# Pros and Cons of Hedgehogs



## mistymay

I am seriously considering getting a hedgehog, but I have seen mixed reviews. Can someone please tell me the pros and cons?


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## Guest

I could go into detail but we have so many topics which will answer the things you need to know about a hedgehog the Pros and Cons vary to the owner though the most foremost is they can be very expensive pets to own.

*Before you bring your baby home*

http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3877

*General Hedgehog Care FAQ*

http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=54

*Behavior Expectations*

http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=13

*Cage Examples*

http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1860

*Dry Cat Food List*

http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15

*Things Toxic to a Hedgehog*

http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=40

*If you think your hedgehog is sick*

http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=58

*Scoop on Poop*

http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=57

*First Aid Kit*

http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=38

This should give you an idea of how much care and responsibility a hedgehog is in so many ways, someone else may be along to post in detail, but all of these topics posted by very experienced Breeders should give you a good place to start


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## mistymay

Thanks


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## hanhan27

Welcome to HHC! It's wonderful to see that you're here asking questions before you possibly get a hedgehog.

Hedgies require more of your time than a dog or cat. I'll give you a run down of an average day/week taking care of my hedgehog, Mildred.

7:30 am - Milly's overhead light turns on
10 am - I wake up or get home from work. I empty Milly's water bowl, wash it, and refill it with fresh bottled water. I check her food bowl - if there's less than a small handful of food, I put another small handful in. I clean her wheel, which is always covered in poo. I pick pieces of chewed up food, quills, and chunks of poo off of her fleece liners. I double check the temperature in her cage to make sure it's warm enough. I find where she is, move her fleece a bit so I can do a visual check of her face and paws, make sure she is her usual cranky self and then leave her alone.
8:30 pm - Milly's overhead light turns off
8:45/10:15 - If I have to work that night, I wake Milly at 8:45pm. If I don't work, she usually wakes up around 10:15. I take her out to weigh her, then put her back in her cage. I give her time to chow down, drink some water, poo, and when she makes a bee line for her hidey hole, I swoop in and take her out. She will play on me or the bed for half an hour or so, and then she gets bored and wants to cuddle. I feed her a couple meal worms, we cuddle for 45 minutes or an hour. I take pictures most nights. I put her back in her cage, check her water, check her food, check the cage temperature, and let her do her thing for the rest of the night.

On Tuesdays and Fridays, I dump all the food in her bowl out and put fresh food in.

Twice a week, I take all of her fleece cage liners out and wash them with non-scented allergen free laundry detergent. I then wipe down the coroplast bottom/sides of the cage with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water, rinse it, and wipe it dry.

I wash her water bowl with a tiny amount of dish detergent every day. I wash her food bowl whenever I empty it and refill it. I wash the 2 plastic toys and her igloo hut at least twice a week.

I squirt one capsule of flax seed oil on her food on Wednesdays. (Flax seed oil helps with dry skin and works wonders for internal organs and joints)

I give her a foot bath at *least* once a week - hedgehogs can easily get infections through cuts or sores on their feet, and when they run in their own feces for hours every night, it really is a *must* that you are keeping up with foot hygiene. It prevents infections and icky smells, and it's not so gross when you handle them.

I give her a full body bath once every 2 weeks with Aveeno oatmeal scrub, Johnson & Johnson Lavender scented baby body wash and a toothbrush. For some reason, Mildred puts off a strong smell of cat food regularly, and she needs to be bathed to lessen the smell. Most hedgie owners recommend that you only bathe your hedgehog when absolutely necessary, because it can dry their skin out. Milly rarely has dry skin at all, and like I said, she smells pretty strongly. :lol: 


You really need to have time for at least an hour a day to spend on/with a hedgehog. They are a "high-maintenance" pet. They can be cranky, and not all hedgehogs are "people-friendly". Some people say that with time, ANY hedgehog will come around and learn to accept and trust humans. This just isn't true. If you spend time with your hedgie and teach them that you are trustworthy, they are much more likely to like you back. 

But! Hedgehogs are fun, interesting, and unique. They have personalities. They have likes and dislikes, and it can be really fun getting to know them.  If you are interested in getting one, and know you have the time and money for one, I would highly recommend it.


