I know this has absolutely nothing to do with pet hedgehogs. But a friend of mine asked me to put this on my site and as a dog lover how could I refuse. To cut a long story short what I am going to do is ask you to click on a link and sign a petition, in an effort to save an innocent dog’s life. So I hope you’ll bear with me and take the time to read the story and watch Bruce’s video.

Bruce’s Story

Bruce is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. He was found wandering as a stray puppy by a family in Northern Ireland in the UK. He lived happily with his family for several years and then suddenly on 19 September 2007 he was snatched away by officials from the local town council and incarcerated in a dog kennel. The reason these officials could seize the dog is that they decided that Bruce  had the appearance of “pit bull type” dog and was therefore banned by the Dangerous Dogs Act (Northen Ireland) Order 1991. What this basically means is that an official can decide that a dog is dangerous simply because he looks like a pit bull! The fact that Bruce has never bitten or acted aggressively towards anybody is not relevant. The fact that Bruce has never put a paw wrong is not disputed by the town council.

In August 2008 a trial at Bangor Magistrates’ Court ruled that Bruce was of the “pit bull type” even though two expert identification witnesses gave evidence that he was not. Two weeks later Bruce was condemned to death.

This sentence caused an uproar and the family and their neighbours have done everything in the power to bring this matter to the public’s attention.

Since his time in the kennel Bruce’s physical condition has deteriorated markedly. He has lost weight and has an open and infected sore on his nose, which has been caused by his constant attempts to open his cage’s door. He has also had to have his tail amputated and is suffering from pressure sores. Despite the pain he must be suffering, experts that have examined the dog have said that he still does not present any danger to the public which is amazing considering what officialdom has put him through.

Please Watch This Video

The Law is Truly an Ass

The most ridiculous part of this story is that if Bruce had been living across the water in England, Wales or Scotland he would not be in this situation.  Had he been living literally a few miles down the road in the Republic of Ireland he would happily be living his life with his family as there is no law in that country banning “pit bull type” dogs.

In 1997 England, Wales and Scotland amended The Dangerous Dogs Act so that dogs that proved to be unlawful by appearance (i.e. they look like pit bulls) but were otherwise friendly pets no longer had to be put down. Instead they were entered into a register. Unfortunately even though Northern Ireland is part of the UK it did not adopt this amendment so dogs are still in danger of being destroyed due to their looks alone, notwithstanding the fact that they may have never done anything to merit such treatment.

Many well known animal welfare organisations in the UK have spoken out against this situation and have called for a change in the law. These include the RSPCA, The Dog Trust and the UK Kennel Club.

A dog sanctuary in the Republic of Ireland has even offered Bruce a home, but the court has so far refused to accept the offer.

At the time of writing Bruce has been granted another stay of execution by a Judicial Review of the case while “every avenue of the law is explored”, however this is only temporary. Please add your voice to the many thousands from all over the world that have already signed the petition to clearly state that THIS IS WRONG, JUST WRONG.

Please take a few minutes to go here and sign the online petition.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/BRING-BRUCE-HOME-X

Thank you.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of a hedgehog is his quills. It is actually interesting to watch a hedgehog roll into a tight ball, and to see his quills stick up in every direction, all for the sake of protection. But, if you have a pet hedgehog, how can you handle him without getting injured by his quills?

First note that a hedgehog’s quills are not as dangerous or as damaging as those of a porcupine. In fact, unless he feels threatened, his quills are actually quite soft. Do not think, however, that they won’t hurt if they poke you.

So, the first objective is to make sure that you have a hedgehog that is well socialized, as well as a hedgehog that understands that you never mean him any harm. Start socialization at a very young age. First, socialization should begin with the breeder, and the hedgehog should be handled regularly starting when he is about two weeks old.

Next, when you bring your new hedgehog home, make sure that you handle him a great deal. Always scoop him up…slowly and gently…by his underbelly, which will enable you to avoid being pricked by his quills. If he is in a ball, you will have to search for a spot to start smoothing back his quills. However, if the hedgehog is well socialized, and not being threatened, he will generally unroll from his ball on his own within a few minutes, and you can simply wait until he does to pick him up.

Try to keep the same smell. Remember that hedgehogs have very poor eyesight, and he probably actually has no clue what you look like. Instead, he knows you by smell, and if you change soaps, shampoos, and perfumes, this can confuse him, and he may feel the need to get to know you all over again from scratch.

