Jupiterannette
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take steps backward - 2006/02/08 19:02
we need to take positive steps worward with our bonding, and every time i take little dini out, she gets more aggressive.
i use mild soap
gave her one of my worn t-shirts
tried caring her in the pocket of my sweatshirt
i tried giving her treats
i tried all times of the day and night
i tried a running ball
i tried bathing
i tried just talking to her softly
i quit smoking
i tried just letteing her bit me and not giving her a reaction, like with birds (not easy)
i tried blowing in her face
then i went to extream, and tried the q-tip with rubbing alcohal on it... she bit it, that was the end of that!
im at my whits end .. it has been a week.. what am i doing wrong..
normally animals LOVE me.. i have lots of other animals and i have never had anything like this happen...
HELPPPPP
all ideas, even the odd and unusual please aply!
i love her and i just want her to be happy and ove me..
oh yeah.. my boyfriend handles her less then i do and she loves him! darn it!
i give her time alone to sleep, its not like im on her all the time.. but jeesh.. i clean her, feed her, and luvon her, and she rips chunks out.. are there some hedgies that like one persona nd the other is crap~!
 
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Tavimh
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/08 19:29
Hmmm, maybe she has something agasinst females? How does she react to other guys besides your boyfriend? Have you tried petting her and talking to her while your boyfriend holds her?
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Jupiterannette
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/08 19:36
when he is holding her and i talk to her and try to pet her, she bites at her snuggly and him and me andy anything.
other gyes can hold her and so can other girls...
do you think it is becasue i take her poo away...
i used to take care of a bird, that loved me till i started cleaning his cage, he went ape @#$% and tried to kill me.
i clean the poo off her wheel every day, and do her littler box every other day.. till she is good at it..
and i change her food and water every night.. around 7 ish...
i dont understarnd.. i wouldnt want to live in poo!
Post edited by: Jupiterannette, at: 2006/02/08 20:47
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HamorHollow
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/08 20:26
It's the smoke. It has to be, esp since she isn't biting anyone else. If she were biting other people, I would say that she is just mean, but she isn't.
The big problem with smoking is that it gets into your clothing and seeps through your skin and is going to take time to dissipate.
Do you want to try a different girl to see if she is more tolerant of the smoke smell? I don't know if it will help, and I know you are already invested in Dini.
*sigh* Hedgehogs! *rolls eyes*
K
Congrats on not smoking! Don't cheat or Dini will know!
Kelly Sosik-Hamor
Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. |
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Jupiterannette
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/08 20:33
my mother in law smokes a pack a day and dini loves her!
and i only smoked out side, and i got my car detailed, washed all my clotes and i haved showerd 3 or 4 times in the past 2 days....
oh and im going to get my teeth cleaned too
i smell pretty! well not smokey..
i dont know.. i love dini and now joey is kinda scared to hold her cause he doesnt want to get chomped.
maybe she is scared to be away from her brothers and sisters?
i dunno...
could i come up with her and see how she acts there? like with you..
i dont know what else to do.. i just went in and the smell comming from her wheel was awefull... so i had to clean it.. im a clean a holic.... i was gonna let it sit, to see if it made her better, but when i went in as soo as she heard me and then i put my hand in the cage, she hufed and puffed and balled her self up, the she lunged at me 2 times while i was trying to get the wheel out! she could smell it was me.
and i clean everything with soft soap... encluding her.. except my clothes, i use uncested all
i cant figure it out!
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HamorHollow
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/08 23:13
Hang in there! I just emailed you some more thoughts. I am at my wit's end, and Dini needs to stop being a little brat!
Kelly Sosik-Hamor
Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. |
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Jupiterannette
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/08 23:21
so when can i come up?
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Jupiterannette
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/08 23:51
yeah...
so im not sure but i think i have found the key to dinis heart.
tubbies
i put like an inch if warm water in the bathroom sink and she is in hog heaven! lol no pun intended..
she splish splashes, and lets me pick her up and clean her piggies, and scrub the doodies out, and rinse her off, then i let her play a little, and then she poos.. ALOT... and then we rinse again, and then we cuddle, and the whole time she isnt biting me!
is she so scared she lets me do it or is she happy?
she doesnt huff or puff or try to get out, cause she so could, i jsut have a little pedistle sink... but once she is dry the grudge is on!
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HamorHollow
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/09 00:02
Maybe the key is letting her expel some excess energy and then cuddle once she is tired. Remember that she is still young and young kids have tons of energy to run and play.
