# College?



## Ambo22299 (Aug 5, 2014)

Hi everyone! I am 15 and considering getting a hedgie! However, I will be going to college in 2-3 years (I am considering early graduation). I would love to bring him/her with me, except most colleges do not allow pets. The college I am planning on going to is a 4-5 hour drive from home, so if I left my hedgehog at home I couldn't see them very often. Would a hedgehog day care type thing work? I haven't asked my parents if they would keep him/her while I was at school yet, because I wanted to have a solid plan before introducing the idea to them, but I would rather not ask them to keep my pet. There is always the option of sneaking the little guy/girl into my dorm, but I'm not sure that my hedgie would enjoy that. I've also considered getting an older one, but I would rather bond with it while its young. Any advice/personal stories? Thanks so much


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## lilsurfergrlsp (Dec 13, 2013)

Hello! First off, I just want to thank you for doing your research and planning ahead for the future, and considering all options for your hedgie. That's a sign of a great pet owner 

I have my hedgehog at college with me. But then again, I live in an apartment with my boyfriend, and not a dorm. 

Unfortunately a hedgehog isn't the type of pet you can leave at home in the care of your parents, because they need consistent handling for them to form (and keep) a bond with you. Also, I definitely wouldn't recommend sneaking a hedgie into a dorm for a number of reasons - what would happen if you were caught, plus hedgehogs do not like commotion and noise (things that a dorm would definitely have). Fortunately since I live in my own apartment off campus, there's not a lot of noise that my hedgie has to endure. There is always to possibility of getting your own apartment with a quiet roommate, though that's pretty rare for freshmen. 

Also, what do you mean by a hedgehog day care? Do you mean like doggy day care, where you leave your pet somewhere during the day? If so, that's probably not good idea because hedgehogs are nocturnal, and it would be better for your hedgie to be left alone and not moved too much during the day (they are very sensitive to light and temperatures, also they are very timid so it would probably stress them out). 

But I think adopting an older hedgie that you can take care even before you get to college is your best option. It's true that it may longer for an older hedgie to bond with you, but it's not impossible. Hopefully you'll be able to find one that's very well socialized, and will adjust well. You can check out local hedgehog rescues or animal shelters and see what your hedgie options are. 

Good luck with everything!


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

I think it's great that you're doing the footwork to make sure this a good idea before doing it. And I think it's great that you're looking at hedgies! They're wonderful little friends to have around if you're expectations are in the right place. 

You may check with the school you plan to attend. Sometimes small pets are allowed, or you can pay a little extra for the privilege. I think it's becoming more common for students to group up and get an apartment off campus, which is another option, and may be better for the hedgie all around. Dorms can get pretty crazy, and depending on the school the dorms aren't much bigger than the cage your hedgie would be living in!

But I think the real question is, are you going to have time to really care for a pet while you're attending school? College courses can be pretty intense and if you have to work a job on top of that you may not have the time or energy to put into raising a pet. I don't want to discourage you, I just think this is the biggest potential issue.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

Like she said above, hedgehogs require at least 30 minutes ( but more is recomended, I keep Olive out for usually around 2 hours) a day with YOU to bond and keep that bond, it would be confusing to him if different people were doing his bonding time and that's if your parents would be willing to take him out of his cage every night. I don't think sending him off with anyone during the day is a good idea, since they sleep all day and get comfortable with their own house. It is okay to bring your hedgehog other places with you if he has bonded and trusts you, but it can really freak them out to be in new places because of all the different smells and people. Also if you could take him to your dorm would you be able to put in the time and effort to take him out to bond everyday, be able to provide the diet and supplies he needs, would you be able to afford emergency vet care if he required it (sometimes it can be in the several hundred dollar range), Would you be able to provide him a spacious cage and proper lighting and sound schedule, dorms can be very loud which could stress out a hedgie. Also since the room is so small and you have a roommate would you be able to give him complete darkness and quietness from 9 pm to 7 or 8 am? Would your roommate be okay with not making noise or keeping the light on after nine?


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## lilsurfergrlsp (Dec 13, 2013)

To be honest, I think that it's pretty hard to keep a pet in college if you're an underclassmen. Like I said before, you could just adopt an older hedgie, and that way you get to own a hedgehog in the time it takes until you graduate high school.


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## lilythehedgie (Sep 20, 2012)

First off, let me just say that it's awesome that you're doing research and considering the future of a hedgehog before getting one. 

Before I got Lily, one of the things I (unfortunately) had to consider was how long she would live, and if she would live until I left to go to college. If she does live that long, I'm going to do anything I can to be able to take her with me. If there isn't a feasible way, then I will end up leaving her at home with my parents. They are willing to take care of her while I'm away, but I just hate thinking about asking them to do that. I'm 14, and starting high school this year, and Lily is 3 years old, so due to their lifespans it is almost certain that she will not be with me by the time I graduate. 

That being said, I think adopting an older hedgie is an amazing idea. You'll be able to experience owning a hedgehog, and give one a loving home.


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## Teddi4211 (Apr 30, 2014)

As many of the posts above said, I think it's great you're really considering everything when getting a pet, especially when you will go to college in a few years. 

I will, too, as a matter of fact. However, I never planned on living in a dorm and already have plans of an apartment so that I can take Phoebe and Adella with me to college. Once again, dorms can be loud for a hedgehog. It wouldn't really be your hedgehog if it was with your parents. If they cared for him, including bonding, he would bond with them. Whenever you saw him, he wouldn't be friendly around you.


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## rodanthi (Feb 7, 2014)

Well I'm starting university (college) in a couple of weeks. But I already knew for other reasons that I wasn't going to stay in university accomodation. I live in a quiet apartment with my boyfriend and the three of us get along just fine. 

I wouldn't get a hedgehog banking on the fact that you're going to live away from dorms unless you're *sure*. For me I had no other choice so it was pretty sure!

But if you do, I think in the UK freshmen living in private accomodation is much more common and tbh it isn't too hard. I didn't have any trouble finding a landlord who was happy for me to have Hector.


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## HedgieLoverRVA (Nov 17, 2014)

When I moved out to got to college my zoo came with me. I looked into the cost of living off campus and was able to find an apartment that allowed my animals for much less than the room and board through the school would have been. That said, when I got to school I quickly heard sob stories from students who left pets behind. Many came to visit mine! Our school had a housing office that helped place upper class students (juniors and seniors) in apartments. They were owned by the university but did allow pets. Check with student groups on campus, sometimes they can help find other students you can live with who are pet people. Good luck! I hope you are able to have a pet while getting your education! I know mine helped with stress around final exams! And thank you for putting your potential pet first!


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