# Thinking of getting a hedgehog - a few quick questions



## katherine96 (Dec 21, 2014)

I am thinking of getting my 14 year old sister a hedgehog. She loves small critters and has had experience with having mice, hamsters, and guinea pigs as pets. However, I went to a pet store today to look around at supplies (I found a hedgehog from a breeder I think I may get, not a pet store) and we were asking the workers about their basic care and what they'd need. The worker brought up a few concerns to me...

1. He said that they require a lot of work. She loves taking care of animals, but he said we'd be changing out the bedding every day. Is this true?

2. They are smelly. Yes? No? I understand that all small critters will be a tad smelly even if you keep them clean. But he made it sound like it's quite the upkeep to keep them from smelling.

These are my basic concerns that popped up. If you can help me out, please do! Let me know if the cleaning process is easier than he made it sound or if he's absolutely right. Thanks!!


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## sc2001 (Oct 12, 2014)

You don't need to change bedding every day. Maybe once or twice a week at most. I use liners though. They are a lot easier to clean and much cheaper in the long run. They also control odor the best from my experience.

They are not smelly if you spot clean every day. I pick up poop every morning from the liner and clean the wheel daily. But it depends on how sensitive you are to smell. I don't smells my hedgehogs cage at all. 

The guy you talked to sounds like he was kind of exaggerating about cleaning. 

Hedgehogs are A LOT of work though. They are very sensitive creatures that require a very specific environment. They need constant heat, handling every day, a high quality diet, baths, and nail clipping. You also need to be incredibly patient because hedgehogs can be pretty grumpy at first. Daily handling will help. 

They also have a very high startup cost. It cost me $500 in total including the hedgehog. Their vet bills can also be pretty pricey. They are prone to many diseases. They are very sensitive so they can get sick pretty easily if the right environment isn't maintained. 

I'm not trying to scare you or steer you away but it's just some stuff to keep in mind. Especially since your sister is only 14. She may need some help with care and cost


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## Pandamom (May 23, 2014)

I agree with sc2001....they are ALOT OF WORK!! and big bucks to start up too. I think we spent over $500 including the heat set up. As a mom & watching my 24 yr old daughter take care of her Pippin, I would say your sister is too young to handle the responsibility and ongoing costs. Don't get me wrong, I love our little guy, wouldn't change a thing. But they are cranky at first ...!


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Remember that most pet stores give incorrect information when it comes to the care of hedgehogs.


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## ChocolatePintoHoglet (Nov 15, 2014)

Not true! My hamster smells worse after a day than my hoglet smells after a week lol x the cleaning of the wheel every day can be annoying (gets caked in poop) so bare that in mind. Also i had no idea about how much bonding would need to be done, i thought id get him home & he would be this cute little new furbaby.. 2monthes in of daily interaction & he still doesnt like being touched & pricks me alot with his quills! Drew blood a few times! If your sister knows all this though i wouldnt worry! I just had no idea before getting my boy xx


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## Prickerz (Sep 17, 2014)

Hedgeehogs arent all that common in pet stores (where I am from in the US, anyways!!)- I only know of one store that has them, and he's supposedly an exotic specialist *rolls eyes*
We are here to give correct information! 
yeah, my hedgehog alone cost 200. The cage was 90, CHE set up was 60ish, fleece was 40ish- I have a few liners I change out
You should set up a vet fund, too. I have 2500 saved collectively in case any of my pets get sick. A hedgehog could easily use up a good portion of that (though thank god I haven't had to take her to her vet for anything other than a regular exam)


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## Cactusfriend (Oct 29, 2014)

I Got my Charlie about 2 months ago and I love him so so so much! They are quite expensive to start up as others have mentioned. I also paid about $500 for everything, including Charlie. The breeder I went to sold brand new very LARGE cages and all things needed. I switched to liners after an expensive $200 vet trip as Charlie scratched his ear and due to the shavings he had (from the breeder) his skin was irritated etc. (We also tested him for mites...which was negative) Besides that, the costs of maintaining a hedgehog, especially with liners, is rather inexpensive. But as others say their heating and socialization needs are very important. I constantly dream about finding the temperature too low and I am always on monitoring mode. Handling everyday, and in the right way leads to a wonderful bonding experience. Charlie has gone from an upset ball of spikes to loving chin rubs and chest rubs as well as a good nap on my stomach. I feel like we gain so much in relationship everyday, and it is truly a pleasure to have him in my life. If your sister can handle the care requirements, as well as someone in the family supporting her and the hedgehop financially in the case of an emergency etc, then a hedgehog can be great! If not, then maybe not the best pet at this time.


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## Constantine (Nov 28, 2014)

(THIS IS A LONG ONE  )

I have to disagree with the info that was given to you. Hedgehogs can get expensive but that all depends on the breeder that you're getting him from. The initial start up cost for your hedgehog depends on all the supplies that you will be needing for him. Like the kind of cage you plan on keeping him in (needs to have a solid floor), the bedding you will use, his exercise wheel because they need a wheel to avoid obesity make sure that the wheel has a solid floor to avoid injuries on toes, 

if you live in a cold place then you need a heat pad for them. I live in the Philippines so keeping my hedgie warm isn't really a problem and the area where we live in doesn't get all that hot even in summer, but anyways all the initial start up cost will depend on you basically.

