# Is it hard caring for a hedgehog through university?



## Kaboodle (Aug 12, 2011)

I'm going into my first year of university next September (not this September) so I'm not sure what to expect. I'm taking this year off because I'm on a waiting list to get into university. I'll have the hedgehog for almost a year before I go to university, but how hard is it to do university and care for a hedgehog? At least while I'm studying I can hold the hedgehog on my lap. I decided to only get 1 hedgehog, then more later on in a few years.


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## Jake (Dec 26, 2010)

I don't know about doing it with school going but for me the most time it takes to take care of Terra ( my Hedgie) is 30 min and thats only when I do a full cleaning of her inclossure.
Most of the time when clean her little place in my house I either just change her fleece or just clean her wheel. I do a full clean up about once or twice a week.
I only give her baths if she is real dirty witch ain't to often. 
A hedgehog only needs about 15 min of your time daily. I suggest to do play/bonding time about an hour before your hedgie gets up on its own. They are a little less grumpy then


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## Daleo (Jun 1, 2011)

Well first make sure you cam have one at the university or have an apartment. As far as time management, I like college better than high school and find myself with more free time. But I don't have a job per se... If I had a real job, then it would be exponentially harder IMO. It's not impossible, there are just a couple things to consider.


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## lehaley (Jun 25, 2011)

If you plan on living in a dorm, getting a hedgehog right now is probably not the best idea for you. Most, if not all dorms do not allow animals other than fish and if you are caught with an animal, there can be some pretty severe consequences. (like getting thrown out of the dorms). If you are planning on getting your own place, you need to make sure it's a place that allows pets. You should also think about whether or not you will be able to afford a hedgehog while you're in school. Not only will you need to pay to feed him/her, it's recommended that you have a fund of at least $200 at all times for emergency vet visits. Taking a hedgie to the vet is usually not cheap!

I'm a college student myself, and I started researching hedgehogs over the summer. As much as I wanted to run out and get one right away, I decided to wait until I was settled in my apartment and had enough money to buy everything/build up a vet fund. I know that it is tough to wait when you're really excited about getting a hedgehog, but if you can't guarantee everything I mentioned above, I wouldn't recommend getting one now.


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## lehaley (Jun 25, 2011)

I forgot to mention- in regards to time, you should be ok. Unless you're in a ridiculously hard program of study or do tons of extracirricular stuff, you'll have plenty of down time in college. I'm in a pretty intense nursing program and I still have a lot of free time. It's kind of nice that hedgies are nocturnal because I am in class all day, but will have plenty of time to spend with my little guy at night.


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## Renee_Darton (Jan 17, 2011)

I just went through my first year of university with my hedgie. 
I made study time quality time. I let quillbert run all over my text books while I was reading, he even helped me type a few essays lol. Its really not that difficult to spend time and give the proper care to a hedgie as long as you are serious about doing so. 
The best thing is to get into a schedule, Quilly and I play in the morning while Im getting ready and at night while im studying.
I forgot to mention that I also worked 5 days a week while in school, so it is possible!!

Also, to echo everything that the previous posters have said, just make sure you are *very prepaired* for expenses and the style of living a hedgie needs (heat, snacks etc).


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## DasIgelPoggie (Oct 21, 2010)

I'm a very small hobby breeder, but am also attending a university  My classes are a little different-- I've started doing mainly online classes, and I only just started breeding about 8 months ago, but I've had a hog since I began college 3 years ago, and never had a problem. Just plan that money buffer for vet emergencies and do NOT use it for anything else! There's nothing quite as wonderful as a late-night study buddy as a little quilly friend


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## EryBee (May 23, 2010)

Hi! I'm in my fourth year of study at my university and I haven't found caring for my hedgehog all that difficult. It depends on your course of study and where you live, as others have mentioned. The initial set up for the hedgehog is always so expensive, but the costs (apart from vet bills) ease after that. I find I still have plenty of time for my little guy and I always have money set aside. I brought my hedgie to live in the dorms with me when I first got him, which was strictly speaking allowed, and I'm not saying you should count on it working, but it wasn't a problem for me. Nobody who knew about my hedgehog cared that he was there and they liked to visit him. Now I am out of the dorms and living abroad for a semester, but my boyfriend has been trained in the ways of over-protective hedgie parent and is taking care of him.

So...I guess it all depends on you. Do you have the funds? Do you have a living plan that has room for a hedgehog? Is there free time to spend with the little critter?


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## Kaboodle (Aug 12, 2011)

Money isn't an issue really because I'll have the setup and everything ready since I'll have the hedgehog for almost 1 year before I go to university. So I'm mostly just worried about time. 

