Imagine you're cuddling your hedgehog. You're sharing some quality bonding time – so you thought. Then wham! Outta no-where your hedgehog bites you for no apparent reason. OUCH! What's worse is you don't know what to do and they've latched on with jaws of steel. Unfortunately that can happen with any animal that has teeth…even adorable hedgehogs. The good news is that it isn't common behavior. Additionally, if you make the effort to implement the tips and tricks in our Hedgehog Bonding article, you can reduce the chance that your hedgehog bites you.
The first response that unprepared hedgie parents go through is typically shrieking in pain, immediately followed by putting their hedgie in their cage. Keep reading to find out why that's not the best reaction. We're going to examine the various reasons that can lead to hedgehog bites, indicators that it may occur, and give some alternate measures to help you diffuse the situation.
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Reasons For Hedgehog Bites
There are several reasons why a hedgehog may nip or bite. By understanding the various causes, you can often take measures to help prevent future instances of biting behaviors in your hedgehog. The reasons generally fall into one or more of these categories:
- Defense mode
- Suddenly startled or scared
- Pain, illness, or injury they may be experiencing
- Smells or tastes something on you
- Grumpy and wants to be left alone
- Hungry
- Territorial – protecting something they don't want taken from them
Recognizing Behaviors That Can Lead To Hedgehog Bites
Defense Mode
An animal that feels like they are in imminent danger with no escape route is an unpredictable animal. While hedgehogs normally don't behave this way, that doesn't factor in personality. Some hedgehogs are more aggressive than others and when their “fight or flight” instinct kicks in, they'll fight. If your hedgehog is looking for an escape route, it could signal a hedgehog bite may be coming.
Startled or Scared
Most animals, including humans, don't react well to being scared or startled. Additionally, previous situational memories can evoke aggression if the hedgehog has been exposed to past negative experiences that have frightened them. This is a common phenomenon displayed by rehomed hedgehogs when they are scared. Even our own Quilly, who we've had since he was weaned, gets frightened when anyone gets near his head or face. He has been known to snap at the air in our general direction when trying to examine his chin, mouth or ears. At any other time he's mild mannered and very easy going.
Signals of pain, injury, or illness Can Lead To Hedgehog Bites
Learning your hedgehog's body language is important for several reasons. In several articles on our website, we've been a strong advocate for investing in an inexpensive wi-fi camera so that you can observe them without human interference. A hedgehog that is ill often doesn't exhibit any outward signs when they are out of their cage with their humans. Consider a wifi camera as your early warning system. You'll be able to review the tell-tale signs of flinching, audible pain sounds, limping, lack of appetite, refusal to hydrate, lethargy, or favoring one side. Getting your hedgehog treatment for this source of biting behaviors is a fairly easy solution.
Licking And/or Intense Sniffing Around Your Body
If your hedgehog is hot on the trail of something that it wants to taste, eat, or explore with their mouth, this can be a sign of near-future chompies. Many hedgie parents observed licking before their hedgehog bit them, and also have said they weren't wearing anything scented. Just because you can't smell a scent doesn't mean that there isn't a chemical odor being given off that your hedgehog finds extremely interesting. Try changing your beauty or hand washing products if you're stumped.
Agitated, Guarded, or Aggressive Behavior
In this video shared with us by Amber Petry, her hedgehog Bernadette is exhibiting very blatant signs of agitation and actually lunged at her to let Amber know she wasn't pleased. If you observe your hedgehog postured stiffly, repositioning quickly to keep you in their line of vision, and acting aggressively, it's a real possibility that a hedgehog bite is what you'll get. Hedgehogs can have bad quill days and some will let you know in a very tangible way!
Territorial Response
Sometimes hedgehogs can become territorial over a space that they've claimed, a human or pet that they're protective of, or even cage accessories they favor. We had a female hedgehog named Ginger that liked to hide in the couch cushions whenever she wasn't in our daughter's hoodie. That was her turf! One afternoon, our youngest daughter sat at the edge of the couch to watch television. Ginger lunged out and clamped onto our daughter's butt. Obviously she stood up thinking Ginger would let go! But Ginger hung suspended mid-air until she finally released and dropped to the couch.
