# Classroom Pet



## Jocelyn3113 (May 28, 2011)

Hi Guys 
Me again, I have no hedgie but I seem to be on here more than ever. Okay here is the run down, despite my vehement argument against it my cousins fifth grade class has decided to get a hedgehog. I disagree with this that said they are doing it anyways and are taking my other care advice seriously, so they are getting a large cage, a wheel and I am lending them a heat lamp and a hidey hole. I was wondering if you guys could help me come up with some, tips and tricks, for like a printable sheet I could give the teacher and students. I’m thinking I will also buy them a pen so he can get some exercise outside of the cage. Maybe with a lot of work we can make this work for them.


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

Oh geez.... I think I'd offer to buy them a guinea pig instead of the pen for a hedgie. But I understand the situation you're in... you're not the decision-maker, but that you're trying to make the best out of a bad situation. 

Perhaps one last tactic you could try: encourage your teacher cousin and the students to "do their homework" on what a hedgie needs and hope they come to the conclusion that a nocturnal animal who will hide all day long isn't very "fun" -- unlike a piggie who will chip and run up to the cage wall for veggie time. 

In terms of generating a hedgie behavior & care sheet for the classroom, I start out with "what's a hedgehog," then get into their behavior and needs - emphasizing things that are relevant to 9yo kids -- like how hedgie is prickly and if you hold one, you need to be sitting on the floor; what to do if hedgie bites, if you get pricked by a quill; how hedgies really need to sleep during the day; how hedgies are scared by loud noises; the foods you should and should NOT feed a hedgie (picture the good kid giving hedgie a nice, healthy treat like a grape -- which can cause death)... 

Quick question: Will this hedgie have a home both in the classroom and at your cousin's place for the night-time, weekends, holidays, and snow-days? 

I also noticed you mentioned a heat lamp; ie, something that produces both heat and light. Just wanted to note that hedgie will also need an emitter that gives off heat, but no light, during the night time.


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## Jocelyn3113 (May 28, 2011)

Ah yes the one I used for my little guy had a light you couldnt really see that omitted heat. 
Yeah grapes I better make sure thats on the list of unsafe treats. **** grapes


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

It's really important that someone takes responsibility for the hedgehog on weekends, vacations, etc. I wouldn't want it left at the school overnight even, because the temperature goes down. I don't know if a school would be okay with a CHE because they might group is with space heaters as a possible fire hazard. If possible, try to get in contact with the teacher and talk to them about how important it is that they take responsibility for the hedgehog. Our policy is to not sell a baby that's intended for a classroom pet unless the teacher buying it makes it very clear that they understand it has to be a personal pet first, and a classroom pet second. If they're not getting handled at night and over weekends/holidays, they're not going to be friendly. They should should also pick one based on personality, and possibly consider getting an adult instead of a baby, so it's personality is already known and they don't have to go through the quilling period, which could easily turn the kids off to the idea of trying to handle it at all.


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## Jocelyn3113 (May 28, 2011)

SHEET THUS FAR (TAKEN FROM POSTS HERE AND ONLINE) PLEASE CORRECT ANY THINGS I HAVE WRITTEN WRONG

Characteristics of Hedgehog Owners
•	Knowledgeable about hedgehogs - learn as much as you can. Hedgehogs are exotic pets and require special care, the more you know about these unique animals the better caregiver you will be! 
•	Patient - hedgehogs are shy by nature they will poke or may even bite you well they are getting to know you. But if you keep trying eventually they will begin to trust you
•	Gentle - you must be gentle with hedgehogs if they are going to trust you. When holding them its best to be seated as when they poke you may drop them accidentally. 
•	Observant - your hedgehog is going to depend on you 100% for their needs. You will need to recognize its needs and its subtle ways of communicating to watch for illness. 
•	Financially responsible - hedgehogs are not overly expensive but they are not cheap either, they require high quality food, bedding and vet trips that can be costly
Accepting - You must be willing to accept what your hedgehog has to offer. It will most likely never follow commands or do tricks but its quirky habits and the affection it may share can make it quite charming

