# Appalled...an ad for a hedgehog for a classroom pet?!



## nibletsmom (Dec 20, 2010)

So I search weekly on the local sites such as craigslist and such looking for a ferret nation cage and I just ran across this ad for a person looking for a hedgehog as a classroom pet.

Here is the way the ad reads:

*"I am desperatly wanting a hedgehog!!! I want it for my classroom. I dont have much money for my classroom, so if someone is wanting to get rid of their hedgehog, I will gladly take it off your hands!! I can afford a small rehoming fee, but not much. PLEASE SOMEONE FIND ME A HEDGEHOG!!! i don't care what breed or color (preferably not an albino)"*

I couldn't help myself but to send them a long email about how a hedgehog wouldn't be the ideal classroom pet, hedgehog care and requirements and directed them to this site for further information.

This ad just screams a person that knows nothing about hedgehogs and their care.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

I've been contacted several times by teachers looking for a classroom pet and I always tell them to get a pet rock. :lol:


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## leopardhedgehog (Nov 18, 2010)

There are multiple problems with that listing. (1 Hedghogs are wonderful but they aren't cheap. If they cannot even afford the usual initial price of a normal hedgehog (for one from a reputable breeder it often costs at least $100-$200) they how can they afford the setup, which costs as much/near as much/more than the hedgehog, not to mention food and vet bills.
(2 Hedgehogs really aren't the ideal pet for small children (which are usually the recipients of class pets), they may become upset or angry with the hedgehog if it prickles them or just doesn't want to interact at that moment. 
(3 In a classroom setting, the hedgehog wouldn't be able to properly bond with anyone, especially since the people would only be there during the day, and at night when the hedgehog is awake, no one would be there


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## alex_le_renar (Feb 21, 2011)

"I always tell them to get a pet rock. :lol:"
 that was a good one


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## nibletsmom (Dec 20, 2010)

Oh yea....I covered all the basis in my very long email from cost to setup to illnesses they are prone to. I included lighting/heating requirements, the bonding stage if they got a baby hedgehog and the difficult bonding if they rehomed an adult, the fact that they are nocturnal, huffy and prickly, etc etc etc.

I wasn't very nice. lol

Who knows...that person will probably delete my email as soon as they open it and continue in search of their little classroom hedgie.

Poor future classroom hedgie.


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## 11swedishfish (Feb 1, 2011)

i saw a similar request on Craigslist. Those always make me get up and eat a snack or something to take a breather before going back to looking at adds... otherwise i might just explode out of anger/frustration/helplessness


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

nibletsmom said:


> I wasn't very nice. lol
> 
> Who knows...that person will probably delete my email as soon as they open it and continue in search of their little classroom hedgie.
> 
> Poor future classroom hedgie.


If we hear anymore, I'll smack the teacher with a big pet rock! :twisted:


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## 11swedishfish (Feb 1, 2011)

MissC said:


> If we hear anymore, I'll smack the teacher with a big pet rock! :twisted:


Violence is never the answer.

...ok, violence is rarely the answer. I guess when it comes to animals... violence can be the answer.


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## nibletsmom (Dec 20, 2010)

I am noticing an odd pattern here on my local craigslist. I had left the page open and when I clicked over to it to close it out just now, i hit refresh just for kicks and noticed that someone had posted an ad for a classroom hedgie available to be rehomed!! OMG! :roll:

It included a picture of his hedgehog on a second level of a cage with no sides on the ramp!!  

http://nashville.craigslist.org/pet/2268673361.html

Ok this is me...clicking the X in the corner of the craigslist open page! haha...before I lose it on another person. lol


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

11swedishfish said:


> MissC said:
> 
> 
> > If we hear anymore, I'll smack the teacher with a big pet rock! :twisted:
> ...


I would just smack her a little bit.  
Point taken...Jamie's always reminding me that I'm "bigger than that".
Sometimes I'd rather be small and mean. :evil:


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I like your answer, Larry... Hearing about hedgehogs as classroom pets hits a nerve in me ever since the disaster with the little girl I tried to rescue from a high school classroom. :?  Can I help hit this person too? :evil:


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## amber.vroman (Nov 2, 2010)

I was first introduced to a hedgehog as a child. It was our class room pet. I was 5-6 years old and we were never taught any of the proper care for the little guy. The scariest thing is that each of the students got a turn to take him home for a weekend. He came in a small cage and no heat set up.  Of course I thought he was the coolest thing since sliced bread, but I knew nothing about taking care of him properly and obviously neither did my teacher. I hope that he lived a long happy life.


