Self Anointing

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LexieHeg

I'm a Hedgie kinda girl
Joined
Apr 2, 2011
Messages
174
Do all hedgehogs self anoint? Has anyone had a hedgehog that doesn't do it?
 
Aero would NEVER do it no matter what I tried. I wish he did though.
 
Some just dont do it.. My Rosa.. He will do it every time I give him a dirty sock. Needler was the same way. Day long worn perfume always got him going.
 
It's cute as anything to watch them corkscrew up and lick parts you'd think were impossible to reach... even cuter that they're so involved in anointing that they seem to lose touch with the rest of the world - will tumble over without a care in the world.

On the other hand, they turn themselves into complete messes - their quilly little bodies and anything they touch. It can get special to clean them up. When they anoint with medications - definitely NOT cool. It gets difficult (if not impossible) to outwit their little anointing tendencies with some meds.
 
It is cute to see, but it can be annoying as can be too.

Rose is so scent and taste driven that even though she's been on the same meds for over a month now she still anoints every time (she's on 3 at the moment). When you want the meds in her instead of on her, it becomes a challenge. I have found that if a mealworm is given fast enough, it may distract her from anointing. It usually works, but not always, sometimes the urge is just too strong. And sometimes she starts to eat the mealworm and the anointing urge wins... then I get medicine/mealworm foam.
 
Oh good, I was worried it was a health reason that you wanted them to annoint.

I have yet to see it at all so I have no idea what it looks like....maybe I will youtube it!
 
No health problems if they do or do not anoint. I don't know that I've ever seen Cooper anoint, Poptart will if I let her in my hair, otherwise nope... Rose... medicine and occasionally a strong tasting food will, but usually food doesn't either.
 
Wall-e self anointed for the first time today! ON MY HAIR! It was kind of gross but I let him do it for a short while because I figured it was some type of strange hedgehog-mommy bonding time. He was also pulling my hair out of the way it was pinned back with his itty bitty nails. I didn't want him to accidentally ingest any hair, though, so I stopped him. I imagine it doesn't take much more than one long hair to clog up a hedgie's digestive tract.
 
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