# Giving up on my breeder?



## GoldenEyes (Nov 4, 2011)

I think we are about ready to give up on our breeder unfortunately. I have asked her three times now for her address so I could send the money mail order whatever you call it and she has yet to respond any of the times. 

I saw in many places on this website that she is horrible with communication but I never thought this much. I have waited a week and a bit for a response and have yet to receive anything and this is just the third time ive asked her, the first time I asked was on the 4th of November, so this seems kind of crazy to me.

What should I do? Wait a bit longer? The hedgies will be old enough to pick up around the 7th of december. I dont want to abandon the breeder, and leave her with a hedgehog extra but I also dont want, when I do get the hedgie and lets say theirs something wrong, and I email her... I mean i doubt she'll email back? I dunno.... :?


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

Try phoning ...many people are not internet savvy and avoid using it.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Can you call her? Keep trying and maybe you will get on their nerves and they will reply lol!


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## GoldenEyes (Nov 4, 2011)

They didn't actually leave me a number, I forgot to mention that they are still leaving kijiji.ca ads.


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## hedgieluv (Oct 29, 2011)

Hey GoldenEyes,
I had a similar issue with my breeder at the beginning. I found out that she had poor phone service, she got multiple calls daily from people that weren't serious, and that she didn't get one of my calls at all for almost a week. After she knew I was serious, our communication got easier. I don't know anything about your breeder, but I'm glad I stuck with mine through some frustration. I learned quite a bit from her! And I feel like she has a lot of experiential knowledge that will help me take care of my Persephone in the future. I would try email, maybe a text, different communication techniques are preferred by different people.Good luck! I hope it works out.


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## GoldenEyes (Nov 4, 2011)

Like I said, I dont have a phone number for her, just her email and her website which doesnt give any other information about communicating with her


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

If I am awake I usually return all emails within 30 minutes, I hate to keep anyone waiting for anything.  Try another breeder.


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## GoldenEyes (Nov 4, 2011)

Im thinking about it, but its hard to find a breeder near Hull because its so close to Ottawa I guess. Anyone know any breeders in Hull or the surrounding area? I'm still going to wait a bit for Josee (my breeder) because i dont want to be a bad person and all lol


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## CanadaJulie (Nov 18, 2011)

Hi, 

I am brand new here and reading up on care an supplies before I actually get my hedgie.

Since i am in the same area as you are GoldenEyes, which breeder are you dealing with ? So far, I think all of the breeders I have contacted have at least replied to my first email however, since I havent chosen one for sure yet, I dont know how any follow up emails will be handled though...

Any insight or suggestions on breeders in the Montreal / Gatineau area would be appreciated ! Or ones to avoid...

Julie


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## GoldenEyes (Nov 4, 2011)

I'm in contact with this breeder ---> http://passionherisson.tripod.com/

She's a good breeder, from what ive heard, just horrible at contact people but she literally JUST contacted me with the information I was asking for forever ago. I've heard most breeders arent that great in Quebec.


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## CanadaJulie (Nov 18, 2011)

Oh, yes, I saw that one. Not sure I emailed her (I've emailed a few !)

What area are you in ? St-Aime is a ways out from Hull ! I grew up in Gatineau and my family is still there.

There is a person on kijiji advertising for 175$ - not sure if she has a website though. She is in Gatineau (near Maloney Blvd, around the Promenade de L'Outaouais). Have you seen that one ? Any comments on them ?

I have also been talking to a lady in Legardeur (north of Montreal, near Repentigy) and one in Marieville (on the way to Granby)... Still not sure who to go with...

When are you supposed to be getting your GoldenEyes ?


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## GoldenEyes (Nov 4, 2011)

I'm supposed to be getting her on December 7th if everything works out. 

I havent heard of any of the people you're in contact with, that's why i chose a breeder so far out, I couldn't find any closer.

ask them what their guarantees are against mites and WHS. I know my breeder is life for WHS. 

I like close to the museum in Hull, right by the bridge. My mum lives closer to Cumberland, so I`ll be alternating between the two


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## CanadaJulie (Nov 18, 2011)

Ah yes I know that area well. I was married at that museum and my dads sailboat is at the Hull Marina ! We watch the Canada Day fireworks from it every year !

Back to hedgies... I am leaning towards this person. She is in Legardeur (north of Montreal). I saw her on kijiji first.

http://www.auxpoilsherisses.com/

Her webiste is very informative and she responds quickly to emails.

