# Ignorance is killing hedgehogs...



## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Right now I have 8 friends on Facebook who have hedgehogs (that I'm aware of). I always check on their pictures to see if I can see anything wrong with their cage, so I can let them know. None of them have heat or light setup, some use gloves, feed hedgehog food. When I notice I just send them a message letting them know their hedgehog needs to have a heat/light source and not to use gloves and a link to here. Never mean or rude. Of course, no of them have listened to me. Today I reached my ends when this was posted.

"Spike died "

So I messaged and asked what happened. I never comment, I don't want to "attack" them "in front" of everyone. The girl said she found him in his cage cold in a ball, so she put him in a box and buried him in the ground. Exactly what I told her what would happen. She didn't even try to warm him up or see if he was breathing, that's what really gets me. She said it was of old age, he was 14 months old... 

Another "friend" posted a picture of their "girl" hedgehog. I could clearly see the penis and I told them that it was a boy. The answer I got, "The pet store said it was a girl, her and her sister are happy living together. The store knows more than you do." Great... They are going to be having inbred babies, constantly. 

Then there are two people who are breeding hedgehogs. They've posted things like "Loki is looking for a girlfriend!! <33333". I told them you do not breed hedgehogs without lineage and a WHS guarantee, did they care? Nope. I told them you can't breed a female for the first time after a year, they went ahead and did it anyways. No surprise that she died. They also breed their females 3-4 times a year. 

I cannot stand breeders who don't care about the well being of their hedgehogs. 

Another guy posted that his hedgehog kept losing "spikes". I messaged him and asked how old he was and if new quills were coming through. He said he is 17 months and no new quills were coming in. I said his hedgehog probably has mites and he should take him to the vet and get revolution. He said hedgehogs don't go to vets, they don't need them and it would be a waste of money. He threw the hedgehog out!!! In the garbage before the garbage truck came, and said he was dying anyways. 

I made a Facebook post "ranting" about all the care that is involved in owning a hedgehog. I got A LOT of comments like "Man a hedgehog requires a lot of work...and I thought they were just there to look cute!" and "I didn't know they needed that much..... I don't think I want one now." Of course, no one who owns a hedgehog mentioned anything. At least it got through to some people. 

It would be nice if people would do research on their pets and actually follow through with that research. I have come into contact with so many people who say they knew that they need heat, WHS guarantees, quality food, etc but didn't bother doing it or didn't have the money. It drives me crazy. I wish these people would stop being so ignorant and stop breeding unhealthy babies and killing hedgehogs.


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## MLHollywood (Apr 22, 2012)

Someone threw a hedgehog out!? That's some sort of animal cruelty no matter how you look at it. Thank goodness that I don't have friends that have them. I know some people have told me that I'm "spoiling" Pompey because I have a heat lamp for him!  I don't think I could stand it if I heard terrible things like that.


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

When I read they threw him out my jaw dropped and didn't close for a good 10 minutes. I just sat there staring at the screen. I asked if the garbage had went already and they said yes  I would have gone and got him out otherwise. Poor guy.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

So... I live near you.... Let me know where so I can punch them... please? Did you screenshot the page? I would try to see if animal cruelty charges can be placed. When did it actually happen? I would not let that poor hedgehog suffer for nothing. 

I'm thankful that most of my fb friends are either HS classmates, or classmates from vet tech school. And everyone knows how to care for an animal properly. None of my friends think that I spoil my animals. There are comments on it, but they spoil their pets just as much as I do, and it's all in jest. But this..... arg


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

I didn't screen shot it but I could. I still have the messages saved. I didn't think of animal cruelty charges (don't know why...) I'm going to see about that for sure. It was about a week ago. Not long at all.


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## MLHollywood (Apr 22, 2012)

I would do it. I don't tolerate that sort of thing, and I generally find that those sorts of people quickly drop out of my "friends" category. Not to insult the folks on your Facebook of course! It's just that I wouldn't have a problem reporting them. I don't know that one conversation would do it, but that's pretty serious, and animal cruelty is a big deal in most states.

To be fair to the few folks that said something to me about heating the hedgehog: most of them have never really dealt with a pet that has special needs. That mentality is expected for folks that own dogs or cats that normally just need a few basics. If I had explained myself (or felt like I needed to) they might have understood. Most of my friends are avid pet lovers at heart!


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Most of the people I have on Facebook aren't really my friends. Most of them are just people that I went to high school with or have university classes with. It's more of an acquaintance list than actual friends. The people who actually where my friends, no longer are. Not because of the hedgehogs, mind you. But I couldn't be friends with someone who refused to take proper care of their hedgehog, or any other animal. I only keep them on my facebook so I can watch the hedgehogs, and hope they will do research or listen.


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## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

These kind of postings make me so sad.  You know those people posting aren't the only one with issues- there are more that are keeping it private and dealing with a hedgehog on their own terms. People think hedgies are cute- and they are. However, they come with a huge responsibility. :? 

You are doing the right thing by trying to help them. Some people refuse to be helped, though. Ugh, people make me so mad! :evil:


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

This is just shocking :shock:  those poor animals. 
When I read things like this I'm glad almost no one here has a hedgehog (I know nobody in person except my hedgehogs breeder) this is just horrible... and it happens with other animals too of course but hedgehogs need more care than the usual pet (like rabbits). Why would someone do something like throwing his hedgehog in the garbage


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

I am in total shock after reading your post. How disgusting. Those poor babies. I live in a state where hedgies are illegal. I would give my hedgie everything he/she could possibly need and want. Yet I can't have the pleasure of being owned by one. But those who toss them in the trash have such permission.