Maybe get her a guinea pig size run-about ball and let her run for 15 mins before you cuddle her.
Hopefully this will work.
That's it, I'm changing my kennel name to 'Barking Crazy Hedgehogs'!
Kelly Sosik-Hamor
Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. |
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Jupiterannette
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/09 00:49
i got her a big ball, but she wont run in it, she just sits there, and looks around, and occasionally, tries to get under the sofa with the ball... very confusing for her so she will take a nap.
even after the bath, she still runs around on me.. so maybe bath.. ball.. me!
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HamorHollow
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/09 01:06
She's never run in a ball before, so you may have to expose her to it a few times till she gets the hang of it. Some hedgehogs love the ball, some don't.
Hopefully things will continue to go well.
Kelly Sosik-Hamor
Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. |
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Jupiterannette
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/09 15:50
we are moving forward, ever so slowly... i think....
she let me clean her cage this morning with only a couple of huff and puffs..
do you htink she gets anough sleep during the day.. she is in aroom with a radio on .. low.. all day? would this keep her up.. and she can hear my birds singing...
would that make for a grumpy hedgie?
i think if that is the case, sh is sleeping more, perhaps getting used to the sights and sounds.
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Quilted_Lamb
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/09 16:56
You know, this may sound strange, but if you haven't had her for very long, it may be that you are actually moving too quickly for her. Some hedgehogs become overwhelmed when offered too much stimulis while trying to also adjust to a new environment.
I had actually written quite a lengthy post yesterday, but when I hit the post button, my Server had gone down and then when they got it all fixed, I could go everywhere but this site. 
I know a radio playing softly works for some hedgies, but it really bothers others. It may be your little one is one of those who would prefer it completely quiet. I know when we're too noisy during the day (which is rarely), Jasira is always a bit grumpy. The one day the dog was running up and down the hall banging his ball around & against the wall of her room, she was a complete grump and didn't want to play or explore at all that night during our snuggle time. Or maybe your hedgehog simply doesn't like the choice of music you've picked.  Turn it off for a few days and see how she reacts. If she gets grumpy, turn it back on and try a different style of music. 
And bath time is usually when a hedgie will calm down and see you as safety, the wonderful savior who has rescued them from a watery grave.  Many hedgies who aren't snugglers will often snuggle after a bath.
I sure wish you all the best with your little one. Remember that hedgehogs are good at sensing our emotions, so if you are overly frustrated (which I think would be normal under the circumstances) you may be communicating this to your hedgehog without even realizing it. And if she responded with less huffs and puffs when you cleaned her cage out, it sounds like she's learning to trust you, however slowly. Take this as a step forward because it sounds like things are improving. Too bad things can't improve at the rate we want instead of at the rate the hedgehogs choose, lol. Let us know how things are going.  Hedgie hugs...Tiffany
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HamorHollow
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/09 19:27
I am glad things are getting better. You are a real trooper!
Try moving her further away from the birds and see if that helps. They could be making her nervous. Does anyone else handle the birds, or is it just you? Maybe she is biting you because you smell like bird?
Kelly Sosik-Hamor
Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. |
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Jupiterannette
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/09 19:34
i decided to put her back in our bedroom.. atleast during the day.. it is quietest there.
and then i will put her back in the animal room at night... all though she could keep the other animals up...
he wheel is a quiet one but it wiggles and bangs all night!
and she crunches away at her kibble..
perhaps the living room???? it is relitivly quiet in my house all day. but the birds sing soflty all day.. then there is the occasional macaw scream, but you could be out side and you would still hear it so that doesnt matter as far as local.
yeah i dont know if i was going to fast or what.. but she is doing better, and im getting to be not afraid of her again. i offered my hand to her little face, and she didnt bite it..! BONUS!
how ever she still hops the whole time i am holding her.
she jumps quickly constantly....
and she does it when i touch her to.
but no more biting!!!!
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Jupiterannette
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/09 19:39
um.. smell like bird... could be.. i am the primary animal handler here...
joey does to but he has a hand washing OCD and i well... dont! i mean i wash my hands aften enogh, but perhaps not for her. LOL
funny cause her little hands and feet are constanty coverd in DOODIE!!!!! EWWWWWWWW!!!!!
LOL
after i washed her wheel she was lookin at me like... can i take a bath now?
but i dont want her to get dry skin. even though it is a moisterizing soap...
thoughts?
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Tavimh
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/09 21:06
a little bit of warm water (just enough to cover her feet) is great for letting her feet get clean and it's okay to use more frequently.
