# boarding?



## happytreecompany (Dec 15, 2016)

i am going on vacation in february which unfortunately requires air travel so i have to leave my beloved wylie at home. i have a roommate who is willing to look after him but shes scared of his quills and grossed out by his poop and mealworms :roll: so i dont trust that she can provide the proper care. i found a breeder in my city who offers hedgehog boarding for 12 dollars a day. she had all the right knowledge and offers 2+ hours of handling time a night which is only a little less than he gets at home. she also gut feeds her own mealies & beheads her superworms. has anyone ever done this? anything i need to make sure to ask her? she said she'll provide me daily updates via text which i love. nervous leaving my babe with anyone beside my boyfriend who knows my standards of care.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

I would question her about how she handles each hedgehog for 2+ hours a night if she has more than 2 to handle? Either she's taking multiple hedgehogs out at a time or she only has one or two hedgehogs. If she's taking multiple out at a time that isn't good for yours as your hedgehog should be quarentined from hers and not in contact with them. Just like you would do if you brought a new hedgehog into your home.


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## happytreecompany (Dec 15, 2016)

thats a great question. she doesnt get a lot of boarders so maybe thats something she offers just for boarding hogs? ill have to ask because wylie hasnt seen another animal since he was weaned. thanks nikki!


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## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

The thing is if she's a breeder, she has to at least have 2 hedgehogs and she needs to socialize them and their babies so I honestly don't think she is being honest about how much time she will spend with him. 

I don't know where you are located but in South Florida my breeder charges $5 per day but they ok ly take hedgies they sold.


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## happytreecompany (Dec 15, 2016)

i didnt get wylie from her but i didnt even question the amount of time she offered. im wondering if the whole two hours isnt physical handling. maybe she meant part floor time? she has multiple hogs, two males and some pregnant females. so she has a lot more than two. i am going to view her home & hedgehog room to see the kind if conditions im leaving wylie in. physical contact with wylie is very important because he is incredibly social and gets very upset when im not around. he needs lots of love when were seperated. so if she isnt being truthful then it could really negatively effect him. what would you guys do in this situation? shes the only person i find qualified in my area other than my vet to look after hogs. (im in halifax, nova scotia if that helps). my vet does not offer boarding.


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## ArizonaHazelnut (Nov 16, 2016)

I would make a list of all the questions you want to ask, that way you won't forget to ask them. Seeing her house and hedgehog area will answer a lot of questions for you I'm sure, as you'll be able to tell if she is taking good care of her hedgies.

I am actually going to be boarding mine here in a few weeks, my first time doing so since my best friend who usually watches my critters will be out of town as well. I searched online for a while before finding a place that said they board exotics (several vets did but were fairly expensive and wouldn't spend time with her). The place had great reviews online, so I called them up. They said they had never boarded hedgies before, but have been researching their care since they became legal to own in Arizona. I have gone to see the place, including the exact area Hazel will be staying and I'm thrilled! They are going to let me bring her entire set-up, so she won't be in a strange cage, and the room she'll be in is quiet and temperature controlled (they said they'd set it to about 75, plus her CHE set up). I'm paying about $8 a night, which is excellent compared to some of the vets I called. I am also putting together a care sheet specifically for Hazel (her schedule, how to handle her, what to look for in hibernation attempts and what to do, the vet's information if there is an emergency). I know they will take great care of her, and I am only a phone call away if they need anything. 

Maybe you could make a care sheet for Wylie? That way whoever ends up watching Wylie knows what you'd like done?


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## happytreecompany (Dec 15, 2016)

ive made up care sheets for wylie for my mother/boyfriend for looking after him for a day but i should update it with my vet's information and specific care instructions for long term. im also bringing my own set up (his cage, wheel, toys, dry food, hide, bedding) which is better because she uses wood shavings which im not a fan of because wylie is at a VERY sexually active stage so wood shavings would be a recipe for disaster.... im nervous to leave him with anyone but this woman mentioned a lot of key things on the phone that reassured me. i will know for sure when i see her house... im going to add more detail/emergancy contacts to his care sheet. thats a great idea!


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

Before you board your hog anywhere, do you happen to have any close friends or family that you trust that would be willing to come over every evening to do his routine with him while you're gone? I typically have a friend or my mother in law come over if I'm out of town and they spend time with her and spot clean the cage, clean the wheel, change food and water. I feel way better knowing she's at home where he setup is exactly how it needs to be.


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## happytreecompany (Dec 15, 2016)

my only option is my roommate but as i said before shes not great with animals


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