Digby is very territorial

[chelseabell]

Well, I've had Digby several weeks now and he is definitely warming up to my husband and I.

When we get him out to socialize at night, he runs around and is pretty friendly.

However, he still gets really angry when I first pick him up out of his cage. The moment he is actually out of it, he seems to get over it, but when I first go to grab him or when I check to make sure he's still doing okay throughout the day, he curls up, spikes out, and hisses like crazy.

Is it normal for hedgehogs to do this? Just seems weird considering how friendly he is after we play with him for a while. Will he ever stop being so angry when someone invades his space?

Also, for your entertainment:

 

[Kalandra]

Its normal. Some of them will always be a bit cage territorial but once out, just as social as can be. Others seem to "grow" out of that as they learn to trust you.

 

[smhufflepuff]

mmm... what a stud muffin he is!

One way I get less huffiness is by warning them I'll be picking them up soon. I'll sing, fix their homes up for the day/night, talk to them, etc... before picking them up. Think of it like having an alarm clock with a snooze button... You wouldn't want someone pulling you right out of bed first thing in the morning, right? No good. But having someone come over, talk to you softly, let you wake up a little more, tell you you're a wonderful human, let you get adjusted to the light, and then get you up - much better, right?

ETA: Satin was never happy with the idea of me checking on her during the day. You CANNOT interrupt diva's beauty sleep. She'd huff and puff and almost cluck. Otherwise, she was fine - no huffs or anything... very sweet girl.