Try to avoid patting or petting your hedgehog’s quills if you can. They simply do not like this, and it can cause them stress. Instead, pick them up, and set them in your lap, and just let them sit there. As trust develops, he will actually start to enjoy petting, and will especially like gentle scratching between his quills. Don’t rush this, however.

Some people acquaint picking up a hedgehog with picking up a pincushion with all of the pins turned in the opposite direction, but in reality, it really isn’t that bad. You should not wear gloves when handling your hedgehog. Instead, give him time to get to know you – your smell and the sound of your voice – and to associate you with friendliness. This can be accomplished by talking to him while feeding him small treats.

Allow the hedgehog to sniff your hand before you attempt to pick him up. This is very important, especially if he doesn’t know you at all. He may even want to taste you, and this should not be painful for you. If it is, this may not be a hedgehog that you want at all. Use both hands when picking up your hedgehog, but do not allow them to meet in the middle of his belly. If he gets nervous and rolls into a ball, you will be in a fix…a painful one.

Each year literally hundreds of millions of legally imported exotic pets flood into the United States and Europe. Many of these animals can be happily hopping, swimming or crawling in the wild in South America, Asia or Africa one day, and find themselves in a cage in some child’s bedroom in say, Ohio, less than a week later. Very often many of these pets are not subject to quarantine or any form of screening and come straight from the bush into our homes. Unfortunately many exotic pet owners are completely ignorant of the risks these animals may pose to their health.

Zoonotic Diseases

A zoonotic disease is one that can jump from animals to humans.  The latest “Swine Flu” outbreak is very good example of a zoonotic disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that these types of diseases account for 75% of all emerging infectious threats. Here is just a small sample of the diseases that exotic pets have passed or could pass on to humans, i.e. your family.

• Cowpox - In a recent case in France four people were infected by cowpox after being scratched by pet rats that were all bought from the same pet store. In three of the cases surgery was required to treat the disease.(1)

• Salmonella – The majority of Salmonella infections originate from contaminated food. However it is estimated that 5 % of infections are linked to pets. It is believed that around 90% of reptiles, especially iguanas and turtles, carry Salmonella. The CDC estimates that 70,000 people in the USA are infected with Salmonella by pet reptiles every year. Between 2003 and 2004 many people in ten states all over the USA were infected with a drug-resistant form of the disease which was subsequently linked to pet hamsters and other rodents. (2)

• In 1994 African Pygmy Hedgehogs were linked to a rare form of Salmonella (S. tilene), when a 10 month old girl became the first human to be documented with this serotype in the USA. The girl’s family kept a breeding herd of 80 hedgehogs and significantly she had not been in physical contact with them herself, only with a family member who had handled them. The same serotype was later diagnosed in 10 hedgehog owners in Canada. (3)

• Psittacosis – According to the CDC there are about 50 confirmed cases of Psittacosis each year in the USA, although they believe there may be many more cases that remain misdiagnosed or unreported. The disease is transmitted by pet birds such as parrots, parakeets, macaws, and cockatiels. Psittacosis can cause severe pneumonia and there have been several fatalities.(4)

• In New England in 2005 three transplant patients died after receiving organs from a human donor who had been infected with the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus by a pet hamster. (5)

• Monkeypox – In 2003 there was an outbreak of Monkeypox in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Monkeypox is related to Smallpox and its symptoms include fever and the development of a papular rash. In all cases the people with the disease had been in contact with pet prairie dogs that had all come from the same source. (6)

• Ringworm – Despite its name ringworm or Tinea is actually a fungal skin infection. One source of ringworm is known to be pet and wild hedgehogs. Over the past few months regular readers will know that this blog has been covering a story where three people were infected with ringworm by two hoglets bought from the same breeder.This story is all the more disturbing as the breeder in question somehow managed to circumvent the UK’s stringent quarantine laws and import several African Pygmy Hedgehogs directly into the country from Germany. She claims that the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) allowed her to “home quarantine” the hedgehogs. It later transpired that the German breeder’s herd was infected with ringworm. While at the breeder’s home this infection was spread from the “German” hedgehogs to the “parents” of the two hoglets that later infected their new owners and a family member. It should be noted that Defra state that “home quarantine” would not be allowed under any circumstances. (7)

• Another recent CDC study lists an alarming number of confirmed and potential zoonotic diseases that pet and wild hedgehogs can carry. The confirmed diseases include Salmonella, Yersina, pseudotubercolosis, Mycobacterium marinum (also known as “Fish Tank Disease”), Herpesvirus including human herpes simplex and Rabies. The potential diseases include Yersina pestis (also responsible for Bubonic plague) and hemorrhagic fever. (8)

What can you do to reduce the risk of infection?

