# If you think a hedgehog is too clingy...



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

...get hermit crabs! :lol: I was thinking about someone's comment that if you think a cat is too clingy, you should look into hedgehogs. I think it might've been MomLady? And my little guys are making me feel like this right now. Everyone's buried right now, and I can't even tell if either of the little guys are coming out at night. *sigh* I just changed the food tonight, so I'll be able to see in the morning if anyone's messed it up. Boromir (my medium crab) is still burrowed in the isolation tank and has been for 3 weeks tomorrow. I'm fairly certain he's molting, which means I could have another 3+ weeks to wait. I miss my buddy!  The littles are adorable, but they're pretty shy and even Eowyn still runs & hides if I happen to catch them out in the open. But even that beats seeing no signs that anyone's alive at all! Really looking forward to someone coming back up to mess up my nice clean tank & give me something to do!


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## writergirlmel (May 16, 2015)

I am fascinated by your hermit crab adventures. Until you got them, I had no idea how much was involved with them.


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

Which is why I'm glad I don't see them being sold all over the place anymore. Poor little guys. I had no idea there was so much to their care either!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I have to admit, I'm glad I had done at least a little research before I up & decided to take them on. If I hadn't, I would've gotten quite the rude awakening. :lol: And I'd say that's the situation with at least half of the new people on my hermit crab forum. People find the forum when trying to find out why their crab's leg fell off or why they won't change into a shell, etc. and then panic because their entire set up is wrong. There's just so much bad information out there about these little guys.  

I've really been enjoying talking about them in various locations (here, Facebook, etc.) because a lot of people are learning more about them that way. Hopefully it'll do some good at some point.  I'm hoping it'll have a similar effect as my hedgehog obsession. My friends heard me talk about hedgehog requirements so often that most of them can recite the basic care information (heat, cage size, wheel, food, behavior, etc.) from memory now, and I've had a couple of friends educate others in various places and report back to me to let me know how it went. :lol: I was so proud! My own little hedgehog crusaders force.


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

Yeah, it was me that said hedgies are for people that think cats are too clingy.

I am really enjoying hearing about your adventures with your crabby ones.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

I am also enjoying hearing about them.... I had a trio of smuggled hermit crabs when I was young. But the more i learn about them from you, the less likely I am to add them to my zoo. I need to interact and see them. I can't handle the weeks of nothing. 
So for the time I stick with hedgehogs, birds, tortoises and the new additions rabbits. I see and interact with them every day.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I don't blame you, twobytwo! It's kind of a bummer not to be able to see your pets "enjoying" what you give them. But at the same time, I'm okay with keeping them because I'd rather know they have what they need. If I give them to someone else, I'd be too worried that they're not being cared for well. I'm not sure I'll ever go out of my way to get more though. The most I've considered is taking in a few more from a Craigslist ad or if someone posts on the forum for someone to adopt in my area. And then only if I have the room - I want to make sure I can provide for my guys long-term, so I don't want to end up with 15, 30, or 50 like some people have. I know not all make it to jumbo size, but I've also read a lot that the ones most likely to do so are the ones kept in small groups. Fewer crabs, fewer chances of someone getting hurt or killed while molting, etc.

On the plus side, someone is still coming up in the main tank at night. The food was mussed this morning, mostly the powdered freeze-dried beef liver and the calcium powder. That makes me wonder if the culprit is preparing to molt, by going for the big-ticket items. Animal protein & calcium are the two most important things for molters, both before & after. Plus, they're due pretty soon, so we'll see how long before they join the MIA list. :lol: 

Also, new rabbits!  Do you have pictures? I've been reading more about their care recently, partly due to curiosity, partly due to boredom (I've been researching random animals all week, both ones I'll be definitely getting & ones I wouldn't mind having). I'd written them off when I was looking for my first pet because I thought they were too timid & skittish. So I got a hedgehog instead. :lol:


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

I don't have pictures yet of foxy and Jessica. They were rescues and foxy looks really rough. He was in a pen with other males and they weren't nice to each other. They are easy to care for. Food in the dish, fresh water and hay every day. The most labor intensive is swapping their frozen water bottles out a couple times a day. 
The boys like to do the rabbit chores. Or they like to go out and play. 
Jessica is more timid, she will allow us to pet her through her cage but gets nervous when we are in her cage. Foxy runs to the door to be petted and even tried throwing his chew stick at me. They have been with us since Monday. Putting cages together was a challenge. We will be building hutches soon.


