by Millermeade Farms | May 21, 2013 | Behavior & Personality, Biting, Biting Behavior, Handling
Overview Don’t be discouraged and don’t attempt to punish your hedgehog. The most important thing to do is to NOT give up or to quit handling your hedgehog. This is often easier said than done, but there are some things you can do to make handling easier. First and...
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by Millermeade Farms | May 27, 2013 | Behavior & Personality, Bonding, Handling
Are hedgehogs truly grouchy, or are they simply misunderstood? Understanding Hedgehog Behavior “I’d rather be alone.” One of the biggest misconceptions about the hedgehog is that this naturally shy animal is “grumpy” or “grouchy.” The reality is that hedgehogs simply...
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by Millermeade Farms | May 28, 2013 | Accessories, Bedding, Behavior & Personality, Cages & Accessories, Care
Litter pans are a great accessory to any cage as it is well worth your effort to try and litter train your hedgehog. A litter-trained hedgehog will save you cage cleaning time, decrease the amount of bedding needed, and increase the freedom you have with your pet....
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by Millermeade Farms | May 27, 2013 | Behavior & Personality, Physical Characteristics
Physical Gender Differences A male hedgehog is called a boar. His penis retracts within a penile sheath located in the middle of his abdomen. The external portion of the sheath most closely resembles a belly button. His testicles are located in the abdomen and are...
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by Millermeade Farms | May 27, 2013 | Behavior & Personality, Handling
Understanding Huffing, Puffing, Clicking and Popping When you first pick up your hedgehog, it may have its spines erect, and it may make some defensive noises. Huffing and puffing is a way for a hedgehog to say, “I’m big and bad.” It is a sign that your hedgehog is...
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by Millermeade Farms | May 15, 2013 | Behavior & Personality, Hedgehogs As Pets
Misconceptions Hedgehogs are not like dogs or cats. However, many people purchase hedgehogs expecting them to behave like common household pets. Do not expect your hedgehog to come when called, learn tricks (or at least not ones that you WANT them to learn), play...
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by Millermeade Farms | May 27, 2013 | Behavior & Personality, Handling
Some hedgehogs do not display outward signs of affection, while others can be quite affectionate toward their owners. Hedgehogs do not typically come when called nor actively seek out human interaction. They are NOT like cats and dogs, whose personalities enable...
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by Millermeade Farms | May 21, 2013 | Behavior & Personality, Biting, Biting Behavior, Handling
Scent & Taste Hedgehogs are very scent oriented and use their sense of smell to search out food. 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...
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by Millermeade Farms | May 27, 2013 | Behavior & Personality, Dry Skin
Bed Head Hedgehogs often scratch a bit when they first wake up or after they are handled. One might compare this scratching to fluffing out a “bed head” hairdo. Hedgehogs’ skin may also feel tight or need to be scratched when their spines are out of alignment. Some...
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by Millermeade Farms | May 27, 2013 | Behavior & Personality
Hedgehogs do not spray or scent-mark their territory like other animals. Males do not have a stronger odor than females. They can only be physically distinguished from females by the differences in their genitalia. Some male hedgehog owners do report that their pets...
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