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Jupiterannette
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/10 02:23
so what do you think about the hopping and huffing when ever i move.
she pops up and huffs at me when ever i move... or type! lol
i think she wants to walk on tthe key board...
heres dini
/;m nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn bjjjjjjjkj /ue ccccccccccccccdrrrrrafcFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJKK BVCFGH HGVFCJDYTDUYFVKJHG;LIIIIIIIIIIIIDSRSAR FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFGJ
I LOVE THE FACT SHE FIGURED OUT HOW TO USE CAP LOCK!
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HamorHollow
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/10 04:58
Oh no, it's the super secret hedgehog code again!
Hedgehogs have bad eyesight, so that might account for some of the popping.
Kelly Sosik-Hamor
Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. |
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HedgeMom
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/10 17:27
Ok, my .02USD. Too much, too fast and not one thing done consistently for a decent period of time.
LOOK at the list of things that you did in a week. Which ones did you do consistently, night after night, at the same time in the exact same way?
Since she's not biting anyone but her main caretakers, I vote that she's trying desparately to communicate her displeasure with your caretaking.
Leave her alone with a tshirt that smells like you for at LEAST 72 hours. Remove her hide box, hedgebag, tube, anything that she can hide in and force her to use your smelly shirt as her sleeping spot.
For the 72 hours that you DON'T pick her up, talk pleasantly to her when you're working around her or doing something in her habitat. I have two new girls in my living room and when I tidy up their cage, I talk to them. "Hi sweet girls. I'm cleaning up your poopy mess. Boy you two had a good time last night. Look another tube in your water bowl. My, do you have to drop kibble crumbs all the way around the cage? Have you HEARD of a napkin? Lord, why is your hedgebag unfolded into a long flat piece? Would you rather have a ball cap? Ok, who put poop halfway up the wall?" and I keep it up. I know my life is very different from their breeders and I expect some "culture shock" when a new hedgehog first moves in.
For the first few days we've been visiting by picking up a hedgebag with a hedgehog in it and I sit in the chair with a bag on my lap and I knit. I don't pet, poke, prod or otherwise insist on them coming out. If they do, they do. If they don't, c'est la vie. If you keep your flesh away from the end that bites, you won't get bitten.
After three days of leaving her alone and then three or four days of just having her out on your lap quiet and not petting or anything, you should see a difference. If I have one who is slow in establishing a relationship, I make sure to leave a special treat when I visit in the morning to do cage care. In the form of a mealie or a wax worm or watermelon. Just one. And I'll do the same thing in the evening when I make my rounds. Usually after a few days of consistently doing this, I find myself confronted with a wide awake hedgehog coming out of a hedgebag upon hearing me in their cage, with a "What did you bring me?" look on their face.
Do not force yourself on a hedgehog. They will rebuff you in the strongest possible terms. They do not take well to pushy people and some are very slow to adapt to change. They are not dogs or cats that bond to whoever feeds them and they are not vindictive, vengeful creatures like birds. They are uniquely hedgehogs with very adorable personalities who like what they like when they like it.
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dzmeadows
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/10 17:37
HedgeMom wrote:
If I have one who is slow in establishing a relationship, I make sure to leave a special treat when I visit in the morning to do cage care. In the form of a mealie or a wax worm or watermelon. Just one.
Um, Nancy? I would think that just one watermelon would be a WHOLE lot of days worth of treats.
Becca
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HedgeMom
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/10 18:23
dzmeadows wrote:Um, Nancy? I would think that just one watermelon would be a WHOLE lot of days worth of treats.
Becca
*thwap*
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Jupiterannette
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/10 19:43
LOL
i can always count on you guys far a laugh when im feeling discouraged.
i feel so bad that i ampushing her too fast and i am trying to slow down..
i think she is adapting rather well now.. i just let her sit on me and crawl around and poop all over me..... i htink she has managed to figure out im a fast mover and i thin she is ok with it now..
aslong as she gets a tubbie when ever we play.. its all cool!
i dont understand why she likes them so much.. just tootsie soaking but still.. im fine with it cause she stays clean!
thank you
nat
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Quilted_Lamb
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Re:take steps backward - 2006/02/10 21:10
Some hedgehogs love bathtime while others are certain they are about to drown and must get out by whatever means possible!  I've even heard and seen pictures of hedgehogs swimming! My girl has come to accept her footie baths, but I think the mealworm she gets afterwards plays a big part in that, lol. It may be that you are lucky enough to have one of those hedgehogs who enjoys bathtime. If so, good for you! Hedgie hugs...Tiffany
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