Many researchers in the field of infectious diseases actively discourage ownership of any kind of exotic pet. However, exotic pet ownership is a fact of life and millions of them share our homes all over the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have several web pages that provide some excellent advice about reducing the risk of infection and information about the diseases themselves: HEALTHYPETS.

If you do decide to purchase an exotic pet, buying it from a reputable breeder rather than a pet store or pet distributor, should provide you with more guarantees about the animal’s origins. While the risk of catching some terrible disease from your pet is relatively small, owners must be aware that the risk is real and does exist. If you follow the advice given on the CDC web site that risk is greatly reduced.

References:

1. Ninove L, Domart Y, Vervel C, Voinot C, Salez N, Raoult D, et al. Cowpox virus transmission from pet rats to humans, France. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 May; [Epub ahead of print]
2. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – May 6, 2005 / 54(17);429-433
3. Journal of Clinical Microbiology Nov. 1997, p. 2786 – 2790 Human Salmonellosis Associated with Exotic Pets; David L Woodward, Rasik Khakhira & Wendy M Johnson National Laboratory for Enteric Pathogens, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
5. Margaret Ebrahim and John Solomon Associated Press Article – Nov. 27, 2006
6. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report – Centers for Disease Control and PreventionJune 13, 2003 / 52(23);537-540
7. Author’s blog
8. Patricia Y. Riley and Bruno B. Chomel Emerging Infectious Diseases www.cdc.gov/eid Vol. 11, No. 1, January 2005

As many of this blog’s regular readers will already know, we have recently devoted a lot of time  and space to a tale of what happens when things go very wrong when buying a pet hedgehog from a breeder. The story involves un-kept pre-sale promises, ringworm and unpaid vet fee refunds.

At the time of writing, i.e. 6 months after the original purchase, this story has still not been satisfactorily resolved. If you haven’t already read this story you can find the start of it by clicking on this link.

The breeder in question, Michelle Fountain, (aka Heavenlyhogs) has still not refunded her customer’s vet’s fees even though she has repeatedly promised to do so here on this blog and in several other well documented occasions over the past six months.

Problems of this nature are rare in the hedgehog world. No doubt situations like this do arise, but responsible caring breeders are quick to resolve them amicably and in private. [It should be noted that for whatever reason, in the case mentioned above, it was the breeder herself who made the ringworm story public with a somewhat dramatic, almost hysterical post on the Hedgehog Central Forum].

It is obviously in the best interests of breeders to resolve complaints as their reputations as ethical breeders may be at stake. Also dealing with a problem in a prompt responsible manner, however damaging it might initially seem, will actually enhance a breeder’s reputation.

So what can you do to avoid this happening to you?

When choosing a pet hedgehog breeder the best recommendation is probably one you receive from a friend or family member that has had dealings with him or her.

Before buying from a breeder you should ask for the names of other customers and contact them to find out what their experience was like.

The Hedgehog Central Forum maintains a list of USDA licensed and non licensed pet hedgehog breeders for the USA. They also list Canadian and European breeders. The advantage of using one of the breeders listed here is that they have to agree to a Breeder Code of Ethics before they can be listed on the site.

In the UK the PygmyhogsUK forum maintains a list of breeders that have been recommended by the UK African Pygmy Hedgehog Registry. Again before they can join this list, the breeders have to agree to a code of ethics and meet the requirements of certain criteria.

No doubt there are many other responsible breeders who are not on these two lists, but obviously using one from a list or buying from a classified pet ad  that demand a code of ethics from its breeders or advertisers does add some degree of dodgy dealing protection.

What should you do if things go wrong?

First and foremost you should try to resolve the issue with the breeder. It is strongly suggested that wherever possible you do this over the phone as very often the “tone” of the written word can be misinterpreted and a situation can escalate out of all proportion because of these misunderstandings. That said, you should also ask the breeder to send you an email listing what was agreed upon verbally so that you have some kind of documentary proof.

