Knowing how to calm hedgehogs is essential, especially if you want to get one or are a new pet owner.
That is because hedgehogs have many factors that scare them, and their common defense mechanism when scared is balling up and hissing at you.
It is not easy to calm a scared or anxious hedgehog. It is possible, but it takes a lot of commitment, time, and bonding with your pet.
Stay put as I elaborate further.
How To Calm Hedgehogs
It is easier to calm down a hedgehog when you have built enough trust.
When your pet becomes defensive by curling into a ball-like shape, your reaction should be to put it in a dark corner because it feels safe in dark environments and give it time to relax on its own.
Alternatively, you can cover it with your jacket, pouch, or hoodie and keep holding it while placed on your chest.
If your hedgehog becomes extremely afraid, starts hissing vigorously, and puffing up with its spines out in all directions, the best option is to place it in its cage and allow it to calm down.
After your hedgehog has becomes calm, and you’ve created a bond, you can try to bathe it with warm water. They love warm water and gentle scrubs.
Hedgehogs are usually active at night because they rest and sleep during the day. Therefore, the most appropriate time to create a relationship is the nighttime. You should always ensure you adhere to your pet’s natural rhythms.
Tips to Bond With a Hedgehog To Create a Calming Effect
1. Playing With It
One of the best ways of creating a harmonious bond with your hedgehog is to be playful with it.
You should place your hands far away from your pet and tenderly beckon it to come towards you and smell you.
It is advisable not to attempt to touch it but instead allow it to approach you gradually on its terms.
You should be able to notice sounds that tend to scare your pet and avoid them, and a sign of relaxation is if it relaxes its quills.
Be relaxed to the point where your pet climbs over your body and tires to explore your various body parts.
Sometimes specific colors tend to make hedgehogs irritable. The color red is the most reported case. If it is uneasy with particular colors, avoid adorning them when trying to create a bond with your pet.
2. Through Your Sound
Hedgehogs are highly sensitive to sound and tend to curl into ball-like shapes when they hear loud or unwanted sounds.
That is why it is prudent to always talk to your pet so that it gets to know and master your voice.
It is advisable to talk to your pet when it is comfortable and in a cheerful mood. That is when you are either bathing it with warm water or gently holding and rubbing it during the night when it is active.
Music is so soothing to hedgehogs, so you can go a step further and occasionally be singing soft music to your pet.
Talking in a stern and sudden manner or closing and opening doors loudly may irritate your pet.
3. Through Your Scent
Hedgehogs have a high sense of smell, so it is prudent for your pet to get used to your natural scent.
One of the most effective ways of getting your hedgehog used to your scent is to sleep in a t-shirt for several nights without cleaning it and then placing it over your pet’s cage or sleeping area.
You should avoid using strong perfumes or scents when bonding because they may confuse your pet with your original scent.
4. Through Treats
If your hedgehog becomes too irritable and uneasy and refuses to uncurl, you can offer it a nice treat, like a snack, to lure it to calm down.
Try using a long stick or tweezer to hand over a snack to entice it to relax and uncurl.
When it becomes accustomed to your smell, you can entice it by placing it in your fingers or close to your chest area and lure your pet to respond to it.
5. Picking It up Properly
How you pick your hedgehog determines whether you will bond with its calmness.
Avoid picking it up directly from above, as doing that frightens it and may feel like a hawk snatching it from above the skies.
Ensure you first offer your hands to it for your pet to smell them while talking to it gently in a calm voice.
To correctly pick it up without scaring it, open your hands on either side of your pet until it cradles up your hands.
Conclusion
There are several ways of calming and bonding with your hedgehog. The highlighted ones are the most effective and will greatly assist you.
Once you get a hedgehog, the most important thing is to develop trust with it with utmost patience while following the guidelines I have elaborated on above.
