally, any hedgehog out during the day is probably in trouble and will need to be picked up and taken to a wildlife rescue centre. You can pick them up using gardening gloves and put them into a cardboard box, although they are good climbers, so you would need to ensure it cannot escape.
How bad does it hurt? Hedgehogs have fairly small teeth designed to crunch insects. They do not have the typical rodent incisors or the large carnivore canines. The typical bite won't feel good but won't cause excruciating pain either.
They are strong enough to dig their teeth in to your flesh, however, they very rarely bite. I've only been bitten when I've woken up an adult hedgehog which was sleeping during the day.
Hedgehogs can be handled (they are not too prickly), although some patience is required to make sure your hedgehog is both safe and comfortable in your hands.
The most common reason that hedgehogs bite is because there is something on your hands that smells yummy and they want a taste. In this case, they will often lick first and the bite is more of a nip.
Place your hand several inches away from your hedgehog and allow it to come up to your hands and smell you. Your hedgehog is relaxed when its quills are laid down and it is moving about without flinching every time you move. Certain sounds may still scare a relaxed hedgehog.
Scent & Taste
Sometimes you might smell good enough to eat! If you smell good, and taste good through licking… watch out! Sometimes hedgehogs will lick salt from sweaty hands and become tempted to bite, because they like the salty taste.
Understanding Huffing, Puffing, Clicking and Popping
Huffing and puffing is a way for a hedgehog to say, “I'm big and bad.” It is a sign that your hedgehog is feeling threatened and scared, nervous, or possibly unhappy. When a hedgehog huffs and puffs, it is trying to intimidate whatever is making it feel defensive.
When a hedgehog hisses, it means he is really annoyed and wants you, other hogs or other animals to clear off. Hedgehogs will often make the hissing noise if their nest is disturbed or if they are cornered or approached by a predator.
Often able to sense ill feelings and appear sympathetic, they also sometimes mimic their owners emotions.
If a noise is loud to you, it is probably too loud for your hedgehog as well. Observe the sounds your hedgehog is making towards you as well. If he is purring, he is happy and content.
Hedgehogs use body language to communicate their emotions. They will often curl into a ball and use their quills, or spines, to indicate their mood. Hedgies startle easily. When they're frightened, hedgies will curl up into a ball with their quills erect.
Hedgehogs have complex needs
As wild animals that are not domesticated, despite being bred in captivity for a number of years, these animals have very specific husbandry and environmental needs. They are certainly not suitable for a beginner, and their care requires a great deal of knowledge and preparation.
Hedgehogs are naturally not smelly animals and give off less of a scent than a hamster or guinea pig, for example. Any odors will be primarily caused by: – Feces in the cage.
They are quiet and solitary animals that do not crave human interaction or the company of other animals. They take time to get used to humans but can be hand-tamed with constant, gentle handling and interaction. Hedgehogs are not known to bite; the spines are their main form of defense.