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## writergirlmel (May 16, 2015)

Lilysmommy said:


> I'd written them off when I was looking for my first pet because I thought they were too timid & skittish. So I got a hedgehog instead. :lol:


That is hilarious.

Rabbits were my fourth, fifth, and seventh pets. The last was a litter-box trained lop-eared who had full run of the house and, remarkably, didn't hurt herself, damage too much, or burn the house down.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I hope they settle in soon, Twobytwo! They sound like they were lucky to find you guys. They're going to have a great home now! 

Yeah, younger me should've done more research. :lol: I know more about them now and would like to have some someday, but we'll see if it works out. Given their space requirements, I'm not sure they'd work out in our apartment for the foreseeable future, especially since my friend wants a cat or two. I'm not a huge fan of having predators hanging out with prey animals, and while I probably wouldn't give rabbits the run of the apartment, my room will already be off limits to the cats because I plan to have a hedgehog & possibly rats in there (and probably wouldn't have room for rabbits too!). I'd hate to block my friend's room off to any cats too. I want a zoo, but only as long as everyone has enough room! Humans excluded, I suppose. :lol: My friend's already insisting there won't be any room for people in this apartment.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

People are over rated. I'd much rather have a conversation with my bird than most people I know. She just repeats a few phrases and will argue about her name. Although lately my husband has started talking politics with her. That's always good for a laugh. Although depending on the day her political party will change.


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## writergirlmel (May 16, 2015)

Sometimes, I pity the people we live with, Kelsey.

I just had to have a conversation with Soyala_Amaya this morning because we really, really wanted to take Frigga, but my husband isn't 100% on board.

But you know the list of potential pets is substantial when it can be used as a bargaining chip: "If you'll agree to adopt Frigga, I'll stop looking at the rest of the potential zoo."

Even if it didn't work.  I can't complain too much, though. He's coming from a good place. He just worries about me taking on too much and forgetting to take care of myself. (He doesn't quite understand that taking care of the animals _is_ one of the ways I take care of myself.)


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

My husband came home from work yesterday and informed me that he turned down a lynx kitten. I think he is crazy. I informed him that when we move to the farm it might be a different story. 
Now lynx is on my list.... As if I needed it to be longer. The main thing on the list is a fennec fox. Must. Get. One....


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## writergirlmel (May 16, 2015)

My husband is all like, "What happened to just wanting a dog? I miss those days."


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Mine is OK with just about everything but the skunk. I don't have one yet. I remind him it isn't a snake or a monkey and he realizes it's OK. Usually then he threatens to get an emu. That is the reason why I don't own a skunk.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

:lol: I love that I have such good company here. My poor SO only wants a dog. Meanwhile I have the hermit crabs & snake (soon!), and I want...betta fish, bearded dragon, crested gecko, hedgehogs, rats, rabbits, budgies, sugar gliders, possibly a larger parrot or two, cats, horses...I know I won't get some of those. Sugar gliders are out of the question, I think. Their care would push the limits of anyone I live with. Horses are unlikely to be something I can afford at any point. We'll see what happens with the reptiles, at least I can argue that their monthly care is relatively inexpensive once they're set up. And he's allergic to cats, so I've grudgingly admitted I probably won't get to have my own once I've moved in with him (if that happens). I've informed him firmly, though, that hedgehogs are not optional, and the animals I have at the time that I move will be coming with me, so he doesn't have an option on those either. I'm pretty determined to have birds at some point too! But I think I can find a species that would work for both of us (he's concerned about the noise level & potential aggression towards non-favorite-people).

But my SO's coming from a similar place as yours, Mel. Concern that I won't take care of myself, plus concerns of being able to afford necessities for animals & humans. But I'm the same way...I do better when I have something to get me moving and take care of. And honestly, I just can't imagine living with no animals at all. The house/apartment/whatever would feel ridiculously empty.