Ways To Handle Hedgehog Biting
When you have a hedgehog that regularly exhibits biting behaviors, it may be a good idea to create a Hedgehog Bite Response Plan (HBRP). If you're the only one that interacts with the hedgehog, then it's probably not necessary. You just need to decide what you're going to do and do that. However, if you have two or more people in a household that interact with your hedgie, we believe a HBRP would help provide consistency.
In order to train an animal, or even a human, there has to be consistency. While it may sound harsh to include a human in that example, I can explain. We have a handicapped daughter that exhibits self-injurious behavior. Her entire developmental team has a response protocol so that whoever has to diffuse the situation acts in a manner that has been agreed upon and is consistent. If any measure defined in the plan proves to be ineffective, the plan is revised among all that interact with her.
Avoidance
If you observe your hedgehog behaving in any way that has been exhibited before a prior hedgehog bite, avoidance may very well be the best course of action. It also may not be. Why? If you have an anti-social hedgehog and you avoid them, they'll never become socialized. This type of avoidance is really only an option if your hedgehog is already socialized and they're just having a bad quill day now and then.
Another form of avoidance is by covering all bare bite-able flesh with clothing and gloves sufficiently thick enough to protect your skin. But that also undermines the whole bonding regiment too. With or without protection, your hedgehog needs socialization.
Socialization
If your hedgehog isn't well socialized, that may be part of the problem. They need to be interacted with daily in order to gain their trust so they relax and enjoy your company. If you haven't read it already, we highly recommend that you read our article called Hedgehog Bonding: Helpful Tips & Tricks. Many people have been helped by at least one or two tips in the article. Even if you have to start out with thin gloves because of how sharp their quills are and how tightly they ball…it's a start. It'll take you longer to achieve their trust that way, but not trying definitely won't gain it at all.
Diversion/Distraction
When your hedgie is out spending time with you, watch their body language closely. All animals have body language. Often you can see when your hedgehog may be about to take a lunge at you. Just like their tail usually pops out indicating they're about to poo…that kind of body language. A cat typically crouches low and slowly waves its tail before pouncing. What is it that your hedgehog does before they try and chomp you? If you can identify that thing (or those things), you may be able to divert their attention to something else. Or distract them from continuing.
Overcoming Hangry
Hungry + angry = Hangry. And yes it's really a thing. When your hedgie seems obsessed with your scent, it can be effective to have pieces of kibble and other treats to offer outside their cage in case they're hangry. Oh! Never feed them with your fingers. Always use feeding tongs. You don't want your hedgie to associate your fingers with food! Alternately, if they're sniffing at you and trying to lick you, offer them something they can bite, like a mint stick or tea bag.
Positive Reinforcement
Most behavioral specialists will agree that positive reinforcement is the best way to train. The way it works is that you make your hedgehog's time with you fun and rewarding. As long as they continue to not bite, you reinforce that behavior with rewards that you enter into the interaction (fun, treats, etc). However, if your hedgehog is only an occasional biter, how are they supposed to make the connection? For habitual hedgehog biting, this method may help. But we doubt that it will work for a hedgehog that only occasionally bites.
Negative Punishment
Please don't thump your hedgehog on the nose if they bite! That's likely to turn them mean and definitely isn't the type of negative punishment we're talking about.
Time Out if Your Hedgehog Bites
Let's say your hedgehog bites, nips, or even chomps in your direction. You immediately and firmly say, “No bite” and put them in time-out. To be clear, time out is NOT back in their cage! That only reinforces hedgehog biting behavior and they learn it gets them put back into a safe, secure place to hide. Instead, have a small plastic tub (without any hides) that is too deep to climb out of and too big for them to feel cocooned. At the same time, you don't want it so deep or small that they feel they have someplace to hide.
In fact, if you use a round, plastic basin, they won't have a corner to hide in. Put it right next to you so they realize that they didn't intimidate you and you're not going away. All that has happened is they've been put in an area that is definitely not within their comfort zone for a short spell. Only make them stay in time out for a few minutes and then resume normal interaction. Repeat if they attempt to bite again. Whenever you do put them in their cage for the evening, make sure it isn't immediately following biting behaviors. They need the reward of their safe space when they aren't displaying biting behaviors.
Safely Get Their Attention
Another form of negative punishment is one we feel makes a quicker impression. Most hedgehogs don't like baths or water. Keep an ultra-fine, water mister near you when interacting with your hedgie. If your hedgehog bites you, firmly say, “No bite” and spritz them in the face with the mister. We've spoken with several hedgie parents that have stated water was very effective in training their hedgehog to stop biting. And a fine mist isn't cruel or injurious, but it will get their attention. If it is applied with immediate consistently and they see that it doesn't get them what they want, they'll soon get the idea. This method should be pretty effective for getting them to release their latched jaw if they've clamped onto you too.