Positive Aspects of Hedgehog Ownership
•	Perfect size! Typically between 6 ounces and 2 pounds 
•	Hedgehogs are very quiet pets but you will hear their squeaky wheel! 
•	Hedgehogs do not smell if you keep their cage clean
•	Hedgehogs do have some dander but are generally a good choice for people who have allergies 
•	Hedgehogs are love to explore and are fun to watch run around a pen outside of their cages 
•	Hedgehogs can become quite tame if raised properly from babies 
•	Hedgehogs can be trained to use a litter box, but will mess wherever they are when outside of their cage. 
Negative Aspects of Owning a Hedgehog
•	They are nocturnal in nature and may appear to do nothing except "stay balled up all day.
•	Hedgehogs are prickly and their quills can cause mild allergic reactions in people (your skin may become red and itchy for a short period of time
•	Pet hedgies do best if handled every day, and they make take a long time to become accustomed to their new owners and environment.
•	Hedgehogs may become quite grumpy while quilling (shedding their quills).
•	Hedgehogs do have teeth and have the potential to bite. Biting is typically not done out of aggression but may be done accidentally if they think you have food
•	Hedgehogs are best kept by themselves.
•	Hedgehogs do not typically come when called or actively seek out human interaction.
•	Hedgies cannot be left alone during the weekend.
•	Hedgies require a heat lamp as they are from a warm climate and are prone to hibernation (hibernation can cause illness or even death in a domestic hedgehog)
Maintenance Requirements
•	Fresh Food (high quality cat food) and fresh water daily 
•	Healthy safe treats occasionally as they love trying new foods
•	Time outside of their cage daily in a hedgehog proofed room or pen 
•	May require baths occasionally and/or feet cleaning (their feet often get dirty from running and pooping on their wheel)
•	Many hedgehogs require nail clipping (often a two person job getting around those quills!)

Primary Diet
•	A high quality cat food is the primary staple of a healthy hedgehogs diet
•	I would suggest trying Performatrain, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul, Royal Canin, Blue Buffalo, or Orijin 
•	Premade hedgehog food and treats are known for being unhealthy and costly so stay away from those
Treats
•	Cooked unseasoned meats (beef, chicken, lamb. Turkey ect)
•	Fruits including; apple, banana, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherry, cranberries, honeydew, kiwi, papaya, peach, pear, plum, pumpkin, raspberries, squash, strawberry, watermelon
•	Veggies: asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, carrot, celery, cilantro, corn, cucumber, green beans, green pepper, peas, spinach, sprouts, sweet potato, turnip, zucchini, leafy greens
•	High Quality canned cat food 
DO NOT FEED THESE TREATS :
•	Anything acidic : oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, pineapple, etc
•	Raisins: besides the fact that they are dried fruit, grapes and raisins are toxic even in very small amounts.
•	Onions, garlic, chives
•	Human junk food: these are high in fat, salt, preservatives, and many other things bad for hedgies.
•	Chocolate: same as for human junk food.
•	Pits and seeds: these can be toxic (depending on the fruit) and are a choking hazard

Hedgehog Recourses .
•	Hedgehog Central (http://hedgehogcentral.com): Hedgehog Central is one of the greatest places to learn about your new hedgehog, they also have an excellent forum full of helpful and knowledgeable hedgehog owners who will happily answer any questions you may have
•	Hedgehog Quarters (http://www.hedgehogheadquarters.com) Another great place to find some basic information on hedgehogs. I found a lot of this care sheet on this website.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I would remove cilantro from the safe vegetables - herbs in general shouldn't be used as treats since they also have medicinal properties and would be extremely easy to overdose in a small animal like a hedgehog. I would also recommend that the teacher, at least, should read LizardGirl's book here - http://www.westcoasthedgehogs.com/files ... index.html Free to download and it's a great way to get a lot of information that's on the forum, all condensed and organized. It'd be nice if she could make it available to the kids to read too, if they're interested. I'd also suggest to the teacher to make an account on here (or another hedgehog forum) where she can get advice herself on behavior, health, etc. issues that may come up.