There is a health garanty - she only offers 2 years for WHS but from what I've read on this site, a life garanty might not be as great as it sounds. I read that some breeders require an autopsy done before they honor the garanty and I'm sure that paying for an autopsy would be very expensive. So yes, the breeder will replace your 150$ hedgehog after you pay 400$ proving it actually died "under warranty"... I'm not saying they all do but it is something to consider.

I think more than all the garanties in the world, what's important is how you feel your breeder cares for her animals and how much she knows about them. The breeder in Gatineau claimed her hedgehogs are HYPOALLERGENIC (no kidding... all in caps on her kijiji ad...). Another one said to *only* put the hedgies in plastic bins, *never* a cage with wire or C&C cages and to wash your cages out with tea tree oil. I dont know about hedgies but for cats tea tree is quite toxic - could be the same for hedgies and seems like a little overkill to clean out a cage. That stuff SMELLS and with hedgie having a delicate respiratory system (no using cedar, pine shaving with dust, regular or chinchilla sand), I certainly would not be using it to clean a cage... (I may be totally wrong on this, maybe I am biased because I am allergic to tea tree oil !)

Admitedly, I am a bit fanatical about how people care for their animals. I am a foster family for the Montreal SPCA (less now than before) and my dog is a rescue from a puppy mill. She came to me after the SPCA and Humane Society seized 330 animals from a mill up north in 2008. You know those cute golden retriever puppies in the pet store window ? My dog was their mom. She had fleas, tapeworm, roundworm, she was covered in scabs, had an ear infection and was seriously underweight. She came to me at 44lbs when an average golden retriever should weight 60-70lbs. At the time of the seizure she had neither food nor water in her filthy cage that she lived in 24/7 and her teeth are all ground down from chewing on the bars of her lifelong prison cell... Um, I mean cage. Just think of what HER babies were like ??!! All the health garanties in the world would not have been enough...

(for the record, I'm not saying any breeders mentionned here are unethical or better than others, just pointing out that a health garanty isnt always the most important thing)


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Tea tree oil is toxic to hedgies. Obviously that breeder is totally clueless. 

Hypoallergenic is a joke. Hedgehogs cause just as many allergies as dogs, cats and any other animal. 

You are right about the WHS warranty. Most of the time a proper necropsy to determine WHS will cost more than the hedgehog cost in the first place. I used to tell my customers that if they came to me out of the blue and said the hedgehog died of WHS then I required a necropsy to replace. I also told them if they contacted me at first symptom and I was kept informed as the hedgehog progressed, then I would replace the hedgehog without them having to pay the necropsy but that I would probably want to have it done at my expense. I would never have expected the owner to pay the necropsy if I knew about it from the beginning of the illness. Having a necropsy done benefits the breeder because then the line can be stopped if it proves to be WHS. My requiring a necropsy clause was there to protect myself if someone just out of the blue claimed their hedgehog died from WHS.


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## CanadaJulie (Nov 18, 2011)

That's a good point Nancy. I assume that an ethical breeder would not 'cut you off' at the 2 year+1 day mark saying "oh, too bad for you. It's after the 2 year mark" especially if you had kept them updated with any signs that happened beforehand. But spring it on them after the fact, kinda hard to prove it was WHS without a necropsy...


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

That is a very fair and much more realistic approach Nancy  Having read a few threads here of the vet costs, care and mths+ of worry these WHS owners go through I can't imagine dumping on the extra cost of a necropsy especially if a breeder is experienced and knows exactly what is going on. If someone just suddenly contacted the breeder and wanted a refund claiming their hedgie died of WHS I would want a necropsy too.


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## GoldenEyes (Nov 4, 2011)

I don't really think I would want my money back if my hedgie got WHS.. i dont know that might just feel like im returning a damaged item you know?

Anyways, my breeder said i can pick her up on the 7th of december, but she was born on the 2nd... isnt that too soon?? its only 5 weeks.


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

I believe they're weaned at 5 weeks but usually a breeder keeps them for an extra week to make sure they are good to go. So 6 weeks is really when the breeder should be letting them leave. I'd question this if I where you. :x


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## GoldenEyes (Nov 4, 2011)

Yeah i think i will, if i can even get a response from her.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Breeders don't give money back, they give another baby. 

5 weeks is too soon to be going to a new home. They should just be starting to be weaned and spending some time away from mom. Between 6 & 7 weeks they should be away from mom and then be monitored for at least a few days to a week being on their own to make sure they are eating well and gaining weight.


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