If this fails and the breeder is listed on one of the two forums mentioned above, or somewhere else that requires a code of ethics, you should complain to the people responsible for maintaining the list. If they agree with your complaint they may put pressure on the breeder to resolve it.

In the USA, if the breeder is a USDA license holder you can probably complain to them as well. Obviously the next step would be legal action of some kind but this can be expensive.

You can also go “public” with your complaint and post about your experience on exotic pet forums. Unfortunately these kinds of posts are often shut down by forum moderators before the full story is told.

This blog is always happy to air well founded complaints about dodgy breeders. Contact us by email and we’ll consider posting it here.

It is perhaps worthy of note that Michelle Fountain aka Heavenlyhogs was actually banned from the PgmyhogsUK forum for unethical behaviour before she even started breeding hedgehogs!

It has also been alleged that she was removed from the Hedgehog Central list of breeders after complaints were received about her, although she denies this and says she asked to be removed.

The above actions by these well known and influential pet hedgehog forums  means that both  take their codes of ethics seriously.

If you have any other ideas about how buyers can protect themselves from dodgy dealing practises please add a comment below.

Bringing a pet hedgehog into a home where young kids are present is something that should be cause for concern for any responsible owner. However, hedgehogs do make great pets and children take delight in them. It will all depend on the children in question and how their parents educate them.

African Pygmy Hedgehogs are small creatures and can easily be injured by rough handling. Undoubtedly there are very few children out there who would purposely harm any animal, but often kids don’t know their own strength so injuries caused by small hands are common.

That said, pet hedgehogs are not completely defenceless and they do have their quills to protect themselves. If child handles one roughly your hedgehog will use its quills to protect itself and then it is the child who is likely to get hurt rather than the hedgehog.

It is a good idea to wait until your child is about 9 or 10 before you bring a hedgehog into your home. Whatever the age of your children you will need to establish a few ground rules and know that they will be obeyed. It goes without saying that the rules are for your kids and not the hedgehog. Your hedgehog will go on behaving much as it has done for the past 15 million years or so and react by instinct alone. This is something you should also bear in mind if your child is injured by your hedgehog.

The most important thing your child needs to understand is that only you or another responsible adult are allowed to open the cage. Until your child is old enough, only you or another adult should pick the hedgehog up.  You should get your child to sit down and put the hedgehog in your child’s lap so that he or she can stroke and caress it gently. You should do this until the child is old enough to be able to gently pick up the hedgehog him or herself.

Young kids must know that they are not allowed to feed the hedgehog anything unless you have given your permission first. Your hedgehog shouldn’t be allowed to roam freely in your house either as small feet are just as capable of crushing the life out of one as large adult feet. When the hedgehog is out of its cage and roaming, children should make sure their small toys are not lying around and they shouldn’t give a hedgehog one of their toys to play with unless you have given your permission first.

Please do not leave any child unattended with your hedgehog until they are capable of actually taking care of it themselves. You obviously don’t want your hedgehog or child to get hurt and the only way to avoid this happening is with supervision and a few unbreakable rules.

If you found this article useful or have any criticism to make please leave a comment below.

You will be able to tell how your pet hedgehog is feeling from its body language and the sounds it makes. Here are some of its typical responses and what they signify.

Rolling up

Rolling  into a ball is a defence mechanism and it means it is frightened or doesn’t like what’s going on around it. Reasons for this could be sharp noises, the smell of a predator or when a person it doesn’t know tries to handle it. Hedgehogs also sleep rolled up in a ball but not as tightly as when it is in its defensive posture.

Raising its forehead spines

Hedgehogs will raise the spines on their foreheads to protect its eyes whenever it is feeling wary or distrustful.  It will often raise its spines when you are caressing its back and your hand strays to close to its head. When young hedgehogs play together they always keep their forehead spines raised.

Flat spines

Once your pet hedgehog gets to know  and trust you, it will keep its spines flat while you are caressing it. It might take a while longer for it to stop raising its forehead spines.

The flehmen response

When a hedgehog smells something interesting or dangerous it will hold its snout high with its mouth slightly open and its top lip curled back. This behaviour is known as the flehmen response and is also seen in cats and dogs.

