There’s not much that can stop most animals from enjoying a snack, but Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium zookeeper Adrienne has figured out exactly how to make their porcupine, Nigel, come to a complete halt mid-munch, and it’s absolutely adorable.

Most of us think of porcupines as prickly rather than cuddly, but Adrienne proves us wrong when she finds Nigel’s “spot.” The moment she scratches just behind his ear, he completely melts, pausing his snack to soak up the affection. It’s just too cute and might just change the way you think about porcupines forever!

Point Defiance Zoo had the best caption for the video: “Nigel, our adorable prehensile-tailed porcupine, melts when keeper Adrienne finds that special spot right behind his ears. Quills relaxed, eyes soft, expert-level scratches achieved.”

We’re pretty sure that Nigel agrees with that statement, too!

Related: Zoo’s Adorable Video of Baby Porcupine Exploring Has Everyone in Love

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Commenters’ Sweet Reactions to Nigel Soaking Up Affection

Commenters got a kick out of Nigel’s adorable reaction to getting his spot scratched and had some cute things to say about it. Like @Abel, who pointed out, “That ear scratch was soooo good he quit chewing!” @gut.health.gladiator added, “He’s like, ‘Thats the spot!'”

@shadow luna 78 wondered what we were all thinking, “If not friend, why friend-shaped?” @Taric Sam Alani replied, “Plot twist, he is a friend, who can only be pet in one direction.” @MerryChristmasF added, “I bet they’re really cuddly if you can get past the prickles.”

Here’s a fun fact about porcupine quills: porcupines can have up to 30,000 of them! Many people think porcupines can launch their quills like arrows, but that’s a myth. When a porcupine feels threatened, its quills rise as a warning.

If a predator gets too close, the quills easily detach on contact. Each quill has a tiny barb, similar to a fishhook, which makes them painful and difficult to remove. Some quills even rattle when shaken, giving predators a clear warning before they get poked.

Porcupines are rarely aggressive with humans, but if you ever encounter one in the wild, keep your distance just to be on the safe side.

This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Jan 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.