Headgehog questions????

Question

today i handled my hedgehog for the first time. she was standing normaly and wanted off so she hopped off on my bed on my bed. is it easyer to put them on there backs so they go into a little ball type thing? i see people do that alot.

also, how many meal worms should they have for one day. i sometimes get some for a treat for her. but i dont know how much i should give her.

and one last question.

if im handling her and she feels treatend enough will she bite me?

please help

Answer 1

Don't put them on their backs, let them do their own thing!

Its all personal preference, on their birthday more then other days, I wouldn't give one everyday though, personally.

Uh yes any animal will.

Go to www.chins-n-quills.com, they'll help you learn about hedgehogs, its also good for chinchillas.

Answer 2

Please be very careful with hedgehogs near the edge of the bed and other drop-offs, as they have very poor depth perception and WILL go over and can really hurt themselves.

Our hedgie tried to chew on me occasionally (esp. when her baby teeth were in), but what works well is wiping the hands with Germ-X or other alchohol-based hand sanitizer, as the taste will turn them off to biting you. Your hedge may of course self-annoint because of the smell, but she'll get used to it and learn to not mouth you.

And yes, scoop up your hedgie from underneath. When I pick ours up, my fingers go straight to her soft belly area under her chin and hold her up over my fingers so her head pops out naturally. After awhile they do get used to it and don't ball up so much. Remember that hedgies are natural grumps, though!

Answer 3

Rolling them over on thier backs is a really passive position for them to be in. If she is unfamiliar with you, she would prefer to have her feet always on the ground so she feels more comfortable. But try it anyway, maybe she will tolerate it. Otherwise, just hold her by scooping her up under her belly.

Like you said, mealworms are only a treat. So try to picture the little portion a treat would make up. Maybe around10-15 mealies every few days.

And yes, if they are threatened to an extreme, they will bite as a last resort to protect themselves. But this would only happen if you are tormenting the poor girl. So trust me, you will know. They will first roll up in a ball before biting, so you can read her body language to know is she has had enough.