A Sudden Breeze
Some people have found blowing in their hedgehog's face effective if their hedgie has clamped onto them. The principle is the same as the water spritz since many hedgehogs don't care for it. If it works for you, that's great! It's one of those things where you won't know if it'll work until you try it. It could actually cause them to clamp down even harder, so be forewarned.
Ignore The Situation
There are some people in the hedgehog community that advocate the no-response response – to give no reaction at all. Grit your teeth and bear it. Show no fear. Don't even flinch. The premise behind this school of thought is that it teaches the hedgehog that biting doesn't gain them anything, so they'll stop doing it to seek attention or trying to get whatever it is they want. We won't discount that this method can work, but we do believe that's a long, hard, row to hoe. We certainly wouldn't take that course of action without wearing gloves (which undermines bonding). It's very possible that you wind up being the one conditioned, rather than your biting hedgehog.
Which Method Is Best For Stopping Hedgehog Bites?
Remember us mentioning a HBRP (hedgehog bite response plan)? Each hedgehog has its own personality, just like children. And also like children, how you respond to misbehavior has to be tailored to the personality of the child. Only you can determine what is going to be most effective with your hedgie. And if you make a plan and it's not working – change the plan! Like most things in life, we're allowed to make a u-turn. It may require several failed attempts before you hit the right one. And please don't allow anyone to tell you that their way is the only effective way. That's just not true! In fact, you may know of a method we haven't mentioned here that works for you. If so, we'd love to hear about it! We honestly have an open mind and know that when it comes to handling hedgehogs, the one-size-fits-all model of doing things doesn't get it.
Dealing With Hedgehog Bites In The Moment
Let's face it. When you take your hedgehog out of their cage to bond with them, most of you are prepared for the ball of quills treatment and you're determined to gain their trust. However, most hedgehog owners never bargained on getting a hedgehog that bites them. So when it happens for the very first time, they react from the shock and pain of it. Don't. IF you can.
You read that right, don't react in a way that is going to escalate the situation. Yell at them and they're likely to clamp down harder. Get angry and start flailing – they're likely to get hurt. Banish them to their cage and they just got rewarded with the one place that they feel safe. So this only reinforces hedgehog bites!
Try not to react and wait for them to release. When they do, remove your fingers from their line of sight, but keep interacting with them as if nothing happened. If it was your leg or other area, cover the bare skin. It may have been an isolated incident that doesn't happen again. Or, something may have happened that placed them into defense mode…or one of the other six reasons why hedgehogs typically bite. Try and examine the interaction up to and through the biting event. You'll probably recall something and you'll know how to avoid future biting episodes. Or you may discover what behavior/situation you need to desensitize them to.
Straight Talk About Hedgehog Bites
They suck! Getting bitten hurts and no one likes it. Hedgehogs would rather ball up and hide than fight, so something has happened that they felt they needed to be aggressive. Your mission is to sleuth it out and eliminate the condition(s) that turned them into a snapping ball of teeth…if you can. Or condition your hedgie to know they're safe when the threatening conditions are present. One thing that is counterproductive is blaming yourself.
Is it possible that your hedgie was ill-treated before you got them? Maybe there's something environmental provoking the biting behavior? For instance, is there loud rowdiness going on in the house from video games, dogs barking, etc? Obviously you don't want to make your entire household cater to your hedgehog, so you'll need to develop a plan to condition your hedgie to understand that they are safe and loved even in a chaotic environment.
One possibility that we only mention as a last resort is surrendering your hedgehog to a rescue. If you've tried to condition their behavior and you've reached the place where you cannot deal with it anymore…we understand. It's not a reflection on your hedgie rearing skills. You shouldn't feel like you've failed.
Each and every one of us has a tolerance threshold for pain and fear. If interacting with your hedgehog strikes fear into you because they might bite, the more humane thing to do would be to surrender them to a loving hedgehog rescue. Consider the hedgehog as a special needs hedgie, requiring an experienced handler that is capable of working with them. And if you do go this route, you should be applauded for prioritizing the needs of the hedgehog foremost.