Self-anointing

You will sometimes see your hedgehog foaming at the mouth and if you don’t know what’s happening it can be quite disconcerting at first.  This behaviour typically occurs when it smells something new in its cage or its surroundings.  It will sometimes lick or chew the scented object and salivate profusely producing foam. It will then spread the foam over the spines of its back and neck and the hair along its flanks. Nobody is really quite sure why it does this and theories range from it being a way adding a form of toxin to its spines to deter predators, a kind of perfume to attract a mate or a defensive strategy to make the hedgehog blend in with its surroundings.

Sounds

The most noticeable and frequent sound your hedgehog will make is the huffing and snuffling noise you will hear as it searches for food or moves things around in its cage.  It will also hiss and make a jumping motion if it disturbed or annoyed. You’ll hear soft grunts or sniffs of contentment as it goes about the important business of feeding. If you hear loud screaming or squeals it means your hedgehog is in severe pain or danger. If you have more than one hedgehog in a cage it may mean they are fighting and they should be separated immediately. Baby hedgehogs make a chirping sound that later turns into a cry which can become loud and piercing if they find themselves separated from their mother.  A happy hedgehog will make soft snuffling noises as they crawl all over you but will hiss and huff if they are startled by something while being handled. Hedgehogs will often snore while sleeping and make other noises that may indicate they are dreaming.

Observing your hedgehog

Apart from the typical responses and behaviour mentioned above, you’ll also find that your hedgehog will develop its own individual characteristics and quirks. One author reports that one of his hedgehogs learned to stand on its back legs and lean its fore paws against his leg when it wanted attention. If you observe your pet you’ll soon learn about how it is trying to communicate with you and further increase your enjoyment of owning your spiky little friend.

Although this is not a hedgehog pet post, It’s something I’ve been meaning to write for quite some time. It also serves as a warning to hedgehog pet owners who allow their spiky friends to run around in their gardens.

It’s quite amazing how many people, and gardeners in particular, believe that hedgehogs love eating slugs and snails. They think that all they need to do is get one of these pest terminators into their gardens and their slug and snail problems will be over. Unfortunately, especially for gardeners, this is not the case. While it is true that hedgehogs will eat these slimy plant destroyers, they will only do so when they are really hungry and nothing else is available.

In nature most of a hedgehog’s diet consists of beetles and caterpillars and only about 5% will be slugs or snails. If a hedgehog can only find slugs and snails to eat it will eventually die. One of the reasons for this is that slugs and snails carry lungworm which is one of the biggest killers of wild hedgehogs. Once inside the hedgehog, lungworms quickly multiply and cause pneumonia, amongst other things.

If you want to attract hedgehogs to your garden and help them to avoid lungworm, the best way is to do it is to offer them additional food so that they don’t have to bother with slugs. They’ll still benefit your garden as they will happily devour other pests, such as grasshoppers and crickets.

What should you feed them?

Although hedgehogs will happily scoff it up, (they’re not called omnivores for nothing), the first thing you shouldn’t feed them is bread and cow’s milk. Hedgehogs are unable to digest bread and milk will give them a bad case of diarrhea.

You can feed them tinned dog and cat food. They prefer chicken flavours. Do not feed them with fish flavoured pet food or tinned dog or cat food with gravy or jelly, as doing so will make them ill. They’ll also eat small cat biscuits, but again avoid fish flavours and, if your purse will allow it, use the premier brands such as Hills or Iams as the cheaper ones are not as nutritious. Chopped peanuts, of the kind you use to feed wild birds (not the salted kind we eat) are another favourite.

It is also possible to buy specially formulated wild hedgehog food from online shops such as Spike’s Dinner or Wildthings Hedgehog Food. Hedgehogs are thirsty animals, especially in summer, so put out lots of water.

All said, it doesn’t really matter why you would want to attract a hedgehog to your garden, let’s face it they’re undeniably cute. Seeing one snuffling around in a garden brings pleasure to both young and old alike.

Finding hedgehogs for sale is the first step in bringing your new pet home! But you don’t usually see ads for hedgehogs in the newspaper, and they rarely show up at your local pet store. So, where do you find them, and how do you make sure you’re getting healthy pets?

