Have you ever had a Hedgie allow you to stroke it? I'm sure you know as well as I do that they let their spines lie flat across their back when they don't feel threatened.

A couple of years ago I happened to notice a Hedgie out underneath our bird table. We know what NOT to feed them and so we threw a few scraps together and I went out and put the bowl in front of it (Dom had to shine a small torch so I could see. He started to nom and let me touch him, and he was SO SOFT!!! A lovely experience :)