[cloverbordercollie]

I would like to get a hedgehog but I don't know how to Care for them.:???: I need some advice about caring for them. Please give me all the info you have.

[Lara's mom]

Google Tiggywinkles Hedgehog Hospital. I visited the hospital the last time I was in England...Amazing place. They should have links to all kinds of info.

[mrandrei]

Hedgehogs are flea magnets, aren't they?

[Lara's mom]

No. Fleas don't live on hedgehog. However they are prone to ticks. Hedgehogs to not make good pets.

[Lunareclipse]

I had a hedgehog. He was great. You have to handle them for at least an hour everyday. They tend to be really shy. If you get one, make sure you have a more than average tolerance of pain. Their spikes are prickly, but not sharp. As long as you handle your hedgehog gently, you won't get stuck. Keep Noesporin and bandaids on hand just in case. Make sure you have a glass aguarium for him. No wire bars, especially for the floor. They have very tiny, fragile feet. I fed mine catfood because there wasn't a hedgehog food on the market at the time. I don't know if that has changed, but catfood worked great for him. I gave him pine bedding. For some reason the seller told me that cedar bedding could be dangerous for him. Make sure you change his bedding every two days. They have very little fur, so they do not shed. And they are not messy creatures. Sometimes when you change their bedding, they foam at the mouth and rub the foam on themselves. There is nothing wrong with them, they are just trying to smell like their new bedding. They are great if you want an unusual pet in a house full of cats. Cats quit bothering them after the first couple of pricks. They do make an unusual huffing noise. Nothing is wrong. They just do that. Just like barking is a dog noise. That's all i can remember from owning mine. Make sure you do lots of other research. Things may have changed from when I owned one.

[Lara's mom]

Hedgehogs are wild animals. They should not be sold as pets in the first place. Purchasing one is like getting a dog from a puppy mill. You just encourage those who are intent on making a quick buck to take more of these creatures out of the wild where they belong.

[cloverbordercollie]

Originally Posted by Lunareclipse

I had a hedgehog. He was great. You have to handle them for at least an hour everyday. They tend to be really shy. If you get one, make sure you have a more than average tolerance of pain. Their spikes are prickly, but not sharp. As long as you handle your hedgehog gently, you won't get stuck. Keep Noesporin and bandaids on hand just in case. Make sure you have a glass aguarium for him. No wire bars, especially for the floor. They have very tiny, fragile feet. I fed mine catfood because there wasn't a hedgehog food on the market at the time. I don't know if that has changed, but catfood worked great for him. I gave him pine bedding. For some reason the seller told me that cedar bedding could be dangerous for him. Make sure you change his bedding every two days. They have very little fur, so they do not shed. And they are not messy creatures. Sometimes when you change their bedding, they foam at the mouth and rub the foam on themselves. There is nothing wrong with them, they are just trying to smell like their new bedding. They are great if you want an unusual pet in a house full of cats. Cats quit bothering them after the first couple of pricks. They do make an unusual huffing noise. Nothing is wrong. They just do that. Just like barking is a dog noise. That's all i can remember from owning mine. Make sure you do lots of other research. Things may have changed from when I owned one.

Why in the world do you have to Groom a Hedgehog? Do you realy need to change his bedding every two days? why not longer? Did it ever wake you up at night?

[Lunareclipse]

I never said anything about grooming them. They groom themselves, except for the occasional bath. Why would you want to go more than 2 days without cleaning their cage. That would be unsanitary. At least scoop out the areas that they pooped and peed in. My hedgehog was not nocturnal, so he didn't keep me up. Sometimes he would wake up at night to go pee, like we all do.

[rayter]

Sure. Take note however that pet hedgehogs need to be kept indoors in the warm and should never be allowed to hibernate as this can be dangerous for domesticated hedgehogs.

[cloverbordercollie]

Originally Posted by Lunareclipse

I never said anything about grooming them. They groom themselves, except for the occasional bath. Why would you want to go more than 2 days without cleaning their cage. That would be unsanitary. At least scoop out the areas that they pooped and peed in. My hedgehog was not nocturnal, so he didn't keep me up. Sometimes he would wake up at night to go pee, like we all do.

Thanks very much for the info! Did you ever get bit?

[bostonlover]

Originally Posted by cloverbordercollie

I would like to get a hedgehog but I don't know how to Care for them.:???: I need some advice about caring for them. Please give me all the info you have.

ok they do make good pets. i have 2 and they do not smell. i change their bedding once a week and clean their litter box every other day. their really easy to take care of. they eat cat food and like mealworms or cat treats for treats. boo likes pineapple too.

they like to play with small cat toys.

both of mine are up about 3pm and will sleep at night. they really dont make much noise unless you have a big wheel for them to run in.

i havent had any issues with fleas, ticks, or bugs at all with them

mine like to cuddle up on the couch in their blankets and just watch tv with me.

i give them a bath about once a month and all you use is kitten shampoo and a tooth brush and use a toenail clipper to clip their nails after the bath.

the hedgies that are for pets are not a wild breed. they are smaller then their wild cousin.

they live about 7 years or so. one of mine is 3yrs old and the other is 1 yr old

heres a few pics of mine with my cat and dog.

if you have any other questions ask away

[Lara's mom]

Wow! They are sooooooo cute!!! They do look a lot smaller than the ones I saw at the hedgehog hospital in England.

[Lunareclipse]

I never got bit. Mine was very friendly and outgoing because I socialized it often. I even taught him to fetch treats. He loved to play with the ferrets too.

[bostonlover]

mine dont bite either.

they will start to lick you then nibble on your finger but it just feels like a light pinch but thats only after i've fed them treats

[lil mutt]

I think you should do some research first before you get one. You will have better idea about hedgehog once you understand it's needs and how to properly take care of it.

[bostonlover]

i bought a few books from barnes and noble and i was lucky enough to have a friend thats has had her 3 hedgies for a while so she told me all that she dose.



and the younger they are the more pointy they are. the older they get the "softer" their quils get

[mickii]

Originally Posted by Lara's mom

Wow! They are sooooooo cute!!! They do look a lot smaller than the ones I saw at the hedgehog hospital in England.

Pet hedgehogs are different species to the european wild hedgehog we find in England.