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## shaelikestaquitos

Hedgehogs are a lot of work, and they can be quite tough to socialize at times.

The cons I would say are that you must clean the wheel everyday, unless you want a disgusting poopy one just sitting there all day... and also that you have to socialize them quite often, which is hard if you're a very busy person.

There are weeks where I can't get Kashi out for more than 30 mins a day, every other day... and you can tell that Kashi already becomes less social.

Also, vet care can be very expensive since they are considered exotic animals. And there are cities where vet care isn't even available for hedgehogs.

The cages will cost you quite a bit too, especially with a proper heat set up.

Those are just some things to keep in mind


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## DexterTheHog

Pro: Adorable, cuddly, personable, enjoy being with you (as long as your hedgie has a good temperament), easily accessible supplies (cat food, fleece, PVC pipe), relatively smell free, Dexter is a good traveler and doesn't mind moving back and forth between my house and summer house every few weeks (but I think I got lucky, I haven't heard of others being so adaptable) Supplies are expensive at first (heat lamp, cage, etc) but once you have all that down they're not expensive to own (I mean come on, their toys are PVC pipe and flower pots  )
Con: cleaning the wheel every day is annoying, but when it comes down to it it only takes 2 minutes per day. They are VERY temperature sensitive. Dexter is happiest at around 74 degrees but all hedgies are different. Some people don't like that they are nocturnal, but when I brought Dex home he woke up naturally at 10:30, but with patience and slowly waking him up a half hour earlier every week or so, he now wakes up at 8:30 on his own! Perfect for relaxing TV time with your baby. They poop a lot (but so does everything else). Supplies are expensive at first (heat lamp, cage, etc) but once you have all that down they're not expensive to own.

hmm that's all I can think of for now... I guess my #1 con of Dexter, is he's so temp sensitive. I'm always worried its going to be too cold or too hot. my #2 con is the poopy wheel, but I just have to convince myself that it really only takes 3 minutes and i should shut up and just clean it haha


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## Ava99

I have nowhere near the routine that hanhan27 does, so I guess it's more of a personal preference there (mine is much more relaxed, his lighting schedule is the same as mine, but if I'm up late I'll turn of all but a desk lamp) . 
As previously stated, the start up costs are pretty steep depending on the quality of the stuff you buy for your little guy, and how much you pay for the hedgie himself. Vets are crazy expensive, especially if you end up having to go to an emergency vet if something happens "after hours" (or your vet is out of town...*grumble grumble*). Another con is if you plan on having the little guy in the same area that you sleep in. They get up the same time you go to bed and are up the whole night banging on stuff and moving it around and wheeling. Make sure you have a silent wheel (I have a flying saucer and I love it). 
They are really temperature sensitive, luckily my house stays in the suggested range, but I get up multiple times a night to make sure it hasn't dropped too low. 
A given, but still a con: they're prickly. You WILL get stuck with a quill and it WILL hurt, but you get used to that. Also: you WILL get pooped on.
They don't like loud noises, and if your family is anything like mine, everyone will want to see him and touch him, and he won't like it very much.
Cleaning the cage and wheel are annoying (and stinky...) but let the stuff soak in hot water before you get to scrubbing and it will be a lot easier. (I soak the wheel in hot water in my bathroom sink while I do my makeup to save time in the mornings)

Pro's: great if you are busy during the day because you don't have to worry about letting them out to go pee. All other pro's speak for themselves.


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## Jocelyn3113

I am going to have to disagree with the statement that they are more highmaitnence then a dog. But I do not have a set in stone routine. 
I wake up I check on all the animals, then I go to work. In the evening I take Chretien out, and he cuddles with me for at least 15 20 minutes then I put him down for the run around for at least an hour. Usually its more then that. I have bunnies too and they all get out of their cages when I am home in the evening. 
I dont find him to be very expensive either. Kind of another potatoe in the pot type of thing. I already had 3 cats and they are already on high quality kitty food. Im sure vet costs would be high though. There is only one vet in my city I know of that deals with them. 
He is a lot of fun I like bringing him places with me. He loves running around and checkign out new places, then again that might be just him. 
I dont find him high maitnence. The bunnies are much more trouble to care for and clean up after in my opinion


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