The first place you should look for hedgehogs for sale is a professional breeder. Hedgehog breeders know hedgehogs, and they know what makes a good pet. Any state in which hedgehogs are legal probably has at least one breeder. Some of these are hobby breeders, who produce one to two litters of hoglets a year from their own pets. Others are more large-scale operations who have multiple breeding pairs and produce many litters throughout the year to supply to pet stores and private buyers.

Looking for a breeder who is certified by the USDA is best, since these breeders have proven to the government that they have what it takes to produce quality hedgehog stock. However, even some smaller, non-certified breeders can be excellent sources of high quality hedgehogs for sale if they’re passionate about their pets and truly love this magnificent type of animal. If you’re ready to take the plunge and bring a hedgehog home, check out the page at the top of this website labeled “Breeders”. European countries do not require their breeders to be licensed.

Here are the 8 top facts about pet hedgehogs you probably didn’t know. If you’ve got a pet hedgehog, knowing these facts will help the two of you get along swimmingly!

1. Hedgehogs have very poor eyesight, but enjoy razor sharp hearing and a powerful sense of smell.

2. They’re very territorial animals, so you shouldn’t put two together in a cage. The chances of them getting along are very small, and they’ll probably fight.

3. Hedgehog pets can’t digest bread and milk, so don’t feed them that! Hedgehogs prefer small insects, and also enjoy high quality canned cat food, scrambled eggs, and bran. They need lots of fresh water, too, so make sure you’ve always got plenty set out for yours.

4. Between December and April, wild hedgehogs will go through short periods of hibernation. If you allow your pet African Pygmy Hedgehog to hibernate it could be fatal. To stop your pet hibernating make sure that its cage is heated to between 72 and 75° F.

5. Hedgehogs have pointy spines on their backs and sides and will roll up into a ball if they sense they are in danger. Males can have up to 500 spines on their back, while females tend to have fewer spines.

6. A baby hedgehog is called a hoglet, and 4 to 5 hoglets are common per mother.

7. In the wild, hedgehogs can travel 1 – 2 miles looking for food. They prefer to live near a food source, and areas with lots of dead leaves are very appealing for them, as they can burrow into the leaf mounds for shelter.

8. Pestecides of all kinds are harmful to these creatures, so keep your hedgehog pets away from any plants that have been sprayed with these kinds of chemicals.

How do you know if a pet hedgehog is right for you? Hedgehogs are one of the most popular exotic pets today, and it’s easy to see why. They’re undeniably cute, they’re small (so they don’t take up much space), and they’re easy to take care of.

The appeal of the hedgehog is undeniable. You want one, of course you do! How could you not? However, hedgehogs aren’t just any small animal. They require a specialized environment and care that’s by no means just like taking care of a Guinea pig or gerbil. They also have unique personalities of their own, and require human companions with similar characteristics in order to be happy.

So, is a pet hedgehog right for you? Here are the top 3 ways to find out!

1. Do you need lots of cuddling and affection?

Your hedgehog doesn’t! If you’re expecting a pet like a dog or cat that will follow you all around and beg for your attention, then you’re in for a surprise! Hedgehogs, while friendly and usually docile, have a reputation for being a bit stand-offish. They’ll tolerate your petting and cuddling to a certain extent, but they won’t ask for it, and they’ll definitely let you know when they’ve had enough!

That being said, some hedgehogs are more agreeable to human interaction than others, and these are the hedgehogs you want to hang with. When shopping for your new spikey companion, select a hedgehog that is laid back and accepts being picked up and handled without getting too stressed out. Hedgehogs that curl up into a defensive ball at the first touch are better off left at the pet store!

2. Do you have an adequate living space for the number of hedgehog you plan to keep?

These tiny creatures are pretty territorial, which means keeping more than one in a cage could spell disaster! You’ll need one cage for each hedgehog, and that cage needs to have at least two to three square feet of floor space.

3. Can you clean your pet’s litter and cage every day?

Hedgehogs like a clean environment (don’t you?), and rely on routine. They get VERY grumpy if their home is filthy. Be prepared to make a commitment to keeping your pet’s environment as clean and regulated as you would your own, and the two of you will get along just fine.

Pet hedgehogs can make a wonderful, fascinating, and playful addition to any household. If, after reading these tips, you decide a hedgehog is for you, you’re in for many great years of camaraderie and entertainment from your pet. If you’ve decided to take the hedgehog journey, congratulations! You’re in for a marvelous time!