I'm so sorry you can't take Frigga, though!  It'd be so nice if the whole group could go home with people from here, even if that's not reasonable. But at least we could all still get updates on them. I'm hoping to maybe adopt Bindy, I just have to make sure I have a job squared away before I ask Soyala to hold onto her for me. I can't bring a quilly one home until I'm moved out, have the ball python all set up (she's in a worse situation right now, so I feel like I have to bring her home before a hedgie), and have things all set for a hedgie. I'm just so impatient!!


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Budgies the noise level is an issue. Skeeter Bird is a green cheek conure. Not loud or one people birds. That is her, ignore my kitchen table mess.
Sugar gliders are labor intensive. 
Since you can't have a horse had you thought about going and taking lessons or leasing one? I know you have to get yourself situated first but just throwing it out there. 
I'm no help with the significant other that doesn't want more pets.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yeah, my family used to have a pair of budgies. I don't remember them being all that loud or annoying, but they do have the constant chatter thing going, which the SO wouldn't like. Green cheek conures might be the species I was looking at. My bird magazine had an article on conures & I remember seeing one that was low-noise & sociable and went "Aha!". Skeeter is beautiful!  I would find the magazine & double check, but it's currently in a storage facility & I can't be bothered, lol.

I would really love to take riding lessons again. I miss being around horses, it's been years. Once we're settled in & I have things settled with animals and a budget worked out, I may look into it. Otherwise I can wait until later! One thing at a time, I suppose.  

I'd say you're lucky with your husband, but I think it's probably for the best that I have an SO who will keep me in line. We'd end up living on ramen noodles in a zoo otherwise! :lol: He has a point, I'm pretty bad at the "feed myself right" thing even when I'm not spending all of my money & time on animal food instead.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

The family that the green cheek conure belongs to is the quieter conure.
Having a child with noise sensitivity that is always a factor in whatever we get. She never really bothers him with her chatter, then when she gets on a roll she is pretty easy to settle down. A couple clicks here and there or we put on her favorite songs and she quiets down to a low grumble of conure closet talk. 
One strange quirk they have is they put their food in their water dish. Apparently conure soup is gourmet stuff. They also will gladly jump in a freshly clean water dish any chance they get. 

Another one that is friendly not stuck on one person is the pionus birds. We had a Maximilian. They are harder to find though as not many breeders raise them, smaller clutches and more driven by seasons.


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## Soyala_Amaya (Aug 1, 2011)

Ha, I thought my ears were burning! If it makes anyone feel any better, I was one step away from getting ANOTHER pregnant rescue last week, but someone else wound up being closer. I don't think I will magically run out of hedgehogs  (I would like to have a few less, I think my husband is getting tired of me running home from work, eating dinner super fast, and then caring for hedgehogs the rest of the night, heh.)


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

:lol: The cats will be glad you didn't take in another pregnant girl! I'm sure they want their room back sooner rather than later. I'll definitely be coming to you either way once I can get one, but I do hope I can be ready in time to grab Bindy up...such a snuggly girl! <3 I'm a sucker for the cuddlers...which is how I ended up with Lily (the only baby to fall asleep in my hand at the breeder's).


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Boromir's reappeared!!  I was completely caught by surprise to see him above ground when I checked tonight. Didn't take him long to start causing a ruckus - he'd dumped his food bowl into the hole he came out of. :roll: I'm thrilled to see him again, but don't have any pictures yet as he's still pretty shy & didn't want to come out to say hi. That's normal for them to be a little nervous for a day or two afterward a molt, and sometimes personalities can sometimes completely change after one. Hoping he'll go back to being bold & friendly once he's had a day or two. 

I put him back in the ISO tank for now with fresh water & food. If he trashes the place between now & tomorrow evening, I'll move him back to the main tank. It looks like he'll likely have free reign to settle in once he does go back. I think both of the littles are underground now as their food hasn't been touched since Tuesday night. Hopefully both of them will hurry up & come back up before too long so Boromir can have some buddies to hang out with.


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