# hedgie at school?



## hedgiesrule

Well, at school in reading we are reading a story with a hedgehog in it. It's name is Stickly-Prickly. And my teacher told a story about a student that used to go to my school. It begins like this: Once, a girl brought (to school) a hedgehog named Bob. And one day, Bob had babies. But the girl was so used to calling the hedgehog Bob that she kept calling Bob Bob... :lol: 
Anyways, my teacher says that whenever I get a hedgehog that I can bring he/she in to school as long as he/she is in a container. And I plan to let only my 2 best friends touch he/she. Simply because I only have 2 friends and I'm afraid people might get pricked and drop he/she. Anybody have any tips about keeping a hedgehog at school for a day?


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## dorasdaddy

my biggest is tip is dont do it...it puts unnecesary stress on the little one just so you can show it off. especially since it would have to be there all day. you would have no way to regulatetemperature or make sure no one was harassing her while she needed to be sleeping, she is nocturnal so she needs to sleep during the day and be awake at night.


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## hedgiesrule

well, ok then! if it's better for the hedgie, then i probably won't do it. but would it be ok if i only kept the hedgie there just for the morning with a heat lamp? or is that bad, too? i was thinking that my teacher could lock the door if we were away...would bringing the hedgehog on a half day be better? or would it be all a bad, stress-causing idea? :?


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## dorasdaddy

I would probably say not a good idea at all. sorry bud, but it is the same reason my 12 year old daughter can't take dora to school with her.


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## hedgiesrule

okay. i guess i'll just tell my teacher that it would be stressful to the hedgie. well, at least i can bring pictures.


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## sagesmommy

if your mom or dad could go to school with you in the morning, you could show everyone like a show and tell for a few minutes then they could take him or her home?


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## HedgiLover

sagesmommy said:


> if your mom or dad could go to school with you in the morning, you could show everyone like a show and tell for a few minutes then they could take him or her home?


 I agree. That would be less stressful and at least people would see him/her.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies

My opinion differs, as I have known several people that have carried their hedgies to school (including myself). My son did a report on exotic animals in 3rd grade, and I went with him that day and took in one of my hedgehogs for his class to view. I took hand sanitizer with me, and allowed any of the kids to touch/rub the hedgies back to see what the quills felt like. I also made sure that I took one of my most social hedgehogs, that never rolls in a ball and does not mind being handled. I do caution that you NEVER allow your classmates to hold your hedgehog.....due to the risk that they may get scared and drop your hedgie....and due to the possiblity that the hedgehog may get frightened and bite someone. I do agree that the temperature needs to be regulated, so be cautious when carrying it to school during the Winter.


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## Nancy

It depends entirely on the hedgehog. Some would be fine visiting at a school and others would be terrified and stress out. Wait until you get your hedgehog and get her used to you for quite a while first. 

It would be best if you can be driven to school and hedgie go home after you show him/her around. That would cause the least stress.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies

Nancy said:


> It depends entirely on the hedgehog. Some would be fine visiting at a school and others would be terrified and stress out. Wait until you get your hedgehog and get her used to you for quite a while first. It would be best if you can be driven to school and hedgie go home after you show him/her around. That would cause the least stress.


*I agree, good point Nancy!* 
_Since I'm a breeder, I have several to choose from. _ But you should definitely wait and bond with your hedgehog first. Find out and learn about its own individual personality. Some hedgies love the extra attention, and others are scared to be removed from their familiar environment. If you have a grumpy hedgie, you definitely don't want to take it to school.


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## hedgiesrule

okay...so i guess when i get a hedgie then i will spend about a month with him/her. and once he/she is used to me, then i will take him/her to school just for the morning with my parents. then my parents could take him/her home. but should i use a cat carrier to take him/her in? i've heard that's good for travel...  :?:


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## Immortalia

A cat carrier works. I use one that my mom found on sale.

Though my hedgie travels inside of his kleenex box bed with a bunch of fleecies. He sleeps through the entire car ride. I was worried about him rolling around if the car moves or sways too suddenly, hence him having his bed in there, as well as all the fleecies to keep everything relatively still. This is how he travels to and from my school apartment to my mom's house with me(approx 1 hr drive) and he slept through the entire thing. And having his bed, and his usual smells and comfort "zone" helped as well I think.

Back when I was in HS, a classmate brought her hedgie to school(that was when I first got the idea of getting a hedgie), but she brought hers during a half day/review day, so we had nothing really to do in classes.


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## Mongo911

I've taken little Mongo in to school twice.
Only you sould do it on a half day and make sure somone can pick you up when schools over.
also it depends on the hedgehog. does your hedgie freak out when it meets new people?


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## Sara&Marshal

If or when you do decide to take him/her, if I were you, I would take her in a small pet carrier with a hedgie sleepingbag it could hide in, put a liner on the bottem of the carrier (such as fleese) with a handwarmer pouch under it so it can keep little hedgie warm(check the temp.often to make sure its not too warm or cold). Then of course the obvious things like food and water.

I'm not going to tell you not to do it because that would be very hipocritical of me since I showed my Bella to everyone I knew and more when I got her  But I will agree, it completely depends on how your hedgie reacts to being around other people and how comfortable he/she would be.


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## hedgie love

I know that Herisson would freak out and look like a cactus the whole time. He hates large groups of people looking at him and talking. It scares him to death. I was surprised because with just me and my family he is fine.


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## magenh

I took my last hedgie to my classroom to show my students 2 different times. He did really well. I had an empty drawer on a plastic filing cabinet/cart and he was quite comfortable sleeping the day away when I didn't have him out. I wouldn't let anyone hold him at school, but I did let them pet him. He really did well with the attention. He loved it! He was an extremely social and curious little hedgie though. He loved to explore and see what was causing new noises and smells. 

I would agree that if you don't have a quite place to put your little one (my classroom was only used for about half the day) that you have someone who can take him home. Unless you have a very laid back hedgie, school could be a very stressful place for them.


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