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

The guy who threw his hedgehog out used the excuse that he couldn't afford a vet (among other excuses), which is why he didn't take him. He also posts monthly about upgrades he's done to his truck and new cars he wants to buy. And by new cars I mean $40,000+ cars. His truck has a TON of work done on it. A week after he said he couldn't afford the vet, he posted that he bought 4 new tires for his truck. For no reason, he just wanted the tires. I can gaurantee those tires cost at least $3000. It makes me so mad :evil: 

On the plus side, I did get someone to upgrade from a wire wheel to a comfort wheel. Progress


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

This morning I offered to give one owner my left over cat food. I'm going to have tons of it left over, which I planned on donating to the SPCA. She mentioned she was feeding Meow Mix Original. I knew that food was bad, but I wanted to see how bad. 

Protein: 31%
Fat: 11%
Fiber: 4%
Okay, that's good. 

Ingredients: ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, soybean meal, beef tallow (preserved with mixed tocopherols), animal digest, calcium carbonate, turkey by-product meal, salmon meal, ocean fish meal, phosphoric acid, choline chloride, salt, potassium chloride, titanium dioxide, vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), menadione sodium bisulfate complex (source of vitamin K activity), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, ferrous sulfate (source of iron), zinc oxide, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, taurine, Yellow 4, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2 and rosemary extract

Terrible. Corn, by-products, animal digest, artificial coloring...

So I messaged her that I would give her, for FREE, the left overs that I didn't need. Considering all my food weighs 44.4 lbs, I'm going to have about 15 lbs left over at the end of the year. She said no! To FREE food! Ugh...


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## siberia (May 17, 2012)

What? Who would say no to free food? And to me, a hedgie's diet is the most important aspect of ownership. The foods I buy Dory ALWAYS have chicken or lamb as the first ingredient. This makes me sad and disgusted that these people could be so cruel.

Especially to be so cruel as to just ' throw it out' that poor hedgehog. I wish you could do a background check on people before you let them buy a hedgehog. Or anything else.

I don't think people know that having a hedgehog is not like having a hamster or a mouse. These animals have more needs than that.

I just hope your friends start taking your advice, for the sake of their quilled ' friends.'


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

The amount of food I was offering them is worth just over $40. 15 lbs of food will last one hedgehog a long time. But they claimed:

1) I didn't know what I was doing, hedgehogs aren't cats.
2) Hedgehogs eat insects not chicken, lamb, etc. 
3) The foods are too low in protein, it should be at least 38%
4) The foods are too high in fat, it should be around 5%
5) I probably poisoned the food. 

No matter how much explaining I did, they stuck with these statements. I linked them to this website and various threads, apparently we're all crazy and killing our hedgehogs... 



**I just want to clarify, the above statements are NOT true about hedgehog care.** I don't want a new member to read this and become confused.


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## chloe (Mar 11, 2012)

I'm am not the only person to own a hedgehog, or the first, but I believe it is a rare thing where I live. Ever since I decided to bring one home, everyone I work with wants one. I am worried because I don't want to see the same things that you are experiencing. For instance a Facebook status that reads, "Any one want a hedgehog? I don't want him anymore." I think I would feel compelled to rescue it.

The other day at work a boy said he was trading his ****atiel in for a hedgehog. I told him that I hope he never gets to have a hedgehog because 1) It will probably end up getting traded in for another "fad" pet one day, just like the bird, and 2) If he can't stand to take care of a small bird there is no way he will ever be able to properly care for a hedgie. 

Another girl at my work played with one at a pet store and wants to buy it. She has no idea what breeder it came from or what it's going to cost, I asked.

I have many other stories like these. I understand were you are coming from and I think you are completely just in your feelings. I hope I am, too.


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## SulleysMom (Apr 23, 2012)

So I know I'm new to the forum and to hedgehogs, but WOW I don't and never will understand how people can be so cruel to animals. I hate cats but I would never, ever throw one in the trash!!! I couldn't imagine our life without Sulley! He is a pain in the butt (he's only 11 weeks old) but he makes me smile when he curls up on my chest or on my honeys shoulder. 

I'm sorry to be so harsh but I think there should be a law where, whatever you do to a animal or child should be done to you everyday for the rest of your life! Just saying....


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

I called around about the guy throwing the hedgie in the garbage, to see if there was anything that could be done. I basically got told that with out actual proof, nothing can be done. The woman on the phone said anyone can fake a Facebook conversation (which is true) and there is no actual proof of the hedgehog in the garbage. Had I found the hedgehog, then it would be a different story. I asked if they would even look into it, but was told they have bigger problems to work on. Really? I get that there is a lot of abused, neglected and stray animals, but is throwing live pets in the garbage not a problem?


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Well... Do you know where that guy lives? It's sneaky, but you can bring a tape recorder and go to his place. Ask about wanting to check around the property, in case the hedgehog may have gotten free. Sneak in questions about how they did it. Did they put the hedgehog in a bag, etc etc. record all that is said. You need him to incriminate himself. But be sure not to do anything too rash. 

Please keep in mind to only do this if you are able and of legal age. Do not endanger yourself or do something that may incriminate yourself.


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## connorshogs (Mar 24, 2011)

I won't say names but theirs a breeder near me that I tryed to help deeds pretty pet and gives a 48 hr health on them come to find out he buys his from s and s exotics. Screw it stay away from hilltop exotics!!!!!! Read his site its a joke.


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