# Hedgehog vs ferret



## edifarnecio (Mar 12, 2013)

Hey everyone. So lately I have been wanting to purchase myself a companion and I narrowed my selection down to hedgehog and ferret. Now im leaning toward the hedgehog and I will explain why but can you please help me decide

Ok so my schedule is basically leave for school at 6am and arrive home at 4 pm. I have about an hour and a half to do whatever I want and then I begin homework,etc. I have another 2 hours in the evening as well. So I am aware than ferrets are more energetic creatures than hedgehogs. Is this enough time for the ferret ? Also I am aware that ferrets have a slight odor. Since the animal will be in my room, will it stick up my room? Also I am looking for a playful pet but not so playful that I always have to be playing with it. Hedgehogs seem good because they can handle being on there own for a while. Lastly my room isnt the biggest in the world. I would not be able to provide a massive cage for the ferret but I can provider a perfectly sized cage for the hedgehog. Plus a smaller cage means easier to clean. Which animal do you think is best for me, and as stated earlier im leaning toward the hedgehog.


----------



## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Having ferrets is like having kids. Kids, because you always need more than one ferret. You have to ferret-proof your house, they play hard, sleep hard, and require your constant attention. Not to say they aren't rewarding, but they're on the complete opposite side of the pet spectrum from hedgehogs.


----------



## stringmouse (Feb 3, 2012)

It seems like you have given this a lot of thought. I would have to agree that a hedgehog is probably a better fit for your lifestyle. Ferrets really do need a lot of attention and space to run around. They can also make quite a bit of noise in their cages at night. The only noise you're likely to hear from a hedgehog is the sound of them running on their wheel.


----------



## 1Rayne (Mar 3, 2013)

I agree I had two ferrets for 9 years they are like two year olds with better hiding spots lol 
if they are kept cooped up they will wreck havoc lol 

I vote hedgehog lol


----------



## sklock65 (Jan 9, 2013)

My vote is for TEAM HEDGIE! I must say I am a bit partial (being that out of the options I only have first hand experience with a hedgehog...this is Hedgehog Central after all!) however from things I have read and heard from others that own ferrets it does seem like a hedgie would better fit your lifestyle. Best of luck with your decision


----------



## 1Rayne (Mar 3, 2013)

don't get me wrong ferrets are awesome always kept me laughing I had mine litter trained squeaker trained etc they had full run of the house and I could take them off leash but if they get bored look out lol if I did have to cage them I had to put padlocks to keep them in they figured out how to let themselves out and they could use their paws like hands females are worse they are the Masterminds they will figure out what to do then use the males strength to play it out lol if they get into your purse its easier to replace your charge cards then find them lol 

at least hedgehogs love that you leave them sleep all day they don't holler at you when you ignore them etc


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

hey 1Rayne, posts are much easier to read when you use punctuation in them.  Your last post above was pretty difficult to read.

To the OP, I agree with the others - with your schedule and situation, it sounds like a hedgehog might be better suited for you than a pair of ferrets.

However, a couple things to keep in mind with hedgehogs - their poop can be pretty stinky, and so can their urine, depending on the hedgehog. You'll need to clean their wheel daily and clean the cage at least once a week or up to every other day, depending on how messy the hedgie is, to keep it from smelling. Some people clean every other day and still find the cage smelly. Babies also tend to have stronger-smelling poop and urine.

Both are expensive, which you may already know if you've started doing some research on them. Cage cost, hedgehog cost, heating equipment cost, and the cost of an exotic vet. Food doesn't cost too much in the long run, since they don't eat a ton, but a small bag of good cat food is anywhere from $10-20, depending on brand.

And lastly, keep in mind that hedgehogs are pretty quiet animals, for most of them. Your new hedgie may be a cuddler and not really be into exploring or running around when you get them out - cuddlers like to find someplace and go to sleep, even if they have a chance to run around. Your interaction with them will often just be them sleeping in your lap while you do something else. Even explorers rarely "play" as we think of it - they tend to run around and smell things, get into things, try to hide or climb somewhere, and might play with some toys on the ground, but they usually won't really play _with_ you.

Just some things to keep in mind while deciding whether either one is right for you. If you want something that may be more willing to interact with you, you might check out rats - they're best in pairs as well, but their cage size would be comparable to a hedgehog, I think (perhaps a bit bigger for optimal cage size), and they're very personable little animals. I can't wait until I can get a pair myself!


----------