The program I'm going into is a Combined Honors BA. (Honors Double Major in Humanities and Social Science). So I'm a bit worried about time because I've never been to university before.


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## StellaWithaBow (Dec 18, 2009)

I'm a thrid year senior at my University, and honestly I would advise that you try to get a semester in without a hedgie. 

This way you know how you can manage your time, and you will know how hard (or how easy) it is for you to devote extra time to a pet.

You must also consider that if you live in a dorm or small apartment, hedgies make noise at night and can interfere with your sleep. If it's in the room with you, you'll deal with wheel noise, litter box rustling, and even the smell of them doing their "business" :roll: 

Also, money is ALWAYS a factor when owning a hedgie, you need at least enough for two vet bills and an extra month of food/supplies in case you fall into hard times.

Only you will know what you can handle, and with a double major, I would advise you wait as long as it takes until you can map out your daily activities enough to include sleep, study, friends, hygiene, meal time, a part time job (maybe), time for physical activity... assign an number of hours to each category- add them up and subtract them from the time in a week...
then you will know if you can devote enough time for snuggles and activities with a hedgehog.


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## EryBee (May 23, 2010)

Oh, well if it is time you are concerned about, studying with a hedgehog snuggled in a blankie on your lap is very peaceful! I also like to set up a little play area for Phin, which can also happen during homework time. I know this style of working isn't great for everyone, but for me it was perfect. Maybe it could work for you too?


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Time shouldn't be much of a factor. Like said above, I always brought my boy out while I'm studying. He'd just sleep in my lap the whole time and I'd still get 2-4 hours of cuddle time each night. For the most part, most classes should be out around 5-6pm. And night classes end around 9-10pm. So even if you get your hedgie out at 10pm and go to bed at 12am, that's still a good 2 hours. Just keep in mind of having a timer for lights. And on late days find time to feed and clean before lights off. 

The only real question is one that you haven't answered, at all. Will you be living at home? In a dorm? Rent an appartment? Many dorms don't allow pets. Some roommates may not appreciate a pet either. So that will be something you have to plan out. And definitely have a savings account to save up funds for emergencies. And if you don't have a car, be sure you plan out ways of getting to the vets at all hours of the night. 

Most people end up having go give away or sell their pets because they are going off to live in a dorm and their parents don't want to keep the pet home.


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## Kaboodle (Aug 12, 2011)

Oh sorry. I'll either be renting an apartment or renting a room. I've started looking at apartments, and I only look at pet friendly apartments. I've also posted an ad on Kijiji that I'm looking to rent a room and that I have a hedgehog and it MUST be ok. I could live at home but I'd have to drive/bus 45 minutes to the campus so I probably won't do that. I don't have a car right now (stupid minimum wage :evil: ) but finding a ride wouldn't a problem. I take animals health seriously, and I'd walk 2 hours to a vet if I had to! But if I didn't have a ride I'd call a cab or even take a bus with the hedgie in my bag or something  .


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Kaboodle said:


> Oh sorry. I'll either be renting an apartment or renting a room. I've started looking at apartments, and I only look at pet friendly apartments. I've also posted an ad on Kijiji that I'm looking to rent a room and that I have a hedgehog and it MUST be ok. I could live at home but I'd have to drive/bus 45 minutes to the campus so I probably won't do that. I don't have a car right now (stupid minimum wage :evil: ) but finding a ride wouldn't a problem. I take animals health seriously, and I'd walk 2 hours to a vet if I had to! But if I didn't have a ride I'd call a cab or even take a bus with the hedgie in my bag or something  .


Many large campus' or at least the surrounding towns have a bus system. If you're going to a large university, some have vet schools that give student discounts. They are just learning, but are well supervised and learning the lastest and most up to date information.

I have to admit, that when I'm out and about with Harvey or Izzy, I don't want to leave them in the car, in a hot cat carrier, with the heat so I just put them in their snuggle sack and pack them in my purse. I have taken them into grocery stores to pick up stuff after their vet visit. No one even knows. Hedgies are quiet and in the day time they just snooze in my purse anyways. I just make sure to clean out my purse so they are the only thing in the main compartment. I just put my keys and phone in my pocket and put my driver's licence, check book and other cards in a size zipper pocket. viola! Covert hedgie carrier!


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Haha I actually bought a cheap purse for the purpose of carrying my boy around. It has a large center compartment for my boy, the pockets on either side where I'd put my wallet. No one would know if I didn't tell them.


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## EryBee (May 23, 2010)

I do that too- I have a certain red purse I always use. People who know me well know that when the red purse is out my hedgehog is with me


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