# Friends and Family now want a hedgie



## GoldenEyes (Nov 4, 2011)

I've been posting pictures of my little one, potentially named Milla-Rue, on my Facebook and the response from people isn't what I expected. Most people now all of a sudden want one and I'm kinda worried about it. I've been getting Inbox messages from some friends and family members that... well.. aren't the most responsible people. 

I've tried explaining the "cons" of owning a hedgie, particularly to my sister-in-law, who's 15 and has mostly just owned cats her whole life. She had a snake but.. they lost it.. they had rats but they killed each other. I love her a lot but I'm so worried. She was trying to convince me she was prepared because they have a hamster cage that wasnt even big enough for a hedgehog at all. I know I would take in her hedgie if she decides she doesnt want him/her anymore but I cant take in everyones if my friends want one too. They want one based on the wrong things, based on how cute they are and not really understanding that it's not all cuteness and snuggles with most hedgies.

Anyone else have this problem? I'm just sort of ranting right now :roll: I've stopped posting pictures on Facebook because I just dont want to convince anyone else to take in a hedgie that they arent prepared to take care of, I think I will just post them here for people to enjoy.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

I've had this Problem and I've flat out told them that they weren't good pets for them. Blunt, yes, however if it saves a life it's worth it.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I would definitely encourage them to come here and do some reading. Make sure they see the behavior expectations post, especially. Explain that hedgehogs poop a lot, they need to be handled every night, they can be very grumpy and take a long time to warm up to a new owner, that their heating needs are quite expensive, and that they need large cages with plenty of room. Invite them over to see your new baby and let her poop or pee on them a few times. :lol: Explain that that's a normal thing that will happen sometimes, even if you do things to avoid it. Maybe in your replies on the pictures, say something like "Yeah, it's a good thing she's adorable! She's a little poop machine, you should see her wheel!!" or "She's cute, but she's kind of grumpy right now with quilling. She doesn't want to be pet at all because her skin hurts. ". Just casual comments that give little hints to the less-fun parts of hedgie ownership. I found that once my friends/family found out how much work Lily takes sometimes, they were a little "Huh...so why do you have her?" :roll:


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## GoldenEyes (Nov 4, 2011)

I think I'm going to start doing that lol! I've tried telling them nicely that hedgehogs may be cute and a little odd of a pet to have, BUT they are a lot of work and they DONT come out during the day lol. I pretty much start with "Do you have 400 dollars to spare right this second?" "No" "Well... you might want to do some research, tally up the cost, and then consider it again" lol


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

Yeah, the price usually sets people off. I usually can up my price for her (I paid $250, but I often say upwards of $400), then they'll generally stop there.


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## GoldenEyes (Nov 4, 2011)

I only paid 150 for Milla-Rue, but including her supplies and everything about came up to 400, part of that being the shipping. Plus where my sister-in-law lives their aren't any vets, and the closest one doesn't specialize in hedgies (I checked just in case my Milla got sick while we were down there)


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

Her cage was $110, but that's because Jason didn't want her in a C&C God forbid one of the family dogs came into his room.


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## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

Instead of adorable pictures...post pictures of a poopy cage after a night of fun. Haha, Brillo always manages to make his cage look like a tornado of poo went through it. :lol: I would think a lot of irresponsible people would be turned off by the idea of a lil poo monster as a pet.


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

they need to have like $1400 just to start out with. the $400 you mentioned for hedgie and supplies and another $1000 for vet bills which can be used up real quick especially if they adopt a sick hedgie not knowing or if he/she gets sick right after they get them. hedgies aren't cheap at all especially when they are sick which can happen quite often for some hedgies who just seem prone to getting sick no matter what you do to prevent it. so i'd mention the vet costs too not just the price of hedgie and supplies, but great idea. 

this is a huge problem for a lot of hedgies because they get taken into an unprepared house just because they are cute and a short time later end up on craigslist or somewhere because they are grouchy because people don't wanna spend the time needed with them or because the "kids are bored with him" or because they got a sick hedgie and weren't prepared for immediate vet bills. unfortunately people do this way too often with all animals not just hedgies. they like them for a minute then don't wanna deal with it once that cute and cuddly hedgie/rabbit/kitten/puppy/etc newness wears off and they aren't so cute and cuddly, but instead are the exact opposite of what their expectations were and are a lot of work.


