# Hedgehog "Things to Know" list



## Kcutway (Jan 1, 2016)

In my introduction post, I indicated that my 10 year old wants a hedgehog, so I'm doing LOTS of research by reading these forums--they are awesome. I have a couple of my students who have hedgehogs and will be visiting my mom's friend to see hers.

I haven't yet decided on getting one yet, but I am starting to compile a list of things she needs to be aware of IF I say "yes." On this list, I have included much of what Kalandra posted as well as others. I have also included pictures of poopy wheels.

Any other helpful pieces of information to include for her--good or bad--would be greatly appreciated!

Here is a link to my introduction post: http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/25-introductions/126697-hello-potential-owner.html


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## teddythehedgie (Nov 22, 2015)

Off the top of my head...

- cage needs regular cleaning. I mean like 20 minutes a day every day it takes me to make sure cage, liners, wheel, food bowls are nice and clean. Every day. Forever. It adds up 

- hedgehogs can take a long time to bond with. You may end up with one that doesn't want to play or hang out. 

- vet bills may be expensive and frequent. They are prone to lots of illnesses sadly!

- the wheel smells bad with urine and poop! Something to consider


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## octopushedge (Apr 26, 2015)

Is she a light sleeper? Hedgehogs make quite a racket at night even with a quiet wheel. If she can't sleep she's not going to be very happy with her new pet. 

Kalandra's list is excellent. I really want to emphasize patience. They can take sometimes years to bond with someone. My hedgehog gets handled every single day in a quiet environment for ten months now and still has some trust issues with me. Not many ten year olds can fathom just how long a year is, especially when they want something new every week. 

I got a pet ****atiel at the age of nine and eventually had to give him away when I was 16. With high school and work, and my mom's job, nobody was around to give him the proper attention he needed. That may be something to consider as well. Availability changes a lot as kids become teenagers, and there may no longer be a place for a pet once your child is going to high school, soccer practice, band practice, school dances, concerts, movies, and a part-time job.


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## Kcutway (Jan 1, 2016)

Thanks for the replies! I was wondering how long daily cleaning takes, but I'm sure it differs from hedgie to hedgie. 

She is a heavy sleeper so no worries about that. We also have a sun conure and ****atiel that will be stuck with us long after the kids leave so if we do get one, he will be part of that bunch.


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## teddythehedgie (Nov 22, 2015)

The cleaning is so time consuming because of the poop. Teddy runs in his poop and pee and creates the most incredible ...... Concoctions.... Creations... It smears everywhere and requires some diligence to clean the wheel. My pro tip: have a bucket wheel. Let scalding hot water run over it while you clean the rest of the cage. The hot water loosens the poop/pee mix. 

Also, I am going to be brutally honest with you here: my male hedgehog used to masturbate, and not a little. Like, dozens of rather large semen smears on his fleece. It added to the cleaning. Be aware that if this happens you may need to explain to your child what the semen stains are. (They get crusty but hot water removes them). I suspect teddy will start this soon when he gets a bit older. The joys of hedgehogs, haha! :lol:


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Are you prepared to keep the hedgehog and birds in separate parts of the house? 
Suns are annoyingly loud, especially when they greet the sub and get the dust out of their lungs. This is hedgie bedtime. 
Time spent cleaning varies from person to person with their method. Much the same way cleaning anything can take different amount of time depending on who is sitting the job. 
The main issue is the personality. Hedgehogs aren't like dogs cats or even guinea pigs. They won't seek you out, even for food. Yes some might, but this isn't something you can count on. How do you think she will be with something that doesn't want to spend time with her, and may actively avoid interaction with her? A lot of adults have issues with this.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Adding to what teddy said about "boy time" some hedgehogs have no modesty at all. They don't care if you see. Those ones will continue and not be bothered if they have an audience.


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## Kcutway (Jan 1, 2016)

Yikes! Looks like maybe we should get a girl. Thanks for the warning.


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## Kcutway (Jan 1, 2016)

Believe me, I know how loud our conure can get. For some reason he loves me and will often squawk when I leave the room. If we get a hedgie, it will be upstairs. Birds are downstairs. 

I am having her read up on all these potential negatives before I even decide.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

If you liked or disliked my other list, here are some more thoughts to continue the discussion.

1. Behaviors: Another good thread to understand what hedgehogs are like is to read one I posted many years ago. http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...lity-behaviour/10-behaviour-expectations.html

We often have new owners on here who have the wrong expectation of what a hedgehog is really like. They see youtube videos, see people post stories of very friendly hedgehogs, then when they bring home their first it isn't anything like the stories and quickly become frustrated. I post a few things about what is normal behavior. I also tell a story about Riley. I got Riley when he was just barely 7 weeks old. He was difficult to interact with, but was a very normal hedgehog.

In fact, spend time in the behavior & personality section. Read some of the threads posted by new owners. See what they are asking and are being told. It will give you an idea of what life is really like.

2. Veterinary care. These guys are not cheap. I actually ask my vet's office when they tell me the bill is under $100 what they missed, because its almost never under that. Finding a vet that will care for them and has real experience is difficult too. They are exotics and we pay the price for that. We see far too many owners who aren't prepared for the expense, or don't have a veterinarian anywhere near them. Find one before you get one.

They are typically healthy, but URI, UTIs, mites and cancer are the most common problems. I typically tell people if you have a hedgehog expect to deal with cancer at some point, they get all types of cancer. It can happen as young as 1 year (Riley got cancer at 1 year 1 week).

3. Heat. They require heat. We cannot stress this enough on this forum. Without a consistent heating setup they get sick. They can attempt hibernation. Hibernation will kill them. Just having an attempt can reduce their immune systems, and URIs, mites, etc are more likely to happen.

They are prey animals and as prey animals they are amazing at hiding illness. We often see people who don't take this serious enough. They see a symptom and want to wait, these are not animals to wait with. You see a symptom, its something that likely needs attention now, the kind where you drop everything and get attention.

4. Light. They require 12-16 hrs of light a day. Or the same problem as #3 starts to occur. Read through a lot of the health threads and you will see some of us basically start our replies with: What is your heating setup & lighting setup. These two are some of the most overlooked items, and yet some of the most important for proper care.

There is a lot of good in these guys, but you have to be ready to deal with an animal that isn't domesticated. They are prey animals, and are very defensive about everything. They don't usually trust easily and some react really badly to stress. But for the right person they are amazing. They have some of the most unique personalities out there. I've had hedgehogs for 20 years and really haven't met or had a hedgehog yet that was exactly the same. I've had the rare overly friendly hedgehog, and some that I hardly ever saw their nose. The image in my signature is of a hedgehog who I had for over a year and that image was the first time I saw his nose.

They still throw me for a loop, make me laugh at their antics. But they can be extremely challenging and if you are someone who wants to be shown love once in a while, get a rat.


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## milo1210 (May 21, 2015)

I think what everyone else has said are all valid points, but to add to that. when I was younger I wanted a pet more than anything so we started off with a hamster. I loved it for the first couple of months but then got bored of him and neglected him. After owning one for a year I realized that Hedgehogs are alot of work, even for a 16 year old, and you have to think about who is going to spend time with it daily, who is going to clean, feed, and look after daily. Knowing how I was like at that age I would probably leave it all up to my parents, but I cant speak for everyone. I'm not trying to turn you away here because having a hedgehog is so much fun and everyone should have one, but not everyone is ready to deal with and make sure they have everything they need.... especially if you get one who isnt very friendly...


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