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## shadowlynx (May 4, 2010)

I just felt the same way about a post I read on my local Craigslist and wanted to do the same thing:to send them a message about PROPER care because they were looking to rehome here and if they were caring for her incorrectly whoever got her would probably do the same. However, all they had up was a phone number and would not respond.

My Harriet was a classroom pet and I guess she faired pretty well to be 4 when I got her. The care she had recieved could have been much worse. She did at least have a good bedding and a wheel, but she was being fed Friskies cat food and nothing else and had no heeting set up. Also as stated by others she had no real chance to bond with anyone and because her class was for special needs children I cringe to imagine how handling went if she was handled much at all. She lived to be a little over 5 until I lost her the day after Christmas, but it saddens to me to think how much better her life could have been. I used to live in Tennessee I really wish I could give that little boy a home. I am getting married and have friends and family coming from there, but not until September.....poor baby


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## starby (Apr 25, 2010)

That's awful! I hope the teacher reads your e-mail and decides to go for something more classroom friendly! If not...Poor hedgie!


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## nibletsmom (Dec 20, 2010)

So I couldn't help myself....I had to send an email to the person that is trying to rehome their classroom hedgie. His little picture and face was just breaking my heart.

She is charging $100 to rehome him and all of his stuff.

I am trying to figure out if my fiance and I can take him in and also trying to convince my fiance that we can. 

I just can handle the idea of him going to some random home or classroom where he won't be taken care of. 

Sometimes being a compassionate person really gets me in trouble.


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## Littlefootsmama (May 23, 2010)

nibletsmom said:


> So I couldn't help myself....I had to send an email to the person that is trying to rehome their classroom hedgie. His little picture and face was just breaking my heart.
> 
> She is charging $100 to rehome him and all of his stuff.
> 
> ...


I really hope you are able to rescue him. This is absolutely appalling! I am an educator and I have three boys and I would NEVER in my wildest dreams think of putting them in a classroom...Good jesus!! I don't understand what is wrong with people's heads. It is a very very wise choice of mine that I don't use craigslist or I'd probably have charges brought up against me for countless things. LOL


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Littlefootsmama said:


> I don't understand what is wrong with people's heads. It is a very very wise choice of mine that I don't use craigslist or I'd probably have charges brought up against me for countless things. LOL


We belong to the same club, sister. 

My BF is convinced he's going to have to either bail me out of jail or punch somebody's lights out cuz of my mouth in response to Kijiji ads.

I am normally a patient, peace-loving, yoga posing, granola-munching, tree-hugging 60s throwback...
unless stupidity or animals are involved...and when there's *both*??!!! In one sentence????!!

Patience-shmatience. :evil:


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## nibletsmom (Dec 20, 2010)

Well the woman emailed me back about the little guy and said that she had someone coming to get him but if they didn't work out then she would contact me.

I sent her a message back practically begging her to make sure that whoever she decides to let him go to that she makes sure that they are hedgehog knowledgeable and know the facts such as food, heating, lighting, and rehoming a previously owned hedgie and the patience of the bonding process for these hedgies, etc etc. 
I was very nice about it but haven't heard a thing back from her. What makes me ill is people want so badly to send their pets to the "perfect" home but all too often you get the response that there is someone already interested. I think more often than not, people just take the first person that comes along as opposed to the right person for their pet.

I just hope and pray that the person that is supposedly in front of me in line is not that crazy woman looking for a classroom pet!! :shock:


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

nibletsmom said:


> I just hope and pray that the person that is supposedly in front of me in line is not that crazy woman looking for a classroom pet!! :shock:


 :shock: 
Yikes.
You did what you could...Larry T has a great short saying that rhymes and everything and it would be perfect here but I can't remember it...

You can only do so much and you did it. Kudos and good karma for you.


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## xspiked (Feb 27, 2011)

If you bought a hedgehog because of the novelty and want to 'get rid of them' ( :evil: :evil: ), the least you could do to make up for that is to ensure the adopting party is knowledgeable and genuinely interested in a hedgie. *sigh*

I feel so at home at HHC with my fellow 'lemme-at-em-lemme-at-em!!"-ers.


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## rivoli256 (Mar 1, 2009)

random rant: where were all these hedgies in TN when i was there & could have taken them in????? RAWR!!!!! ARGH!!!! GRRRRRRR!!!!

*sighhufflesnort*

Nibbletsmom...keep us posted on what i hope is a happy ending for that sweet looking hedgie from South Nashvegas...


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