If you can, I feel like the kids would probably be more gung-ho about getting a baby...but if they're dead set on a hedgehog instead of something a little more accessible like a guinea pig, see if they'd be willing to check out retired breeders from hedgehog breeders. They'd be 2-3 years already, which can be a down side if they were looking for something to live for several years (though who knows, that hedgehog still could live to 7-8 years old), but my thinking is that the hedgehog's personality will be better known by that point - the breeder would be able to point them out to a hedgehog that's friendly, calm, and may do better in a classroom setting. It's just more of a "sure thing" than getting a baby that could end up pretty cranky after quilling.


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

eqit i thought you could let them have garlic 0.0 Dallas and Shades and Oliver's catfood has garlic as an ingredient is this bad?!

Tell her kumo ( hedgie) story. She bought him for her class room but later found out that he wasn't a class sort of pet and so she some what neglected him because of his food and cleanliness, he got an oral tumor that wouldn't go away and he had to be put down.long story short.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Most schools turn off the lights when everyone leaves, so be sure to mention that hedgehogs also need a strict light schedule, providing 12-14 hours of "artificial light" to simulate daylight. A regular desklamp on a timer will suffice. Most people have the light turn on anywhere from 6am-8am and off at around 8-10pm). So along with the CHE, they will need a separate light/lamp.

Also, depending on the type of wheel, they will also have to scrub poop covered wheels daily. 
Just to add, some hedgehogs may never come around to be "friendly". Some merely put up with humans because they provide food. So be sure they know not to have impractical expectations, then letting the hedgehog suffer for not being "friendly". 

Not all hedgehogs will eat treats. There are many picky eaters who will refuse any and all treats given 

ALL hedgehogs require regular nail trims. 

Classrooms can sometimes be drafty. Whether it be from the school ventilation system, or just open doors and windows. The cage may need some covering to protect from that. In the winter, the hedgehog SHOULD really be brought home, as most schools usually turn down the thermostats at night to save energy.

Honestly? A pair of rats would make better classroom pets  (shameless rat plug) lol I spend much time with rats in my lab coat as I walk around the school. (I'm in school for vet tech, and we just got our rats and we're responsible for socializing them and making them friendly). They could even have a class project of building a rat maze, etc etc. (yes, we built a rat maze last year ) lol /end shameless plug

But ya, other than the few tweaks I saw, and what's already been said. LG's book is definitely something to read, may even be good to order a hard copy to keep in the classroom. It has the most up to date information there is.


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## Tabi (Jun 24, 2012)

This literally makes me cringe  ugh anything could be a better classroom pet.... I spend at least two hours a day taking care of my hedgies and I cannot imagine a teacher having time for it. I just wanna email this teach and say nonono


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## Maddie The Hedgehog (Jul 28, 2012)

Lilysmommy said:


> I would remove cilantro from the safe vegetables - herbs in general shouldn't be used as treats since they also have medicinal properties and would be extremely easy to overdose in a small animal like a hedgehog. I would also recommend that the teacher, at least, should read LizardGirl's book here - http://www.westcoasthedgehogs.com/files ... index.html Free to download and it's a great way to get a lot of information that's on the forum, all condensed and organized. It'd be nice if she could make it available to the kids to read too, if they're interested. I'd also suggest to the teacher to make an account on here (or another hedgehog forum) where she can get advice herself on behavior, health, etc. issues that may come up.
> 
> If you can, I feel like the kids would probably be more gung-ho about getting a baby...but if they're dead set on a hedgehog instead of something a little more accessible like a guinea pig, see if they'd be willing to check out retired breeders from hedgehog breeders. They'd be 2-3 years already, which can be a down side if they were looking for something to live for several years (though who knows, that hedgehog still could live to 7-8 years old), but my thinking is that the hedgehog's personality will be better known by that point - the breeder would be able to point them out to a hedgehog that's friendly, calm, and may do better in a classroom setting. It's just more of a "sure thing" than getting a baby that could end up pretty cranky after quilling.


Oh my goodness! I have got to have her book! Sry this is off topic =/ but is there a hard copy ready yet?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

If you click on the link there's a spot where it says "Buy a Hard Copy".


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## Maddie The Hedgehog (Jul 28, 2012)

Yay!  I'm gonna have to look into getting one of those. This website is a good website and full of information, however, a lot of info is scattered but this is still a good place to get information from  I love it a lot and people are friendly but a book would be easy to flip through and find the answers and this site would be a good place to refer back to for other questions.


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