There are some things that you can do to lessen that up like using a large plastic bin as a cage cause its cheaper, making your own hedgehog wheel cause it's cheaper than buying ones online or from a store, invest in fleece liners for the cage as it would be more money wise, instead of spending how many bucks a month on new bags of bedding, and lots of other stuff to cut the cost. 

But to answer your question. No, you will not need to change the bedding everyday, if you use a bedding that is absorbent like fleece than you don't have to worry about the pee, I use fleece and I change the fleece liner every other day but some do it only once or twice a week, i'm a bit of an ocd so i change it as often as i want to, although they poop a lot but their poop doesn't smell bad, it actually doesn't smell at all and it actually dries up pretty quickly so you can easily scoop that up with a plastic spoon or whatever. 

Hedgehogs do not have body odor, they do not posses a natural musky smell, if a hedgehog has body odor or if their poop smells horribly bad it could be caused by what they eat, usually by feeding them high quality dry cat kibble like royal canin, the chances of them smelling or their poop smelling will be none at all. also being sick can cause them to have b.o as well.

Hedgehogs are easy pets to take care of, i guess the one hard thing about them is gaining their trust, hedgehogs aren't like guinea pigs that enjoy company, hedgehogs are solitary animals, they prefer to be alone, they usually only open up to one or two people, gaining their trust can take a month or so depending on the animals personality. 

It takes a certain kind of person to enjoy having a hedgehog, it is the owner that needs to adjust to the hedgehog and not the other way around. My concern is that people think hedgehogs are cute and cuddly and awesome to have which is true to some extent but usually people get bored with their hedgies and they usually have expectations about them that are just unreal, so make sure that your sister is fully aware of the responsibilities of having a hedgehog as it is truly different from having mice, guinea pigs, hamsters or etc.


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## sassy1234 (Sep 10, 2014)

I have to agree with what many people have already said. Most importantly, you need to be prepared for more work than with a hamster or guinea pig. The biggest difference I have seen between my hamster and my hedgie is temperature. While my hamster isn't at all bothered by the temperature fluctuations we experience in Wisconsin, my hedgie is extremely sensitive and it took me a long time to find a heating system that works for me and my cage. 
Another large difference is temperament. While all hedges have different personalities, it typically takes several months of daily handling to get your hedgie comfortable with you. Some are just more testy and are never really "friendly." My girl is almost 7 months old (I've had her since she was 6 weeks) and even after daily handling and bonding it still takes her a good 2 minutes to uncurl when I pick her up.
Essentially, you need to prepare for a lot of work that won't be rewarded with the enthusiasm of a puppy or a kitten, but it's the little purrs and chirps and affectionate nudges that make it all worth it


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## Nick120180 (Oct 27, 2014)

In response to the OP its a case of sort of. Sometimes my hedgehogs poop can smell like the worst pits of ****, other days not really noticeable. Overall the room it's in always smells a bit musty and liners need changing at around 3-4 days to keep things tolerable. The animal itself doesn't smell much of anything.

I think that it'd be a great pet for a 14year old girl but really it's your parents that need to be on board since you parents will likely need to cover;
- initial set up fees (high and discussed).
- Provision of room that allows 24/7 lighting and heating as well as LARGE cage. Remember hedgehogs need strict heat and lighting requirements. This is an exotic pet not a hamster.
- a local exotic pet vet needs to be found and your parents will foot the bill I'd imagine.
- high quality foods are required along with live insects.
- also whilst great for a 14yr old girl what about a 16yr old, 17yr old, 18yr old, 19yr old? Who will look after it when she no longer has time or interest? Hedgehogs can live up to 6+ years in captivity.

Mines just been in the bath and was wrapped in a towel in bed with me. He's now using me as a climbing frame and I can say that with time they are absolutely wonderful adorable little pets. They must be socialised well young though.

If you parents are pet lovers this is probably a great idea, but if their not on board it's simply not feasible I'm afraid unless you can cover everything.


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## Tongue_Flicker (Jun 11, 2013)

Hi there welcome aboard! 

Of course any new animal is a lot of work especially if you're too excited about it and have no prior knowledge/experience of the animal in question.

New keepers either tend to exaggerate/indulge/overdo on a lot of things. That is normal, you'll get used to it. Cleaning up routine comes with pet-owner rapport and over-time-experience. You'll realize you're cleaning less with less waste than you did the first time around.

I'm just glad the store owner didn't just sell to you to gain profit. I know most would

Good luck and enjoy!


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## omgdrea (Dec 24, 2014)

Not sure if I saw this mentioned, but they are nocturnal as well  they won't be active much during the day and will be up running around when I imagine your sister is sleeping.

just another thing to keep in mind!


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## Megan_Gunthert (Dec 6, 2014)

I am 16 years old and have a pretty busy day and a hedgehog is the perfect pet for me! I spot clean her cage everyday just cause i think it just looks better, and eliminates any smells. I change her fleece liner every sunday and it only takes about 30 min to clean her whole cage and wash the fleece. I have had hedgehogs since i was 11 so the people that are saying 14 is to young, i proved that wrong. I still own my first hedgehog she is almost 5 now. So cleary when i was 11 i was doing something right! Hope you get her a hedgehog. Mine hedgehogs have special places in my heart! They are the most interesting creatures to me! 

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM- Zoethehedgehog


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