# Is taking your hedgie out on errands really humane?



## Unchi

First I'd like to apologize as I'm sure this topic has been brought up before. I searched but couldn't find what I was looking for.

I'd like to ask everyone's experiences and opinions on taking your hedgehogs out (especially during the day.) I hear so many hedgehog owners saying things like "I take my hedgehog everywhere I go! You're an awful owner if you don't!" To me though, it doesn't seem like they would get adequate rest being towed around everywhere, no matter how cozy their carrier is. How do your hedgehogs fare? Do they seem to rest deeply while you're out? Do they wake often if they're bustled? Are they cranky at night when you're back home or seem sleepy? 

My hedgehog wakes for nothing all day until around 9 or 10pm. She never gets up for a drink, food, anything. She's super cranky if during the day I start changing her water or food, so I do it at night.


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## smhufflepuff

To answer your question of how do they fare, I'd say that it depends on the hedgehog... to a certain extent. I'll tell you about mine:

Satin would be agitated if awoken during the day. I called her my little diva... very sweet, but you do not interrupt her beauty sleep! Tex was happy whenever he was with his humans... direct contact, not in a carrier or anything. Just directly touching human hands. Interaction during the day tuckered him out though. Bella prefers short periods of interaction at a time. Both Satin and Bella had issues with travel - pooping and peeing. So, from a behavioral perspective, I'd say it would be a bad idea to bring them around with me during the day. No one would be happy... just agitated and exhausted at the end of it. Based on their reactions, I'd say you'd pretty much have to be an insensitive jerk to think taking any of them out on human errands was okay.

Also, consider the health risks - all the germs that are out there, the possibility of people bumping into hedgie, ensuring temps are just right... I wouldn't want to risk it. 

To me, it's not worth it.


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## Lilysmommy

There's three threads that were recently going on about this topic, further down in this same forum - 
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=19487
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=22101
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=21847


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## shmurciakova

Well, I don't know how Daisy would do because I have never tried. She does wake up usually around 2-3pm and stir around a bit. Sometimes she plays with her TP tube for a while and then goes back to sleep until it starts to get dark, around dinner time. I think if I were to tote her around in the evening she would be fine. I don't usually go out much at night though...This subject caused quite a stir before, but I think the bottom line is it depends on the hog and the owner, I don't think there is a "one size fits all" answer to this. However, I don't think taking them into a restaurant for example, is the coolest thing to do.
-Susan H.


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## 1Rayne

me personally I live in Alberta Canada where the weather can change 30 degrees in under a hour so nope not a chance 
they are exotic animals who sleep during the day and up all night and I am sure they don't care what groceries you are picking up or what bank you use so I'm sure they are more then happy to sit those out haha


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## nikki

I'm going to lock this, just because there are already three other threads on the same topic. Please feel free to post on them.


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