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## Emiry (Nov 24, 2011)

One of my friends is now getting a hedgehog, after I have been saying I have wanted on since September! She has the money for one now, while I am still in the process of saving up. Just bought my cage for one province, not sure if I am going to buy, or make a cage for home. 

But I am still researching things, and she is also researching, and both her and her mother have successfully owned many pets in the past so she knows the work involved.


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## GoldenEyes (Nov 4, 2011)

So I finally decided to write a little note on facebook, however it turned out not so little lol!! Anyways here it is if you guys could read it through that would be awesome! Here it is:

I've been getting a LOT of inbox messages lately about hedgehogs as pets, asking me questions about what it's like to own one and how they can go about getting one themselves.

First off, open your wallet. Do you have 450 dollars right now that you can spend on whatever? If the answer is no, then don't bother. I was SHOCKED at how expensive everything is. The hedgehog alone can be from 150-250 dollars, depending on the breeder, the color and the sex. The cage I bought is what's called a C&C cage, its the least expensive cage you can get, and it was 80$ for all the supplies. Then you have to buy the fleece bedding, perferably 2, the heating lamp, the ceramic heat emitter, the thermometer, the thermostat, the wheel (impossible to find in a pet store must be hand made or ordered from the US), the igloo they sleep in, the bowls, the shampoo, the flaxseed/vitamin E oil, the cat food, and a cat carrier. I have a feeling I'm forgetting some things but you get the gist of it. It's not a compulsion buy, you really need to be prepared for that.

Second off, yes they're cute. Adorable even. Until they poop on your hand. Then they poop on your lap after you put them down, then they huff at you for trying to pick them up, they have quills and they're quite sharp when they want them to be. They can be loving, but not in a puppy dog way, and it takes MONTHS to earn that trust. And if you do one thing to lose their trust, there's a chance everything will go back to square one. I've heard it's rewarding in the long run, but it's a lot of hard work. They wont wag their tail when they see you, or give you puppy dog kisses, they wont do tricks for you or purr. They might snuggle, if they want to, they may climb all over you, if they want to, and they might want nothing to do with you. Oh yeah, and they poop on their wheels. Yup, when they run on their wheel they poop on it, and they get what's called "poopy boots" sounds cute doesnt it? Nope. lol.

Also, they are very sensitive. If they are put in a position to hibernate, that could mean death. Their cage temperature must be between I would say 73-79, some like it warmer. Baby girls cage is at 76.5 right now which is perfect for her. She also needs 12-14 hours of sunlight, at the same time everyday. I turn on Baby girls light at 8am and turn it off at 9pm. You can buy a timer that will do that for you, but like I said I was unprepared for the cost. Will have to wait for that one. They are nocturnal, so dont be expecting to play with the, very much during the day. Their skin gets really dry sometimes too, you need to bathe them as LITTLE as possible, because it dries their skin out, only when their dirty. You can give them foot baths though, to get rid of the before meantioned "poopy boots". They also "quill" during their lifetime, right now baby girl is having her first quilling at 6 weeks old then there is another at 9 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and then a year old. They will be really grouchy because their new quills are coming in, and it's an uncomfortable, if not painful, experience.

Lastly, they are an exotic pet, which tends to mean that the vet bills can be very high, so i've heard, and you need to be prepared for that. You need to know the behavior of your hedgehog to know when something is wrong. You accomplish this mostly by the daily socializing, which should be for a very minimum of half an hour but I would say a minimum of an hour a day, everyday. It keeps them friendly.

If you are okay with all of this, then go for it. I know you guys are probably wondering why I even bothered getting a hedgehog because all they sound like is a lot of hard work for nothing, but I find that they are the perfect pet for me right now. Anymore questions you guys should check out the forums at www.hedgehogcentral.com. They are a bunch of very helpful people, and are willing to answer any questions you might have (trust me lol)


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Looks great to me! You mentioned the most important things that often deter people - the temperature needs, the poop, the cost, and the potential unwillingness to ever become snuggly. I hope it makes some of those people think more carefully about whether they really want one of these little ones or not.


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## ciaramatthews (Oct 24, 2011)

I understand exactly what you are talking about..I post SO many photos and videos to my facebook of my cat, dog, gecko and hedgehog and people pile on with comments saying how they want one. I just turn around and tell them that they are so much more work (the hedgehog mainly) than theyd think, I love my hedgie to death but i wont deny how expensive and high maintenance they are. Plus most people on my facebook at in their late teens and are out every night when else are they going to dedicate their time to their hedgehog :/


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