African Pygmy Hedgehog - Barley

Name: Barley
Gender: Male
Birthdate: August 21st, 2006
Colour: Algerian Chocolate

Barley was a rescue. He had an upper respiratory infection, lived in a tiny cage with no food or water and was terrified of people...today he is happy, healthy and a bundle of joy!

(The music playing is Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker)

Answers to questions posted in comments:

Are they like rats where they bug their eyes out if they're super duper happy?
I haven't the slightest clue...if so, my hedgehogs must be happy all the time!!

do they bite and does it hurt if u pick them up im thinkin bout gettin?
Anything with teeth can bite if it wants to! However, Barley is a biter but my other three are not. It is a very hard thing to train a hedgehog not to do but it is also very easy to avoid. Also note that Barley is a rescue and my other three are not. I have been bitten by Barley twice in the four years I have had him and have also been "tasted" by Nioka once as I smelled like pineapple!
It does not hurt to pick up a socialized hedgehog. There quills are not extremely sharp (with the exception of baby quills!!!) and you will get use to it. Hedgehogs do have their bad days so they may give you a spike or two from time to time but once again, it really does not hurt.

I just recently also bought a hedgehog from our local pet store, he was covered in his own feces and not cared for properly either and I just couldn't say no to him! He too is terrified and hisses and doesn't come out of his little ball really at all when I try to take him out. Just wondering what you did to help your hedgehog socialized and timid around people?
It took me about 1 1/2 to 2 years to fully socialize Barley. He was in bad shape...URI, dehydrated, underweight, overgrown nails, urine soaked bedding etc. Not good.
The key is a lot of patience, time and mealworms. My advice to you is to first prioritize treating the mites before even trying to tame him. Revolution (kitten formula) is the best option. Once that clears up and he is more comfortable then you can begin to socialize him.
With Barley, I never put an old T-shirt in his cage as suggested by some, but thats not to say it doesn't work. I simply took him out everyday for at least and hour and rewarded him for any signs of him courageously unrolling or showing his face. He was really nasty!!! I did this for for a LONG time and he slowly gained an understanding that I was a good thing and wasn't going to hurt him. At this point, where he had no problem unrolling, wasn't spooked by movements, and was relaxed (quills down), I moved onto things like teaching him its okay to be picked up and petted.
It is definitely a long process but so worth it. I still continue to this day to work with him...he loves to bite anything that you put in from of him, including fingers!! Other that this, he has come a long way and I am so proud of him and an very lucky to have him. As a bonus, hes that one in a million hedgehog who comes to the cage to greet you and wants to be taken out to play. That to me is worth more than words can describe.
I used a similar method to also socialize my newest addition, Holly, who is such a little explorer that it made it hard to bond with her!!! As for Nioka and Noel, who also came from a breeder, they were essentially 100% socialized and I barely had to do any work with them...the breeder did a fantastic job with them!!

"He looks fat"
HE SURE WAS in that picture!!!!! He was a little chubby when he was about 1 1/2 years old. That is why he is swimming in that picture...to lose those extra pounds since he wouldn't use his wheel!
Don't worry, I'm not offended. :)

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Sugar
• Kody
• Barley
• Noel
• Nioka
• Holly
• Bird
• Birds
• Pet
• Companion
• Parrot
• Parrots
• Budgie
• Parakeet
• Dark-Eyed
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• African
• Pygmy
• Hedgehog

[IAmMackey]

do you know what the colouring of your hedgehog is, such as cinnamon, chocolate, salt and pepper or otherwise? I love the colour and I'm getting a hedgehog soon

[SamatranTiger]

@IAmMackey

Algerian Chocolate

[nenecousa]

What is name of this music?

[SamatranTiger]

@nenecousa

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker

[Izzy61634]

@hahahacokeflavour  lol no its not

[magic12ernie]

This isn't a video.

[hahahacokeflavour]

No top comments? Gonna change!

[knucklesgirl09]

:50 its so cute X3!!!

[yuMMahGiRL]

Oh! He/she is so cute! I'm getting a hedgehog of my own a few days after Christmas!!!

[anonymviolin]

Watch out for the bad ass hedgehog at ...23 sec

[DuecePiece]

I love my hedgehog. Great pictures.